Buckwheat Pancakes

Buckwheat Pancakes served with fresh berry/cherry puree

Despite its name, buckwheat isn't related to wheat .  It is a gluten-free, versatile and easy to prepare grain.  Being on top of the list of healthy grains and one of the few foods I'm able to eat as much as I desire while on my candida cleanse, I'm experimenting with different ways to prepare and consume it!

If you're looking for buckwheat at the market, there are a few choices.  Hulled buckwheat and kasha are the most common.  Kasha is simply roasted buckwheat and has a stronger flavour.  I used regular buckwheat for these pancakes but if you really like kasha, you could use it in the same way in this recipe.

I ate these pancakes three times this week, packing them up in the morning and eating them at room temperature with some almond butter and berry/cherry puree.  I loved the texture and they kept me full until lunch!

buckwheat pancakes
1 cup buckwheat
1 cup water
4 eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. In a small bowl, mix buckwheat and water.
2. Let soak overnight or for 8 hours and drain.
3. Put softenend buckwheat in blender with the rest of the ingredients.
4. Blend on medium until the batter is smooth.
5. Heat skillet to medium-high.
6. Drop batter into oiled skillet by large spoonfuls.
7. Heat for a couple minutes on each side, until golden brown

     Makes 16 pancakes (3-4 servings)

Turkey Meatballs With Rice

This recipe has been part of our family menu for a couple of years now, and it's one of those meals that is guaranteed to end with empty plates all around.  I  use organic ground turkey and brown rice.  The sauce is my gluten-free, sugar-free interpretation of a honey garlic sauce.  

To make this recipe candida diet friendly, bake the meatballs for an additional 5 minutes in the oven.  Skip the "honey garlic" sauce and use a bit of Bragg's soy seasoning.

meatballs

1 lb ground turkey, dark meat

1/4 cup onion, grated

3 garlic cloves, grated

2 tablespoons oat bran

1 egg, beaten

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Put all ingredients in a medium bowl.
3. Mix well.
4. Form meatballs, about 1 inch in diameter and place on a greased cookie sheet
5. Bake for 25 minutes
6. Remove from oven

"honey garlic" sauce

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

3 tablespoons Braggs soy seasoning

3 tablespoons agave nectar

2 tablespoons water

1. In a large saucepan, sautee garlic in oil on medium heat for 2 minutes.
2. Add soy seasoning, agave nectar and water and bring to a simmer.
3. Add cooked meatballs to sauce and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring gently every couple minutes.
4. Serve meatballs on a bed of rice with a bit of the sauce and some steamed vegetables.
5. Enjoy!

     Makes 24 meatballs.

Chickpea Flour Banana Muffins

I'm reposting this gluten-free chickpea flour banana muffin recipe.  After slight modifications, they remained nice and moist the next day.

I'm enjoying experimenting with chickpea flour, also called gram or besan.  Not only is this flour very economical, it's also gluten-free and packed with protein (1 cup equals about 20g protein) !!

I hope you enjoy these healthy muffins as much as my three guys did!


chickpea flour banana muffins
dry ingredients
1 cup chickpea flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

wet ingredients
2 large ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup agave nectar
2 tablespoons apple sauce
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 egg, beaten

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients together.  
3. In a small bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix well.
5. Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full. (parchment paper muffin cups don't stick)
6. Drizzle muffin tops with agave nectar.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

     Makes 8 muffins

Candida Cleanse Information

There are many different candida cleanses available out there and they all have slightly different variations of diet, supplements, etc.

The recipes I'm posting follow my candida cleanse diet plan but might not coincide with yours.  Please review your own dietary restrictions if following a plan, before following my recipes.  

I follow the Wild Rose Cand-Aid program, which allows for 1 serving of low-sugar fruit (apple, pear, berries) per day.  It also allows reintroduction of gluten-free flours after one month.  

Vegetable Pakoras

These vegetable pakoras have quickly become a new favourite at home, having made their way to our weekly must-have-my-fix list.  They are soft inside, crispy outside, and very flavourful.

Veggie Mix
2 1/2 cups diced potatoes
1 medium red onion, in thin strips
1 carrot, cut into 2" julienne strips (about 1 cup)
1 zucchini, cut into 2" julienne strips (about 2 cups)
3 cups cabbage, sliced thinly (about 1/2 small cabbage)

Spice Mix
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground chillies
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Coating
2 cups chickpea flour
1/2 cup water

1. Put vegetables in a large bowl 
2. Mix thoroughly
3. Add your spices and mix
4. Add flour to vegetable/spice mixture and mix well
5. Add the water and mix very well, by hand.  This is a bit of an arm workout and gets messy, but it's all part of the fun of making pakoras!
6. Heat oil to medium-high.  To test, place a strip of onion in the oil:  if it floats to the surface after 4-5 seconds, it's ready.  If it's too hot, reduce heat and re-test before frying.
7. Grab small amount of mixture and drop into hot oil.  Fry for about 2 minutes and turn to fry 2-3 minutes more.  Once golden brown, remove and place pakoras on a rack or paper towel lined plate.

This makes a large batch pakoras, but they probably won't last very long!  We enjoy eating these leftovers at room temperature or slightly heated.  

Vegetable Mix

Mixture before frying

Ready to enjoy!

My husband eats these dipped in indian chutneys.  Since I can't enjoy those chutneys while on my candida cleanse, I ate some without sauce and they're delicious on their own!  I also ate some with some of my homemade mayonnaise.

Oatmeal Pancakes

I love grab-n-go pancakes.  It's the simplicity of the ingredients and flavour I enjoy.  And these healthy, hearty gluten-free pancakes  keep me satisfied for hours!  My day starts before 5:AM, and even though eating healthy grains is important, I'm not always up for cooking up a fresh batch of hot cereal.  I want to make it from wake up to out the door as quickly as I can, so  I pack up these pre-made pancakes with some almond butter and apple sauce for dipping.  After my morning jog over to the office, this breakfast is delicious with my hot cup of coffee!  It's easy, no-fuss, perfect for a busy mom's schedule. 

oatmeal pancakes

4 eggs, beaten

1 cup quick cooking oats

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons coconut oil, for frying

1. Combine all ingredients and let sit for 15 minutes. 
2. Preheat 1 tablespoon oil in pan or griddle, over medium-high heat.
3. Add half batter by spoonfuls and cook about 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Repeat with other half of batter.
4. Pancakes will get a little fluffier as they are cooking.  I like them 1/2 inch thick when cooked.
5. Serve hot or at room temperature.

   Makes 2 servings

Tip: If you like a smoother texture, mix your batter in the blender before letting it sit.

Potato Salad

Potato salad has always been one of my favourites.  This hearty salad is so versatile, you can't go wrong as long as you use certain key ingredients.  Here is the salad I put together for the side dish to tonight's dinner.  This salad received a colour and flavour boost as I happened to have 3 types of potatoes: sweet potatoes, red-skinned and white-skinned potatoes.  Just use what you've got in the fridge!

potato salad
6 cups potatoes, chopped 
1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup red onion, chopped 
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
3 tablespoons homemade mayonnaise

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place potatoes in a 9 X 14 casserole dish and add broth, olive oil, salt and pepper.
3. Bake in oven for 45 minutes, stirring once after 20 minutes.
4. Allow potatoes to cool.
5. Place cooled potatoes in a bowl and toss with all other ingredients except mayonnaise.
6. Add the mayo and mix well.
7. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

     Makes 4 servings

Mayonnaise

Jan 29/13: I'm just adding a note to this mayo recipe to indicate that due to the coconut oil, the mayo will harden some in the refrigerator.  If you are not using it all at once (like in a large potato salad), let it get to room temperature before using.  I'll be posting another mayo recipe shortly, which can be refrigerated and doesn't harden.

I've found that making mayonnaise is not only easier than I thought, but it can taste much better than store-bought.  Not to mention so much healthier:  you can even enjoy it while on the candida cleanse!

There are a couple of must-do's to make a nice thick mayonnaise:  when adding the oil, start with drops, working slowly up to a thin stream after a couple minutes, and keep adding at this pace until all the oil has been blended.  It should take between 5-10 minutes.  Set your blender on low or aerate.  Blending on high will not allow your mayonnaise to thicken.  Also, it's a lot less messy if you use a cup with a spout to pour the oil in the blender.

We use this mayonnaise for sandwiches, salads and as a dip.  Everyone should try making mayo at least once!

Note: Because of the coconut oil, this will harden in the fridge.  This has a nice flavour as it doesn't have a strong olive oil taste, but put it on the counter for a bit before using, if it's been in the fridge.

mayonnaise
1 whole egg
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2/3 cup coconut oil, melted 
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. Quickly blend together the eggs, lemon juice, ground mustard, salt and pepper (black pepper is fine, if you don't mind the black specks in your mayo).  
2. With the blender on the low setting, slowly add the oil until everything is well blended.  
3. Place in the refrigerator, in an airtight container for 5-7 days.

Makes 1 cup

Salmon Cakes

A few days ago, I made a dressed salmon for dinner and had lots of leftover cooked salmon.  These salmon cakes were delicious and moist!  The secret to a moist salmon cake is to not overcook the fish initially.  

salmon cakes

2 1/2 cups salmon, cooked

2      cups potatoes, mashed

1/2   cup   celery, diced

3 tablespoons scallions, finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

juice of 1/2 lemon

coconut oil for frying

salad dressing

2 tablespoon lemon juice

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. Put all ingredients in a large bowl and mix by hand.  Avoid over-mixing as you want to keep nice bite-size chunks of salmon in the mixture. 
2. Form into 1/2 inch thick patties
3. In a large skillet on medium heat, warm 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil
4. Cook patties approximately 5 minutes per side until golden brown and put on paper towel. Perfect meal when served with a lemon wedge and a side salad!

     Makes 16 cakes - serves 4

Salad dressing note:  I like to buy a bag of lemons and juice them all at the same time.  I then make tablespoon-sized ice cubes that I store in a freezer bag.  When it comes time to make the dressing, I simply put the olive oil in a small cup and drop in the lemon juice ice cube!

Welcome to my blog

Our diet changed dramatically two years ago after discovering that our two year old son was wheat and dairy intolerant. I've spent countless hours creating, testing and altering recipes.  In the pages to come, I will share the successful ones for all to enjoy.  Happy cooking and happy eating!!!