Bacon Quinoa Salad

Instead of making just one serving per person per meal of quinoa, (or brown rice or couscous) I have started making twice the amount so that the leftovers can be used for another meal to save time. This is a time-saver meal and oh, so yummy! I only had half a pack of bacon and it wasn't nearly enough. So in my ingredients, I'm listing a whole pack of bacon to feed a family of 4.

Ingredients

2 cups leftover cooked quinoa (or 1 cup uncooked)

1 sweet red pepper

1 package of bacon

1/2 cup chopped mushroom

1 handful garlic chives

1/4 cup butter

Fresh spinach

Directions

1. Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add in quinoa, pepper, mushroom, and chives. Stir occasionally. 

2. In another skillet, cut up bacon in 1-1.5" pieces and fry up. When bacon is done how you like it, add it into the quinoa mix.

3. Layer your plate with spinach leaves. Top with bacon quinoa mix. 

This might be a hit or miss with little ones. Princess #1 (5) doesn't like mushrooms, but she liked everything else. And Princess #2 kept stealing Princess #1's spinach and bacon. 

Asparagus Casserole

I know this picture doesn't look the best. But I'm finding casseroles rarely look appetizing in photographs. Let me assure you, this was delicious! I made enough to have leftovers for lunch the next day.

Yeah.

We didn't have any leftovers. 

My girls gave me and my husband a run for our money. 

Initially, I planned on making brown rice to pair with this. 

However, even the best laid plans fall through when you ruin pot after pot of rice. 

I have a personal vendetta against brown rice now. 

One day, I swear I will come out victorious. 

But for now, I admit defeat so the casserole stood alone.

No one cared though. 

In fact, I think rice might have ruined it.

This was our dinner, but I think it could be an excellent breakfast as well.

Ingredients:
2 bundles fresh asparagus (1.5-2 lbs. asparagus. Chopped in 1" pieces)
1 cup chopped spinach
1/4 cup chives
1/2 cup diced mushrooms
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp lemon juice
6 eggs
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Layer prepared asparagus on the bottom of a casserole dish. Layer mushrooms, chives, onion and cheese. If you use sharp cheddar, you can get away with using less cheese for the same amount of flavor. Cover with spinach.

2. Whisk eggs, milk, cream, and lemon juice in a bowl for 5 minutes. Pour on top of spinach layer. Smooth  the top so that egg mix and spinach is distributed evenly. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes, or until casserole is not jiggly like uncooked eggs. Then add just a sprinkling of cheese and broil for 3-5 minutes.

3. Enjoy!

Gluten Free Meatloaf and Homemade Ketchup

One of my favorite foods, ever since I was a kid, is meatloaf. You just can't beat a great mix of bread crumbs, meat and ketchup. So I modified my favorite recipe, and it was so worth it. Who says gluten free and refined sugar free has to be hard?

Ingredients:

Meatloaf:

1 lb. ground turkey

1 cup chopped spinach (I've been sneaking it into as many meals as possible. Women are especially prone to anemia and spinach is an iron rich food that takes on the flavors of the other foods it is cooked with. Win!)

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 finely chopped white onion

2 cloves minced garlic

1 cup brown rice bread crumbs

Ketchup:

2/3 cup water

6 Tbsp tomato powder

4 Tbsp unrefined coconut palm sugar

2 Tbsp vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend all the ingredients for the meatloaf except the meat and bread crumbs in your blender. I have a Ninja and it chopped them up to perfection.

2. Add veggie mix in with the meat and bread crumbs. Knead until well combined.

3. Mix ketchup ingredients well, (The coconut palm sugar is what I had. You can use your sweetener of choice.) and then add in 1 tsp of water until it has a ketchup-y consistency. Salt to taste. Pour half of the ketchup mix in with the meat mix and set the rest aside for the garnish.

4. Spray your loaf pans, or cupcake pans like I like to use, with olive oil and bake at 350 for one hour. Voila! You will love it.

Tip: Visit Shelf Reliance Website - Tomato Powder to get the tomato powder. I find it is very versatile (sauce, paste, ketchup,) and you don't have to worry about high fructose corn syrup in most store-bought brands. (Princeton University HFCS Findings)

Fresh Has a Whole New Meaning

I've become a believer in local farmer's markets. It only took one trip and I was convinced I would be adding a weekly visit to Main Street to my lifestyle. Ours is up and running from 8:30-12:30 every Wednesday and Saturday morning. I spoke with one of the farmers and she enlightened me to one of the greatest benefits, I think, of shopping locally.

A week before my first trip to the market, I went to the store with the best prices in the weekly ads and spent $80 on fresh produce, thinking I landed the jackpot. In four days, I repeat four days, most of what I purchased had gone rancid. I'd hardly had a chance to figure out what to do with all the squash, zucchini, artichokes, spinach and so much more before I had to toss it out. 

I was devastated. And broke. 

I rounded up all the change I had and headed down to the market after dropping my oldest off at school. I was at my first stand and the lady was so friendly I couldn't help but ask her all my questions. 

How long will your spinach and garlic chives last in the fridge?

Her answer? Two weeks. Maybe three. Two, maybe three weeks?? I was lucky to get my produce from the store to last a week.

How does it stay fresh so long?

She said her greens were cut the day before. And not to knock on the grocery store, because people gotta get their food, but after the produce is picked/cut, it then has to be packaged. And then it has to travel. By the time it gets to the commercial chain store, it's been several days. Add in rotation practices, and sometimes you have food that can barely be called "fresh" out on the floor. 

Curious, I went back to the store I spent that small fortune on and found that a lot of the stuff I bought came from Chile. South America. Not even our same continent! 

I'm guessing it came by boat. And then sat in the back of the store for another week until what was on the sales floor finally sold.

But these greens, cut the day before, were crisp and dark. And they were cheaper. Yay! The asparagus was $3 for a lb. Not necessarily cheaper. But definitely fresher. Free range chicken eggs were 2 dozen for $5. I haven't tried them yet. We are still using up the last purchase of a 5 dozen egg package from Alberston's. 

I don't know what the furthest distance is that farmers drive to get here to sell their goods, but I'm sure it's a heck of a lot closer than coming from South America! I have not been disappointed since I started shopping the local market. $20 a week seems to be enough to keep fresh produce in my meals. And to me, that's completely worth it.

Shredded Chicken Tacos

I've been watching the Food Network Channel this month. They kept talking about soul food being the foods that remind you of home and childhood. I have a couple foods that are my soul foods and tacos are right up at the top. I stopped eating beef after my first pregnancy left me with a red meat aversion I never fully got over, so I use chicken or pork whenever I can. You'll need to prepare ahead at least 4 hours for this one. 

Ingredients:

Chicken

Enough chicken to fill your crockpot.

2 cups free range chicken broth (Swanson's has soy in it.)

I can diced tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1/2 tsp basil

2 minced cloves of garlic

Tortillas

2 cups gluten free masa mix

1 cup hot water

Directions:

1. Fill your crockpot with chicken. Add in broth. Set on highest setting. Walk away. 

2. 3-4 hours later, or about an hour before you want to eat, shred the chicken. If it isn't easy to pull apart, you came back too soon. Do not drain broth. Add in garlic, basil, tomatoes and onions. Re-cover and start making your tortillas. 

3. The directions to making the tortillas are on the flour bag. But here are a couple hints. You want your dough a little more damp than dry. Make sure you have a few brown spots on the skillet side before you turn it over. Wrap finished tortillas tightly in a towel to trap in heat to make them pliable. 

4. Stuff tortillas with chicken mix, and top with cheese and your favorite taco toppings. Yum!

You can also use leftovers to make tostadas the next day for lunch.

Apple Turkey Pecan Salad

Have you ever tried really hard to make something and when you think you have it, you taste it and are so disappointed you throw your hands up and wail, "I can't do this anymore!"

I was having a small pity party. 

Mayonnaise, in particular Best Foods, is a difficult food for me to give up. 

It is a soy rich food. So I thought I'd try my hand at homemade mayo. 

It was a disaster. 

As a result, a can of tuna and three boiled eggs found their way in the trash along with the goopy mess I just concocted. 

The consolation prize was worth it, though. 

After getting a pep talk from my sweet husband, I tried again. And this was a great success!

Layer 1: Spinach

Layer 2: Dietz and Watson's Gluten Free Black Forest Turkey 

Layer 3: Chopped apple

Layer 4: Chopped muenster cheese

Layer 5: Halved cherry tomatoes

Layer 6: Fresh pecans

Drizzle with Drew's (soy free, gluten free) Greek Dressing. 

It was delish!

Green Eggs and Salsa

I'm starting to find that most of my meals are accidental. I try to find recipes to fit what I have in my fridge,  because I mainly just shop what's on sale. I find when I buy what's in season I can stretch my dollar further. So, I'm usually missing several ingredients for most recipes I can find. But this meal was truly accidental, because I set out to make fried eggs, over easy. Since I was using leftover bacon grease, I didn't take the gristle in the fat into account and broke two yolks before I gave up and decided to go for scrambled eggs. I'd just been to the farmer's market for the first time the day before, (more on that experience later) and decided to try the greens with it. After tasting the eggs, spinach, chives, and cheddar cheese, it was still missing something. The zing of salsa made this breakfast. I like El Pinto's salsa best. It is  made fresh daily and canned for the masses. It's not loaded with preservatives and thickeners which often have gluten. You have to use it within one week of opening. Anyways, my husband, daughter and I were all full after our first servings and still wanted more. I've never seen a two year-old ask for "more green stuff" in their eggs. But mine did.   

So next time you break your egg yolks, toss in some fresh spinach, chives and cheddar cheese. Top it with salsa and have fun enjoying your taste buds shake maracas and dance the samba across your tongue!

Soy- Yay Or Nay?

The soy debate is ongoing. It's been linked to slowing metabolism in livestock and rats. It's been known to attack an already low thyroid. Unlike gluten and sugar, it's effects don't seem to be well-documented or substantiated. What does exist, however, are compelling arguments. Is it a coincidence that soy, while relatively new to the American diet, has been touted as this "power food", yet hasn't seemed to slow the rising rates of obesity? Is it a coincidence that there are studies beginning to link the presence of soy in a nursing mother's diet to a child's development of endocrine related disease? Is it also a coincidence that the soy industry went from making $1 billion a year to $4 billion once it was endorsed as a "healthy" food in America? Who do you suppose paid for that endorsement? And their profits stand to increase by 11% every year. Natural Health News So, who stands to profit by me thinking soy is a "healthy" food?

Sugar and Hypothyroidism = Recipe for Diabetes

There is one disease I live in fear of - diabetes. I know that times have changed since 1989 and that a person today stands a much greater chance of living a full life with diabetes, but I can't ignore my family history of diabetes, or that my first mom died from diabetes. But what does diabetes have to do with hypothyroidism?

Everything.

Apple and Tuna Fusion

 Lunches, are by far, the most difficult meal of the day. Without the old standby of sandwiches, ("normal" breads pack a triple whammy of gluten, high carb content, and soy. Limiting bread even when it is gluten-free is still important.) I'm forced to be really creative. That's where today's lunch came from.  

I had some leftover brown rice couscous from a few nights ago. So, I grabbed a can of tuna, chopped up an apple, some green onions, and a cheese stick, and mixed it all together. I drizzled a tsp of olive oil on it and topped the couscous with the tuna fusion. 

This turned out to be more adult-palatable than kid-palatable. My two year old ate it, but only because I promised her as many strawberries as she wanted when she was done. 

Coconut Flour Pancakes

Ironically, before I quit gluten, I was never a big fan of pancakes. I kind of rejoiced, actually, that now I had a valid excuse to turn them down without openly admitting I (shhh) didn't like them. Pancakes? Oh, they have gluten in them. I can't eat them. That's too bad. Darn!

I'd had coconut pancakes before and they were pretty much the only pancakes I didn't feel like I needed a full glass of milk to wash them down with. I'm also not a big milk drinker, either. So that's really saying something.

My husband, on the other hand, (and children for that matter) can't get enough of pancakes. He grew up with a tradition of pancake breakfasts on Saturday morning and we've carried it on as much as we can. How we were going to replace this tradition was going to prove especially difficult.

Then, as if inspired, a friend of mine posted this recipe on Facebook and I took it and tweaked it a little bit. 

I doubled the recipe. It only makes 6 cakes in a single batch. Second, I used only coconut options. I think it gave the pancakes a richer flavor. And finally, I found I liked just a little bit more coconut flour than it calls for. Let's just say I've had no problems scarfing these bad boys down! The other plus? They are more nutritionally dense than pancakes made with refined white flour. Win!

Ingredients:

6 eggs 
6 tbsp coconut oil
6 tbsp coconut milk
3 tsp  honey
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
8 tbsp coconut flour
1 teaspoon gluten free baking powder (Click for List of Gluten Free Baking Powders)

Directions: 
1. Melt the coconut oil. Over low heat in a frying pan works best. You don't want to damage the fats by doing it in the microwave in high heat. Mix together all the wet ingredients.

2.Add in dry ingredients. Mix well.

3. Melt coconut oil on skillet over medium heat. Scoop a little less than 1/4 cup batter and pour on the skillet. Pancakes will be about 4-5" wide.

4. You can butter them, and/or just add 1 tbsp pure maple syrup. For the whole plate. Not each cake.

If you're gonna go sweet, make sure it is unrefined. Although, it is truly best to skip it altogether because of the honey in the batter. You really don't need it. Slice some bananas and fry up some bacon. Voila. The Saturday tradition lives on.

The Gluten-Thyroid Disconnection

So what's the deal with gluten? Apparently a lot. At this food allergy test  the symptoms of gluten intolerance include constipation, gas, brain fog, fatigue, depression and weight gain. Sound familiar? If you're like me and you continued to have all these symptoms even though your blood tests come back normal for the dose you are on, a gluten sensitivity makes a compelling case.

Blood tests, however, will not confirm a gluten sensitivity. So, how do you know if you are sensitive to gluten? The easiest way is to go off of it. Conduct a personal experiment. Here's the thing, because of the binding properties, gluten is in just about everything pre-prepared. Normally you think of breads and pastas, because gluten is the protein in wheat. But this isn't the case. You can find them in things as commonplace and bread-less as salad dressings and lunch meat. Its presence is as pervasive as being in sauces, condiments, chicken nuggets and french fries. Not to mention cereals and common grains, even candy! The key to trying it out is to try eating completely fresh foods. Foods in their natural state that will naturally not have gluten. If, after some time you find your symptoms disappear like I did, then add it back in your diet. If your symptoms reappear, it's very likely you have a gluten sensitivity.

Some other thoughts and links on gluten to consider.

1. "Of perhaps greatest importance to thyroid patients, the researchers found that the various antibodies that indicate celiac disease- organ-specific autoantibodies, (i.e. thyroid antibodies)--will disappear after 3-6 months of a gluten-free diet."  The Celiac/Autoimmune Thyroid Connection

2."This means if you have AITD and you eat foods containing gluten, your immune system will attack your thyroid." The Gluten-Thyroid Connection
3. "The present results confirm that the frequency of subclinical coeliac disease is increased among patients with autoimmune thyroid disorders." European Journal of Endocrinology Study

As I understand it, not only does gluten inhibit absorption of nutrients but it can actually cause damage to the intestines, which would later lead to digestive disease. I'm still doing my research, and as I continue to find relevant information, I will add to this post. But there is enough for me to believe there could be a connection. And as many of my symptoms have disappeared from doing my best to avoid it, I'm prone to think going gluten-free is the way for me. It'll be difficult, to be sure. But I know it will be worth it.

Bread-less Coconut Shrimpkebabs

The bbq grill has quickly become one of my new best friends. 

Everything tastes better grilled.

Especially shrimp.

I was in a hurry tonight. 4:30 rolled around way too quickly. 

I bought shrimp yesterday so I knew I had to use it today.

Dear Husband reminded me we had veggies that needed to be used soon as well.

I figured at this point my choices were stir-fry or some kind of grilling option.

I think the picture gave it away.

And maybe the post title.

This meal surprised me. I used ONLY coconut oil (no butter) for the first time and *loved* it. Loved it! My favorite kind of shrimp is coconut shrimp. Since the usual batter has gluten, I modified it a little bit. Meaning, I got rid of the batter altogether. It's not the same, of course, but it is just as good!

Ingredients:

Shrimp (or any other kebabable meat)

Shish-kebab veggies

Unrefined Virgin Coconut Oil

Coconut Flakes

Paprika

Sea salt

Basil

Directions:

Once all your veggies and meat are prepared for the skewer, toss them (separately- veggies vs. meat) in a big bowl and drizzle with coconut oil. Toss veggies til all have some oil on them. Season with paprika, basil, and salt. Sprinkle coconut flakes all over. Skewer and grill on low to medium heat until fully cooked. 

Gluten Free Pizza Rolls

Every family has a favorite food. One of those foods that speaks to both your heart and your stomach. I think my Dad's pizza crust is one of those foods. Unfortunately, it's got gluten in it. So, I took the recipe and reworked it for me. I miiiiiiiiiiiiiight like this dough better. 

Wow.

I feel like I just committed mutiny by admitting that. 

Like I'm a traitor. 

But it's only because this one didn't tear me up afterwards. 

Anyways, you could use whatever toppings you like. I just used what I had on hand.

Disclaimer: I am not a professional. Before this experiment, my go-to method was pull something out of a freezer, box or can. This post will show my inexperience with cooking terminology.  

Ingredients:

3 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All- Purpose Flour
6 tsp xanthan gum
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vinegar
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp coconut sugar
1 packet yeast
1 cup warm water
Pizza sauce
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) -Thank you Rachel Ray!
Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Dissolve yeast in warm water with salt and sugar. Let sit for about 10 minutes. When it's foamy, mix in eggs and vinegar.

2. Add in flour and xanthan gum. Mix well. Add in extra flour if needed to keep from being too sticky. Knead well. Cover and let it rise for one hour. Split dough in half and roll into two balls. Cover and let rise another hour.

3. Tear dough balls in half and roll out individually. I found 1/4" thick was perfect. Spread heaping spoonfuls of sauce in the middle of the dough. Top with favorite pizza toppings. Roll from one edge to the other like a burrito. Seal edges by pinching the dough together.

4. Drizzle EVOO on your pizza pan. Coat the dough with oil and then cut diagonal (all one way- ///) vents in the dough only on the top. Sprinkle parmesan cheese and garlic powder over the tops once you have rolled out and stuffed all your pizza rolls.

5. Bake at 425* for 25-30 minutes. I went for the full 30 minutes because I have a tendency to undercook my dough-based meals. The crispy outer layer was fantastic!

This recipe was most definitely a hit! But because of the glycemic index of the bread, I have found safety in only doing a bread substitute once or twice a week. 

Grilled Chicken with Brown Rice Couscous

Have you ever grilled chicken to perfection?

It's hard to do, finding that point just before it starts to burn, but seals the flavor just right.

I accomplished what had eluded me the previous million times of trying. Ok, so I'm exaggerating, but you get the point.

I balanced the brown sugar in this gluten-free BBQ sauce with the low glycemic brown rice couscous.  

This is a Grab-n-Go meal, meaning it didn't require a ton of preparation or a step-by-step recipe. Just a general know-how of cooking. I used a box of Olive Oil and Roasted Garlic GF Couscous, canned peas, and fresh baby carrots. I had the chicken in my freezer. You know, the enormous Sam's Club bags of 10 pounds of wings and thighs. It comes in handy when I didn't plan ahead. The little drumsticks are the perfect size for my girls to not feel overwhelmed when they see their plates. It was a hit!

Asparagus Fritatta

Instant hit, all around! My 2 year old had three helpings.

Ingredients:

6 Eggs

1 1/2 cup diced asparagus

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 Tbsp butter

1/4 cup water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to broil. Saute mushrooms and asparagus. Pour in water. Cover and let steam for 10-15 minutes. 

2. Scramble eggs in a bowl. When asparagus is soft, pour in egg scramble. Cook over medium heat for 1 minute. 

3. Move pan to oven to broil for 1-2 minutes.

4. Cut into fourths. 

Quinoa with Eggplant Saute

This dish was a great hit with my husband and may be a new personal favorite.

DH said he didn't even notice it was a vegetarian dish.

My daughters, however, got interrupted by some unexpected guests. So they ran off to play and their dinners sat on the table for an hour. After being reheated, the veggies and quinoa didn't quite live up to the first serving. But they didn't have any protests of not liking it. So, that's a plus!

Ingredients:

1 eggplant (peeled and chopped)

1 Mexican squash (halved and sliced)

1/2 Red onion (chopped)

1 small zucchini (halved and sliced)

2 minced cloves of garlic

1 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp coconut oil

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, plus a little extra to top.

1/2 cup quinoa

Directions:

Eggplant Saute:

1. Saute veggies in oil and butter over medium high heat. Add in water. Reduce heat to medium heat. Cover and let steam help soften eggplant.

2. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over veggies.

Quinoa

3. Prepare quinoa. Boil 1 cup water. As water is heating, rinse quinoa thoroughly. It is covered with naturally bitter tasting saponins that block nutrient absorption. I use the hottest water out of my tap to rinse. When water is boiling, add in quinoa. Cover and reduce heat to low for about 10-15 minutes. 

4. Serve the eggplant saute over the quinoa. Sprinkle with any remaining parmesan cheese. 

Squash Medley Spaghetti Sauce

This dish was an unexpected hit. The best part was getting my girls to eat squash and zucchini without complaining! There's another dish I make, called calabacitas, that they complain about the texture of "the yellow and green stuff". I don't think we'll ever have plain ol' meat sauce again. 

Here's the mix pre-tomato sauce. Have you ever tried Cavender's All-Purpose Greek Seasoning?

It's fabulous. 

And the meat is light because it is turkey. I stopped cooking beef a long time ago because I thought it was healthier, but for a different reason than I do now. Cows are fed soybeans. Soy is known to slow metabolism, allowing the cow to get fatter and offer more meat. Eaten regularly, you get a dose of soy yourself. And soy attacks weak thyroid glands. Of course, this is not a problem in organically grass-fed cows. The price of that meat is worth the price, but I'll be buying steaks when I do. I think ground turkey is a good substitute in the meantime.

Ingredients:

1 yellow squash  (chopped)

1 small zucchini (chopped)

1/2 white onion (chopped)

1 cup chopped fresh spinach

1 lb. ground turkey

tomato sauce as desired

1 tbsp unrefined virgin coconut oil

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp water

Directions:

1. Saute squash, zucchini, and onion in coconut oil and butter over medium heat. Add in water. Cover til soft. You can use just butter or just coconut oil. I'm trying to use coconut oil more, but still haven't developed a taste for the oil all by itself just yet. So I temper it with butter.

2. Add in spinach. Once it has darkened and shriveled, push up around the edges of the pan. 

3. Brown meat in the middle. I don't drain the fat because I think it gives the sauce a good flavor. I try to get the 92% lean meat.

4. Season meat with spices of choice. I love Cavender's Greek Seasoning! Maybe because I grew up with it and it just tastes like home to me. Mix meat and veggies together. Add in spaghetti sauce to taste. I like my sauce more chunky than runny, so I just use one small can.

Side note: I used the rice spaghetti noodles for the first time to avoid gluten in regular pasta. They came out a little stickier than I like. And there were not nearly enough noodles for my liking. But maybe that's a good thing. My daughters, however, declared they loved the noodles and ate every bite on their plate. They were disappointed to learn I didn't have anymore noodles for seconds. Two boxes may be necessary next time!

The Experiment

A couple years ago, I think, (it's for sure been a while) I remember reading an article about Jenny McCarthy and how she had been able to improve her son's autism using a strict diet and being diligent with it. When I first decided to research how to eat with hypothyroidism, I thought if she could improve autism with diet, why shouldn't I be able to help myself with my disease?