Cabbage Saute

http://orangette.net/2009/01/the-best-we-can-hope-for/

This began to cook fast when i finally turned the stovetop onto high heat. I used coconut oil as the oil in the recipe. Also used Trader Joes chili sauce instead of the other thing they list. I sliced it with a big knife. It took probably 30 minutes to cook, but would have been faster if I hadn't had the heat only medium-high for the first 20 minutes.

This goes well with a "strong flavored meat" as david said. We had it with Beef and Cheddar sausages and it was good. I used 1/3 of a giant head of cabbage, and there was just a little bit of cabbage left at the end of the meal.

Deviled Eggs III

Here is my unmeasured recipe.

Scoop of miracle whip
scoop of sour cream
dab of horseradish (like 1/8th tsp or less)
mustard
a little sugar
garlic powder
white vinegar (a little, <1 p="" tbsp="">

Pot Roast

I made pot roast for the first time. I used a 3 lb beef rump roast. I untied it and then realized why it was tied...because it was not all one piece. So it might have been better roasted because of that. But I attempted to sear it anyway and them put some water in with ti until it was about an inch from the top of the meat. Then I put cabbage wedges in the water, and a quartered onion (though I should have used 2 onions and only half a cabbage). Also added carrots, and two potatoes on top. I made sure that the cabbage was submerged, and everything else was not really submerged (except meat). It turned out well. I added herbs de province near the end. I put it in my 8 quart tri-ply steel pot and simmered 4 hours or so.

Colcannon

So I started out with this recipe http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/colcannon/ but cooked the cabbage as described in this one: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/fabulous-colcannon-mashed-potatoes-and-cabbage/

So I made mashed potatoes with 2.25 lb of gold potatoes, with a little butter and some milk. Meanwhile I cooked 1/3 head of an extremely large cabbage in a skillet as described in allrecipes. I used bacon grease and a little garlic powder. I should have added more water too, as the spiny pieces were too crunchy. But the end result was good. I ate it with leftover gravy and then with butter another time, and both were good.

David said it might have been a 4 if the cabbage had been fully cooked.

Tikka Masala Chicken Wings

This was interesting. The wings did not stay crisp after putting the sauce on them. The few I kept dry were much crispier, so I'm not sure if that's a problem with wings in general or just this prep method. Anyway, they were good. Flipping the wings did not work very well though, and the skin came off partially for some of them. So I wouldn't flip if I make this again. Just put skin side up from the start.

This was from the Primal Cravings Cookbook. Also, I ate half the wings. there were about 2.5 lbs in all, so this recipe definitely does not serve 6. I would say 1 lb of wings per person is more reasonable.

Baba Ghanoush Gratin

This is another from Primal Cravings. It did not turn out well. In fact, I threw most of it out. It might have worked out better if the eggplant was sliced at 1/2 inch (and not 1 inch as the book says to do). Also, pureeing the onions was a big mistake. It was an overwhelming amount of thick pink sauce. I think pureeing a small portion might have been ok if the rest was left chunky.

David doesn't like eggplant very much anyway, and this dish was like chewy half cooked eggplant with pink puree. It was pretty awful.

Chicken Pad Thai with zucchini noodles

This is another recipe from primal cravings. I subbed chicken for shrimp since David hates it. I used my julienne peeler to slice noodles from a zucchini. It turned out really great. I was surprised how well. There wasn't enough noodle though. I might add some rice noodles next time.

David rated this 4.138 and I rounded up.

Crawfish (or Bay Scallop) Étouffée

From Primal Craving Cookbook, Originally Crawfish Étouffée, but crawfish were way expensive so I made it with bay scallops.

This was surprisingly good. I was skeptical at first, but it wasn't too spicy or anything. I used trader joes chili sauce for the hot sauce. We had it over rice, since we didn't have the suggested pairing of mashed celery root.

David thought the scallops were fine, or rather, "not bad". Which is a green light for me to continue to use it:)

This took me like an hour to make though. I'm sure it would be faster the 2nd time. Also, I just used diced tomatoes that i used the immersion blender on for a little. And I used 4 tbsp of the trader joes gluten free flour mix instead of potato flour. 2 tbsp was not enough, but it might have been had I used potato flour.

Gyro Taco Salad & Tzatziki Guacamole

http://www.health-bent.com/salads/paleo-gyro-taco-salad-tzatziki-guacamole
This is another from Primal Cravings cookbook (which I love, and it also has calorie info in it which is great!). Instead of a salad I served it with flour tortillas, with lettuce as one of the things to go inside. (gf for me though! udi's large gf tortillas works so well.)

I halved the recipe thinking it would be a lot, but we ate up most of it. Next time I will make the whole recipe using 2 lbs of ground lamb so there will be leftovers.

The guacamole was good, but I may try it with a yogurt tzatziki sauce instead next time, like maybe this one.

Also, David rated this a 4.2 but i rounded up:)

Napa Cabbage Salad

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/napa-cabbage-salad
Napa Cabbage Salad

This recipe was ok. Not enough flavor.

Coconut Shrimp Cakes

This recipe is from the Primal Cravings cookbook.

David normally does not like the texture of shrimp, but pureed in this way he thought it was doable. The cod masked the flavor too.

This recipe made 15 cakes, but I was short a 1/4 lb of shrimp so it probably would have made 2 or 3 more. I used a lot of coconut oil in the pan, I don't even know how much. I put it on 6.5 heat, and later turned it up to 7. I don't think my seafood was dry enough before I blended it up, because there was some extra liquid that probably made the mixture too soft and hard to roll up. The pineapple salsa was good on top. I used a 20 oz can of crushed pineapple that I'd drained the juice from.

This was a bit too labor intensive and took way more than 3-4 minutes per side to get brown. Maybe my heat was too low, but 7 will burn pancakes so I usually stay below it. When it was done there wasn't much oil in the pan, which meant it was all sucked up into the cakes. I wonder if any cooking oil was computed into the calorie index at the back. Either way, these were good but probably won't make the same way again.

I used Trader Joes Cod Pieces (which is a hilarious name) for this recipe.

I just found this recipe online for it: http://pilateswithpaige.blogspot.com/2013/09/coconut-shrimp-cakes.html And they recommend using trader joes pineapple salsa. I will totally do that instead next time.

Notes for next time: dry fish and shrimp, and make smaller cakes. Also, use cast iron skillet and just coat the bottom with coconut oil. My big red skillet made the oil pool in an O shape.

French Vinaigrette

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/French-Vinaigrette-233578

This seemed to work fine. I think I prefer 1 part vinegar to 2 parts oil though.

NYTimes No-Knead Bread

http://www.astackofdishes.com/the-famous-ny-times-no-knead-bread/ (1.5 c recommendation comes from here)
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html?_r=0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13Ah9ES2yTU

Only use 1.5 cups (warm) water, not the 1 5/8 written in the ny recipe. I made it twice, and it was easier to handle with just 1.5 cups. Also, if you are unable to put it into the oven after the 2 hrs second rise, JUST WAIT until you can. I punched mine down the first time and it did not recover in the next 3 hours, so it turned out too dense. Also, You'll need an EXTREMELY floury hand to do the folding. It's really extremely wet dough still.

I got a ton of compliments on this bread. I took it to a baby shower and served it with soup. I put it together friday  morning, then let it rise until saturday morning. I did the 2 hour second rise, and used an oval 5 quart cast iron pot/lid that I got from IKEA. (Which, is not doing too great as a le creuset knockoff since the finish is kinda iffy and looks rusty a little bit now. But worked just fine in this recipe!) I used cornmeal when the recipe suggested it, and it helped prevent the towel from sticking to the bread, during 2nd rise, as well as giving it a better finished look. Also, who wants to eat toasted flour? not me. (or not me if i weren't still gluten free).

Cuban Burger

Cuban Burger from Primal Cravings p 94

These were fantastic. The plantains should be left in water until ready to be smashed, as they dried out and did not smash well otherwise.

Pan Seared Rib-eye

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/pan-seared-rib-eye-recipe.html

I used lard for this recipe, and it still smoked a TON, especially in the initial sear. Will not make it again this way. On the other hand, the meat turned out very well.

Deviled Eggs II

Semi based on http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2014/04/17/recipe-deviled-eggs-without-mayo/

I made this recipe but decided the yolk mixture was not creamy enough, so I added some miracle whip. It was kindof like a small spoon of sour cream, small spoon of miracle whip, a splash of white wine vinegar, a couple drops of honey,  mustard and salt as written, omit olive oil.

They were still good, with less mayo than I would have used otherwise. Hopefully will figure out a recipe we like that has no mayo at all.

Southern Style Kale

http://www.southbeachprimal.com/southern-style-kale/

Southern Style Kale

This was really great. I used a bit too much bacon. 4 slices of thin cut would have been enough, but I probably used 6 or 7. I only added 1/2 tsp of salt too, and I am really glad because it was very salty already. The rest I made as is, with 1 bunch of kale. It was so good! It didn't have a strong bitter taste cooked this way. I will make it again the next time I get kale.

Unstuffed Cabbage

This recipe is reminiscent of golompke, but turned out better. It is from the 15 minute meal low-carb cookbook by Dana Carpenter. David liked this a lot. The recipe author says she altered a recipe from the I Hate to Cook Cookbook. The original is called "The Colonel's Lady's Ham" and is shown here.

The leftovers were great in a GF tortilla.

Roasted small potatoes

Preheat oven to 350. Cut small potatoes in half. Put coconut oil onto heavy baking sheet. I like to put the baking sheet in the oven for a minute to melt the oil. Remove from oven and put potatoes onto sheet along with salt, pepper, and seasoning. I used some "herbs de province" which I don't think contributed much to the flavor (maybe do more next time?) I made sure oil was on the skin side of the potato, then put the halves down. I baked ~30 minutes.
David really liked them.

Acorn Squash with Beef Saute

http://chefinyou.com/2009/09/how-to-cook-acorn-squash/
Halve acorn squash, dig out seeds, and bake open face down at 425. 30 minutes ish is probably enough. I would do 1 squash per adult.

Then saute onions, leek, green pepper (or whatever, really) and seasonings until mostly soft. Add a pound of ground beef, brown that. Serve inside baked squash.

I have used garam masala + nutmeg in this.

Note: We really enjoyed the filling from this recipe. David preferred the savory spice blend in it to garam masala/nutmeg.
http://stupideasypaleo.com/2015/10/17/stuffed-acorn-squash-recipe/

Rice and Coconut Pancakes

https://web.archive.org/web/20140718235935/http://www.bobsredmill.com/recipes.php?recipe=1196
Rice and Coconut Pancakes

This was good. The recipe makes enough that it does not need to be doubled, at least for our family of four. These are lighter than the banana oat ones I have made a lot. David says he likes this recipe a bit more. I think this will be my new go-to pancake recipe for a while.

4/22/2015 note: I made this with soy milk (soured with 1 T lemon juice), brown rice flour, and added blueberries. David didn't like the flavor as much. I think that is most likely due to the brown rice flour, since it is a strong flavor, but the soy milk I used also had a strong soy flavor so I'm not totally sure.

BUTTERMILK PANCAKES WITH COCONUT FLOUR

• 2 Tbsp Oil
• 1-1/2 cups Buttermilk
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Tbsp Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Baking Powder
• 2 Tbsp Potato Starch
• 1/3 cup Organic Coconut Flour
• 1 cup White Rice Flour

Directions

Mix together dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Add oil, eggs and buttermilk, blending with a whip until just blended. Texture will be a little thicker than regular pancake batter, but cooks up fluffy. Pour batter onto medium hot griddle sprayed with cooking spray. Cook until underside is nicely brown, flip and brown other side. Makes 8 pancakes. 

Rendering Suet to Tallow

I had some free beef suet and so decided to render into tallow to make soap. It took me 2 days to do it because I had the heat too low. I did 3 big chunks of been suet, I didn't weight it ahead of time. I used a stick blender toward the end to help break up bits. I should have cut pieces up as fine as possible to speed things up too. Also, use a candy thermometer if you are worried about temp. I did a second rendering to make sure the water was out and I followed the therm directions on this link, removing it from low heat (2-3 on my burner) when it was around 230F.

http://paleofood.com/recipes/fats-suetstepbystep.htm

I tried it in the crockpot on low (my instant pot) but it did not work. It spent 9 hours in the pot and barely melted at all. I needed to use higher heat, so I transferred to a stainless steel pot on the stove and added 1/4 c water. The suet I used was pretty clean to begin with.

There are tutorials out there for using lots of water to get fat out of meaty fat chunks, then you let it sit in the fridge overnight and lift the fat off the top. I think whatever method you use, doing a 2nd rendering is useful to try and get out the last of the water so it is pure fat. From what I've read, it will have a longer shelf life that way. I think this is especially important if you plan to cook with it and store at room temperature. For soapmaking, I am not sure how essential the 2nd rendering is.

For my first rendering, I used a cheesecloth to strain. I wasn't sure how to clean it, so I tried boiling the cloth and then dumping the hot water out onto the grass. Worked fine and saved my washing machine from greasy buildup.

Roasted Delicata Squash

Delicata is my favorite squash in the whole world. Probably because it is so sweet. I followed this recipe (skin on--it really does taste so yummy when left on!)
http://summertomato.com/better-than-butternut-roasted-delicata-squash-recipe/

I only had 1 squash, and I wish there had been more.  I used coconut oil instead of olive oil.

Fried Salmon - best method of cooking fish ever!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/pan-fried-salmon-recipe2.html

I cooked 1/2 lb salmon in my le creuset skillet. It was hot, on medium heat. Turned out fantastic, was important to have the skin on. The skin was crispy and delicious.

Note: this did not work well the second time, I used 3 pieces of fish and having a more crowded pan made it harder to handle. The fish got stuck to the pan on both sides. I'm not sure what the issue was.

Boy Choy Beef Scramble

This recipe http://pickyeaterblog.com/indian-spiced-bok-choy/

I made the recipe linked above, but with 1 whole red onion and 1 head of bok choy. It is the first time I've enjoyed bok choy in a recipe. I used cumin seed, ground mustard, and ground tumeric, plus some garam masala that I have. It was very good! I added a pound of ground beef and we ate it over rice. Will make this again when I have bok choy to use up.

Under the Weather Soup

http://autoimmune-paleo.com/healing-green-soup/

I halved the recipe and added bacon and green onion as toppings in addition to the avocado. I think the bacon was 100% essential. Otherwise it was too difficult to eat. My soup turned out much greener than the picture. I think it should call for "large" sweet potatoes and a small bunch of kale. I used curly kale. I might try it with another kind if I make again. Also, I halved the recipe so it would make only 2 quarts. Also, it could have used an extra bullion cube since my broth was a bit weak.

Breakfast Quesadillas

Based on this recipe: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2013/04/breakfast-quesadillas/

I used Udi's gluten free large tortillas to make mine, and regular flour tortillas to make the others. I cooked bacon, sauteed onion and red pepper in the leftover bits after pouring out most of the grease. Added scrambled eggs, grated cheddar, folded over into a semi-circle and cooked on both sides. Mine was soft and hard to flip, but was really good. I also added some kimchi after mine was cooked inside the tortilla and it was fantastic.  It's the first thing I've tried the homemade kimchi I made a couple weeks ago with.

Crackers

http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2011/03/homemade-ritz-crackers-recipe.html

I made half this batch today, minus the sugar. I used olive oil for the oil. It worked great. I rolled it out on my regular sized silpat, and it took up most of the space. Then I took my pastry wheel (first time using it even though I bought it like 5 years ago) and cut through it all. I poked each cracker with a fork too. I carefully moved the silpat onto a baking sheet. Then baked at 400 F for a while. I forgot to time it, I just checked it until it was starting to lightly brown in some spots.

I don't know how long these will keep for, which is why I only made half the batch. I wanted to use lard or coconut oil, or something more shelf stable so it will last longer. Maybe next time. Now I have crackers I feel ok giving to the baby.

After this I will try sourdough, perhaps, to break down the wheat a bit more. And after that, maybe a gluten free cracker that I can eat.

Shepherd's Pie III

This is a blend of two different recipes. I wanted to "hide" liver in this, so wanted it to have more of a gravy in it. http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/775643/cottage-pie & http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/easy_shepherds_pie/

1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb liver (presoaked in milk, then ground or chopped in processor, being careful not to make it a paste)
whatever vegetables. Celery, carrots, onion, pepper, green beans, other root veg, etc.
2 T gf flour (rice/potato/tapioca)
1-2 cups broth
1 T tomato paste
1 T worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper

Get liver soaking in milk. It helps remove blood and some of the livery taste.

Boil 1.5-2 lb unpeeled potatoes.
Meanwhile, saute veggies in butter or coconut oil. Add beef and brown. (My cast iron worked well since there was adequate fat and I didn't push the beef around too much initially).

Add 1 Tbsp tomato paste, 1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce, and 2 Tbsp gf flour blend (i like trader joes). Once flour is incorporated, add 1 cup broth. Once broth is heated, add liver to the saute pan. Let cook for 10 minutes. I think I added a second cup of broth too since it looked dry at some point.

When potatoes are done, mash with butter and milk (and s&p). Put it all in a 2 quart (minimum) casserole dish. Spread (plop) potatoes on top, and sprinkle cheese if desired. Bake until bubbly (20 min or so).

Coconut Fish Pie

http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2013/04/coconut-fish-pie/

This was not pie-like at all. It was more like soup. The first night I served it, we ate it like soup and it was not as appetizing that way. When I served the leftovers, I served it over white rice. That improved the dish a lot.

I used cod for the fish. The flavors were all good, but the presentation could have been better. I would have preferred the fish whole with the mash on the side, for example.

Red Enchilada Sauce

http://www.budgetbytes.com/2012/08/red-enchilada-sauce/

This was a success! It worked well with gluten free flour too, I used the trader joes blend. It took more like 10 minutes. Also, I used coconut oil and it worked well.

Kimchi

So I made Kimchi. I followed this recipe: http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2013/03/shou-chings-moms-kimchi/

The napa cabbage I used was 3 lb. Daikon radish was a bit over 1 lb, and carrot also a bit over 1 lb. One bunch of green onion. Two cloves of garlic. And 1-2 tsp fresh grated ginger root (approx the same as the amount of garlic I used).

I did everything in the food processor, using the shredder attachment for radish and carrot, and the blade for the other stuff. I skipped the chili powder and instead put in 5 dried red "super chilies" to get pulverized with the other stuff by the blade. (The chilies are from a csa veggie box I got last fall. Each dried chili was about 2 inches long and narrow. They are pretty hot!)

Then I salted the cabbage as directed, but probably didn't put a whole teaspoon per layer. Then after everything was mixed I added a tiny bit more salt, just so it tasted "pleasantly salty".

I put it all into a 2 liter fido jar and left it to ferment 7 days on my counter (but it might have been 8 days..I forget exacly which day I made it!).

And that's all.

Notes for next time: push the carrot/daikon through the shredder next time so the shreds are bigger. They were a bit too fine the first time because I tried not to push them down much.

Canning Dried Pinto Beans

I had a bunch of dried pinto beans that a friend gave me and were sitting around unused. I thought I might try to pressure can them. The basic method is here: http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2013/04/how-to-can-dry-beans.html. I skipped the boiling step (based on some reader comments about the final result being too soft). So I just soaked them overnight and them put them into pint mason jars, added hot water with 1 inch headspace, then put them in my instant pot cooker/canner for 75 minutes.

That is the first batch. I made 8 pints of it. I opened one of the pints to check softness and it seems to be a good texture and not too soft.

I am going to sprout the rest of the beans. I plan to pressure can half of them (after sprouting) just like described above. Then after that, I will try to ferment the rest and try to can that. I haven't figured out yet if I ferment the raw bean, or the cooked bean.

Update:
The sprouted beans turned out just fine too.

Chopped Liver Pate

So here is another recipe for pate I tried: http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2012/02/chopped-liver-pate/

I definitely like it better. I specifically bought refined coconut oil so there would be no coconut smell or taste. David is not excited about the cilantro so probably won't eat it, but he really liked the first liver batch so he can have that!

The flavors are more mild in this recipe. I think I should soak in milk for all future recipes. Also, I cooked it on low heat (#4 on my burner) so the butter just simmered away and did not burn. I think the low heat helps keep the liver flavor milk, or so I have read.

Golompke Beef

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Golompke-Beef-and-Cabbage-Casserole/Detail.aspx

This recipe has a lot of room to improve. I used 2 week expired cole slaw mix, so there was a slight fermented taste to it. I used leftover trader joes tomato soup, poured over leftover rice. I also put in a trader joes onion dip packet into the ground beef. I would use canned tomatoes next time, and maybe work on the seasonings. Has potential, will make again.

Update: Made again with 1/2 head (of an enormous cabbage). I added 1 tsp salt, garlic pwder, and tarragon. I used 2 cups tomato sauce and a 14 oz can of diced tomatoes instead of the soup and water. The dish was great this time! I did not precook the rice and it needed the full 1h 15m of time to cook. Also it could use 1.5 lb ground beef when it is a larger amount of cabbage like I used here.

Quinoa Broccoli Casserole

http://pinchofyum.com/creamy-chicken-quinoa-broccoli-casserole

This was a lot of effort for a not that amazing result. I don't plan to make it again. I used oat flour to thicken which worked fine. It might have turned out better if it hadn't dried out in the cooling oven for an hour...but the flavor was pretty bland. I don't have the emeril essence stuff, so wasn't sure what to put in.

Spaghetti Sauce canning recipe

20 lbs roma tomatoes, stem area cut out
4 lb ground beef
1 lb sliced mushrooms (could have used 2 lb)
4 garlic cloves (could have done more)
2 huge onions (or 4 regular)
dried oregano, basil, thyme (two palm size amounts of each, ~1 inch diameter in palm)
salt- 4 palms (1 inch diam)
pepper - 1 palm


I did half of this recipe at once since I could only fit 10 lb in my biggest pot. I think 20 lb would fit in a 12 quart, but I only have an 8 qt pot.

Cut tomatoes in half, throw in pot with herbs. Let simmer for a few hours so some liquid can evaporate. Put through blender (for my blendtec I put it on level 5 for 10-20 seconds) in batches. Saute meat, mushrooms, cloves, and chopped onions (i did it one thing at a time and added to blended sauce when finished). Then sauce simmered for more time until thick and flavor was strong enough.

makes 14-16 pints. I can process 4 pints (wide mouthed or regular) in my 6 qt instant pot. I put in the rack, an inch or 2 or water, and push the steam button. Adjust time to 60 minutes for pints, 70 min for quarts (i did a quart on its side). Leave 1 inch head space, pour in hot liquid, put on lid and screw on band (not overly tight).

That's it. I did it over two days, with lots of down time and other stuff going on. It would have saved time if I had a bigger pot and a big pressure canner, but I have neither so made do!

Tostadas

I made this for my family in utah and they all raved.

tostadas
shredded chicken seasoned with taco seasoning (and extra dried chopped onion if you've got it). (could use shredded beef or pork too). I boiled chicken breasts, then shredded them with fork, then simmered a bit with seasoning.
guacamole
sour cream
caramelized sweet onions (cut in half and sliced)
cilantro
red onion, diced in small pieces
refried beans
olives
lettuce, cut into shreds
chedder cheese
queso fresco

This was a great meal. Spread refried beans, guacamole, and sour cream on the tostada first. Then put on other toppings as desired.  It was great!

Fermented Vegetables

http://thestonesoup.com/blog/2014/08/the-number-1-way-to-improve-your-gut-health/

I am doing this method using Fido Jars that I have. I use filtered water so there is no chlorine. Or I will use water left out overnight (which allows chlorine to evap). I have celery going right now. Will update this post later.

Later. Celery did not work. It did not ferment. Just was very salty celery.

Now I am doing carrots.

Bacon Beef Liver Pate

http://autoimmune-paleo.com/bacon-beef-liver-pate-with-rosemary-and-thyme/

I made this with scented coconut oil, which was a mistake. Also I forgot the garlic. David really likes it. I don't like it as much...but I am able to tolerate it. I eat it with Jalapeno cheese Nut Thins so that there is more flavor to distract me from the pate:) It is pretty filling because of the fat, so it is nice in that way.

Scalloped potatoes

http://simplysugarandglutenfree.com/scalloped-potatoes/

This needed an extra 20 minutes of baking. The potatoes were still too hard. Otherwise a tasty recipe. David likes this better when there is stuff in it to make it more interesting. I added some green onions, but could have done more. Also, use a 9x13 pan.

Katelyn Hall's Banana Bread

Notes: This is the banana bread to rule them all. This has replaced all other banana bread recipes that I've used in the past. Now if only I had a gf version:)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat 1 bread pan or muffin tin with cooking spray.

Combine and mix until fluffy:
2/3 c sugar
1/3 c butter
2 eggs
2 T milk

Add dry ingredients and 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 or 3 bananas) (plus any walnuts/chocolate chips if you'd like) and mix until well blended:
1 3/4 c flour
1 1/4 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
3/4 t salt

Fill either the bread pan with batter and cook for 50-60 minutes OR fill muffin tin 2/3 full and cook for 15-20 minutes. I also like to sprinkle sugar on top before baking. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Oat Brown Rice Crispy Treats

http://www.attunefoods.com/blog/2012/10/cinnamon-oat-brown-rice-crispy-treats/

This recipe did not stick together. It is possible the liquid portion was not hot enough, but I think that there wasn't enough sticky part to make this recipe work. It is more of a granola with lots of loose pieces. It was still tasty, but not good enough to make again.

Mini cheesecakes

Crust:
1 cup almond meal
2 Tablespoon melted butter
2 Tablespoon honey

Then spoon into 12 muffin cups set into muffin pan. Press into bottom with fingers.

Filling:

2 packages of Philadelphia cream cheese
2 eggs
1 tsp of vanilla
1/4 cup of honey
½ cup of sour cream
2 tbsp of soften butter

This was ok. I baked it with water bath in lower shelf at 350 for 30 minutes I think, until over 155 degrees. They could have been better. I didn't get the batter smooth enough. I should have whipped the cheese better initially. 

I also make a strawberry topping: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/supreme-strawberry-topping/ but subbed sucanat for sugar. It was great.

Honey Pumpkin Pie

So I'm still doing my year of no refined sugars and I made Pumpkin Pie using my standard "Libby's" recipe from the side of the can. I made only one pie, and instead of 3/4 c sugar I used 1/2 c honey. The end result was not quite set enough for me, it was set but still kind of wet. I think I will add another egg (making it 3 eggs) which I saw on some other honey pumpkin recipes and see if that fixes it. Even though the custard texture wasn't perfect, it still tasted fantastic!

Press-in Gluten Free Crust

http://www.glutenfreegigi.com/gluten-free-vegan-pie-crust-press-in-pan/

I subbed 1 cup of trader joes gluten free flour mix (which is brown rice, white rice, and starches) for the flours in this recipe. I added the xantham gum and then used microwaved coconut oil for in the crust. It looked like a disaster at first until I added some cold water and then it thickened up into a pressable consistency. This was a bit thin for a deep dish 9 inch pan, but it worked well enough. It did stick in a lot of places and didn't come out as cleanly from the pan as a rolled out crust would. But it did save some time and effort, so I didnt' care! I used this as a crust for pumpkin pie. The coconut flavor went well with the pumpkin. David said he would eat it again for sure, so that's good enough for me.

Chocolate Cake with Frosting / gluten free & refined sugar free

http://blog.kitchentherapy.us/2010/03/beautiful-gorgeous-awesome-gluten-free-100-oat-flour-chocolate-cake/

This was  good, but a little short. I think it wasn't enough batter for a 9 inch pan. I used coconut oil and sucanat in it. It gets very hard if kept in the fridge. Probably because of the coconut oil. But David said he thought it was great as is.

Frosting:
http://simplysugarandglutenfree.com/whipped-cream-cheese-frosting/

I added 4 T baking cocoa powder to this, and probably used double the sweetener. I used honey instead of the agave nectar.

This was a good cake. It was a dark chocolate cake to be sure, and I put fresh raspberries on top and in the layer between. David loved the cake and frosting. These are keepers!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread

http://www.theglutenexchange.com/2011/11/fall-favorite-gluten-free-pumpkin-bread.html

This was too squigy/dense. I added 3/4 c dark choc chips. It was good otherwise. I used sucanat and it was fine.

Gluten Free Pie Crust

http://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/pastry-crust-how-to-with-video/

This worked well. I did the savory version without sugar. I used trader joes gf flour mix, which is 1/3 brown rice, 1/3 white, and potato and tapioca starch I think. So it was a pretty light flour.

I rolled it out bewteen my silicon mats and it worked well. The chilling part of the recipe is a necessary step I think.

Taco Casserole

http://beautyandbedlam.com/taco-casserole-recipe/

Taco Casserole

This was great. It barely fits in a 2 quart casserole. If you add extra stuff to it beyond the recipe, use a bigger dish.

9/27/2015: This fit great into my oval 2.5 quart casserole dish. I added a hot pepper and a sweet pepper and cooked them with the meat, and also let onion and fresh garlic soften before putting it all together. Also I think it could have used extra tomato sauce. 8 oz wasn't quite enough. I left out the taco seasoning and replaced it with 2 tsp of cumin to balance with the heat from the pepper.

Sorrel Soup

https://food52.com/recipes/19001-creamy-sorrel-soup

This was really great. I will make this whenever I have sorrel. David and I really liked it.

CSA stir fry with greens / Thai Peanut Sauce

I got this idea from a friend, Cara Jenkins. Chop up greens small. Put in whatever you have also chopped. I used onion, red and green bell pepper, tat soi (the green), and "stir-fried" it on 8 or 9 setting in my 4 qt heavy saute pan (since I don't have a wok). I added 1 lb of thin sliced/chopped pork shoulder after veg was cooked. Then I served it over rice with this peanut sauce:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/The-Best-Thai-Peanut-Sauce/Detail.aspx

I modifed the sauce slightly. First I halved all the quantities so it made less. Then I reduced peanut butter by a third, and doubled coconut milk. (Except I didn't have coconut milk, I had a thai sweet potato soup made with coconut milk that I used instead). David really liked it!

Notes:
Make as written except 1 cup peanut butter and 1 can of coconut milk. Then freeze half for a future meal, ~ 1.5 cups (makes 3 cups total).

I serve it with ~1.5 lb sauteed chicken over rice. And if there is no CSA stuff to use up, steamed green beans are great with it.

Here is an idea for more sauces: http://www.fortysomething.ca/2012/05/15_basic_stir_fry_sauce_recipes.php

Mug Brownie

http://www.number-2-pencil.com/2013/02/21/microwave-brownie-in-a-cup/
Mug Brownie

This was really good. For our microwave it needed 75 seconds. This would work well being doubled and using a whole egg between the two mugs as well. I used Bob's GF all purpose flour and sucanat in this recipe.

Corn Casserole

http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/sidedishes/corn-casserole-from-scratch/
Corn Casserole

I made this with Bob's red mill GF flour mix and it bombed. It separated into layers. GF flour on top, then corn, then custard, then cornmeal on bottom. It was good in its own way, but was not bready like in the picture, or what I was expecting. Will not make again.

Honey No Bake Cookies

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/all-natural-no-bake-cookies/
Honey No Bake Cookies

These were different. More chewy and didn't set up easily like regular no bake cookies. David said he liked them a lot though. I think it would have been better with quick oats, but all I had was old fashioned.

Update: I love these now, they totally grow on you. They do best when chilled in the freezer. It also works well to not do it on the stove at all, but just to heat the oil and mix with the rest of ingredients, then put in freezer. If you don't cook on the stove then they need to be a bit more frozen to not be sticky. Either way is great though.

Here is 1/4 recipe (with reduced honey):

2-3 T honey (42-63 g) (have used 48 g and cookies were great)
2 T coconut oil (28 g)
2 T cocoa powder (10 g)
1/2 c quick oats (39 g)
1/4 c natural peanut butter (64 g)
1/4 c unsweetened flaked coconut (13 g)
1/4 t vanilla extract

measure oil and pb. heat for 45 seconds in microwave. stir in powder, and other ingredients, adding honey toward the end so it is still raw.

Carob Fudge

http://www.motherearthnews.com/nature-and-environment/carob-pods-zmaz80sozraw.aspx?PageId=3#ArticleContent
Carob Fudge

Melt 1/2 cup of peanut butter and 1/2 cup of honey in a small saucepan over low heat, until the mix is soft and gooey. Then remove it from the stove and slowly stir in 1/2 cup of carob powder.

Mold the mixture into small balls, and roll each one in whole sesame seeds or flaked coconut. As a variation (or if you'd prefer to make some traditional fudge squares), you can blend about 1/2 cup of chopped nuts or seeds into the melted batter ... spread it in the bottom of a long pan ... chill it ... and cut the hardened dessert into squares.

I halved the recipe and made this the other day. It was good, but nothing special. Probably will not make again.

Black Bean Soup

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/dave-lieberman/black-bean-soup-recipe.html

Black Bean Soup

This had too much bacon. I would put in 3 or 4 strips at most next time if I make it again. I'm not really loving this as much as everyone else did in the reviews. I wanted a soup too, and it turned into more of a super thick chili.

Broccoli-Cheddar Oven Risotto

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/broccoli-cheddar-oven-risotto.html
Broccoli-Cheddar Oven Risotto

This was a good basic recipe but the broccoli was a bit too strong. Try with less roasting tome for broccoli. A good base for variations. Also I forgot to stir the rice halfway thru and it was just fine.

Deviled Eggs I

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/deviled_eggs/
Deviled Eggs

David loves deviled eggs but judges these as "good but could be better". I used 1/2 cup miracle whip in place of the 1/3 cup mayo here. They soaked in water too long so were a bit wet and he didn't like that. The whites seemed too soft because of it. Next time try something with a little vinegar. I used spicy brown mustard and not dijon so that might have made a difference.

Easy Beef Stew (pressure cooker or slow cooker)

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/20-minute-beef-stew.html
Pressure Cooker Beef Stew

I made about 2/3 the amounts listed here, but it all fit easily in my 4 qt pot. I think the full recipe would fit in the 4 qt. I did 20 minutes of high pressure, and then let it sit for another 10-15 without heat before depressurizing (since my husband wasn't home). I think that was helpful time. The stew was fantastic. I highly recommend. Also, I think it is a bit meat heavy.

Update:
I now use a 6 qt electric pressure cooker. Don't sear the meat. It just wastes time and I don't ever get a good sear anyway. Just dump in the meat. Here is a modified recipe based on the link above and this one: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/beef-stew-vi/

2 lb stew meat
salt and pepper
1/3 c gf flour mix (Trader Joes)
4 c. beef broth
4 carrots, sliced
4 celery stocks, sliced
2 small or 1 large onion, chopped
1 T herbs de provence
3 large potatoes, cut into bite sized chunks
2 garlic cloves
1 T tomato paste

stir flour into meat w/ salt and pepper. Or, whisk into 1 cup of the broth. Add all ingredients. Stir and cook in slow cooker for 4 hrs on high, or 8 hrs on low. Or, set pressure cooker for 30 minutes (or push stew button). And let depressurize naturally for a bit after (if there is time.)

Buttermilk Pie

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Buttermilk-Pie-III/Detail.aspx

I made this pie sometime before I started this blog, maybe 5 years ago or so. I reduced sugar to 1 1/4 cup. It was fantastic. I remember it as being one of my favorites since I love custard.

Strawberry Chia Jam

http://www.oneingredientchef.com/strawberry-chia-jam/

I ground this all up in the blender. I wish I had a seed grinder though, because the blender ruined the chunky consistency.  This worked ok. I have to use a lot for flavor. I might try doing it on the stove to break down fruit and then let it simmer for a while. But it is still nice to have jam on my no sweeteners regime.

Chococonut Chip Cookies

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chococonut-chip-cookies/

I made this for fat tuesday, trying to get rid of all the chocolate chips and sweetened coconut left in the house. I did it in a bar cookie form. It turned out really well.

Roast Pork with apples

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/roast-pork-loin-with-apples-recipe.html

This was amazing. I baked it longer until 160 and used an oven thermometer that was left in the roast. It will need at least another 15 minutes of cooking time for that temp. Make sure to insert thermometer so the tip reaches the bottom half of the roast. THe veggies surrounding it make it slower to cook than the top half.

Double the veg and apples. I didn't have apple juice so used chicken stock, and it was excellent. Apple juice would have made it sweeter than it was. I'll have to experiment and see if David still likes it as much. Served 4 adults with enough leftover for a 5th. I had a 2.5 lb roast.

Coconut Macaroons

Coconut Macaroons (from Pillsbury Best Desserts cookbook)
makes 12 cookies (according to book)

2 egg whites
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
dash salt
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups coconut

1. Heat oven to 325 F. Grease and lightly flour cookie sheet. in medium bowl, beat egg whites until frothy. Add sugar, flour, salt and almond extract; mix well. Stir in coconut. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased and floured cookie sheet.

2. Bake at 325 F for 13 to 17 minutes or until set and light golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet.

-------------------
When I made these cookies I tripled the recipe and made 18 large cookies. It had to bake longer than 17 minutes for sure. I'm not really sure how long, but a few minutes more until golden. Then I cooled on a metal rack. Oh, and I used parchment paper sprayed with non-stick and it worked great. The secret is the almond extract and the small bit of flour. They were fantastic.

Macaroni and Cheese

This is from the Simply Sugar and Gluten Free cookbook. I used the all purpose flour mix from Bobs red mill since it is very close to the flour mix she makes from scratch and I didn't have the individual flours yet.

http://simplysugarandglutenfree.com/husband-happy-mac-cheese/

This was fantastic. I think I like it better than any other mac and cheese I've had before. I added some cooking greens (from a trader joes mix with mustard, turnip, spinach, and chard) and chicken to the dish. I forgot to add in nutmeg and swapped gruyere for swiss since that's what I had on hand. Very good. Will for sure make again.

Note: I made this again with gruyere. Was great again! Worked with penne pasta too.

Shepherd's Pie II

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/easy_shepherds_pie/

This recipe is different from the one I usually make since it does not use a gravy packet. I do like to add a couple tablespoons of flour to the meat before adding liquid though, as it gives it a nice consistency. This could be gluten free if used a gf flour, or just leave it out completely. I've left it out and its good both ways.