Recipe Remedies: Pumpkin Pie

If you are anything like me, you like eating pumpkin pie any time of the year. You also like to find simple recipes, and you love it when that simple pumpkin pie recipe is adaptable to your special needs!

My remedy for pumpkin pie was easy. I had an illegal recipe, and I had an SCD recipe that was similar, but didn’t have the taste I’d grown accustomed to before I started watching what I ate. So I combined the two recipes to make one legal, delectable pie!

The Original Recipes

The Illegal Recipe:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 4 large eggs
• 1 can (29 oz) 100% pure pumpkin
• 2 cans (12 fl-oz. each) Evaporated Milk

The SCD Recipe:

• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup homemade yogurt or uncreamed cottage cheese (dry curd), pureed
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 cups of prepared squash or pumpkin
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

I substituted the 1/2 cup honey in the SCD recipe for the sugar and the cup of homemade yogurt for the evaporated milk. Instead of 3 eggs, as in the SCD recipe, I used 4. Lastly, since I don’t care all that much for nutmeg, I used 1/2 teaspoon ginger.

I don’t make a crust for my pumpkin pie, since at the present I haven’t come up with one that’s been successful. However, I love this pie without crust. It doesn’t take away from it one bit.

Pumpkin Pie

• 1/2 cup honey 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 4 large eggs
• 29 oz. 100% pure pumpkin
• 1 cup homemade yogurt

Instructions:

1. Mix salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in small bowl. In another bowl, beat eggs. Stir in yogurt, honey, pumpkin, and spice mixture.
2. Pour into 9 in. pie pan.
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees, bake 40-50 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Cool 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Enjoy!

•  Like “Recipe Remedies”? Don’t miss a single one! Subscribe for e-mail or RSS updates, and feel free to comment below to tell me what you think. Your feedback is much appreciated. Happy cooking, everyone!

(I entered this recipe in Slightly Indulgent Tuesday 5/4/10, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, and Real Food Wednesday 5/5/10)

My Road Trip Food Log

This past weekend, my family and I journeyed up to the Houston area for a time of singing and dancing. Naturally, I planned my menu, understanding that exceptions and alterations might arise (which they did, in fact).

Saturday:

For breakfast, I ate at IHOP. They have this delicious new dish, sirloin tips (which were tossed with sauteed onions and mushrooms) and scrambled eggs. Heaven. On previous visits to IHOP, I had ascertained that  the meat was cooked in butter and that the eggs were, in fact, REAL eggs. So I didn’t even bother this time to ask. I understand that some of you may feel that you must ask every time. Whatever makes you feel the most secure is what is important.

Since I was stuffed from breakfast and the health snacks I’d brought along on the road, I skipped the lunch I had brought with me, and snacked on nuts after the dance. All the excitement of reuniting with old friends and dancing to my heart’s content left no more room for an appetite.

Sunday morning, I sweetened some homemade yogurt with honey and tossed some blackberries in to add a burst of flavor. Yum. I also consumed over half a dozen strawberries and a slice of cantaloupe. I was starving after all that exercise!

Since we were so exhausted after the long car trip and the late night, we decided to head on home after church. The lunch I had planned for Sunday was ignored, even though I was pretty hungry. I snacked on some cheese while we looked for a Whataburger.

A what? Yes, a Whataburger. Whataburger has real meat in their burgers. So I just asked for a plain, dry burger. It was the first time in over three years I’d been through a drive-through. It kinda made me giddy. Ha!

When I got home, I ate some more yogurt, since I’ve found that it soothes my stomach (and I also happen to really really like it). Just in case the trip was going to affect me in anyway, I’ve been taking it easy the past 24 hours.

So there’s a peek at what a weekend away from home is like for me. What do you do when you’re away from the home, but have to adhere to a strict diet like the SCD?

Recipe Remedies: Trout Almondine

I was inspired by an old TV show to attempt this dish, and I’m so glad I did!

The Original Recipe

• 8 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• salt, to taste
• 4 fresh sea trout fillets, 5 to 6 ounces each
• all-purpose flour, as needed
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley

Yogurt is a substitute for buttermilk, so of course I used my homemade yogurt. Instead of garlic powder, I used two medium-sized garlic cloves. Lastly, I substituted coconut flour for the all-purpose flour. I coated the trout a little too much–next time I plan to sprinkle the flour  over the trout sparingly.

Trout Almondine

• 8 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup homemade yogurt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• salt, to taste
• 4 fresh sea trout fillets, 5 to 6 ounces each
• coconut flour, used sparingly
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in pan. Saute almonds in butter until golden brown. Remove from stove and set aside.
2. Season yogurt with salt, pepper, and garlic. Dip fish in yogurt mixture, then sprinkle cocount flour sparingly over both sides. Shake excess flours from fillets.
3. Melt 5 tablespoons of butter in skillet and saute fillets until golden brown. Remove from stove. Place on a warm serving plate and keep hot.
4. In the same skillet, add lemon juice, 1 1/2 teaspoon butter and toasted almonds. Saute for 1 minute, until hot. Pour over fish, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

Bon appetit!

• Like “Recipe Remedies”? Don’t miss a single one! Subscribe for e-mail or RSS updates, and feel free to comment below to tell me what you think. Your feedback is much appreciated. Happy cooking, everyone!

(I entered this recipe in Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays 4/27/10, Gluten-Free Wednesdays 4/28/10, and Real Food Wednesday 4/28/10)

Cheaters Beware

The wedding celebration my family and I participated in was a huge success. The bride and groom were so pleased with the decorations, the way the tables were situated, and the abundance of fruits, vegetables, sandwiches, and desserts we and members of our church came up with.

The desserts were my downfall.

Since I’d volunteered to be the wedding photographer, I thought I wouldn’t be tempted by the petit fours, the cookies, the cream puffs, and the bride’s and groom’s cakes. “Oh,” I said to myself, “I’ll be too distracted to notice.”

Wrong.

I first indulged in a petit four, a pretty pink one my friend had made, with a mouth-watering purple flower on top. It was incredible. I vowed it would be my only “cheat.”

Well, a little while later, I meandered in the kitchen to see some chips of frosting (from the petit fours) just sitting there in a container. I picked on the frosting. More than once.

I went back into the reception hall. The wedding cake was being cut. I swiped some icing off the empty platter. It was So. Good.

Later, I “forced” my sister to take a slice of wedding cake so that I could taste the cake and icing together. Then, before the groom’s cake (chocolate on chocolate) was whisked away, I scooped up a finger-full.

Realizing that I was about to run amok, I made myself leave the kitchen during clean-up. But that didn’t stop me from getting another taste of that groom’s cake at our church lunch the next day.

My point is that even though you may think a little “cheat” here and there isn’t going to bother you, it can mess you up in the long run. I know from experience that letting myself indulge in illegal foods gives me a false sense of security. “One bite won’t hurt” turns into two bites, three bites, and so on.  Illegal foods can have an accumulative effect on your intestines, and it may take a while before the damage is felt. I’ve cheated before on a long-term basis, and six months later, I paid the consequences.

While I didn’t get sick this weekend, I regretted my weakness, and I’m still trying to tame the need for more sugar. Don’t anybody let me loose in a candy store, please.

Recipe Remedies: Chicken Parmesan

Since this coming weekend is taken with preparations for my church’s very first wedding celebration, I’ll be posting this week’s remedy a day early. Yay!

This was an impulsive recipe remedy, as I had no food to bring with me to the rehearsal dinner tomorrow night. Praise God, it turned out great the first time I tried it!

The Original Recipe

• 4 chicken breast halves (about 2 lbs), skinned and boned
• 1/3 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
• 1/4 teaspoon dried whole basil
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• Vegetable cooking spray
• 1 (8 0z) can tomato sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried whole basil
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup (1 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

 I substituted the breadcrumbs with 1/3 cup coconut flour. It coated the chicken nicely and tasted great when cooked.

Instead of a 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, I used 1 medium clove of garlic. Since I love garlic, I thought it was perfect, but my father thought it was a touch too much. So, it’s really up to you how much you use.

I used regular tomato sauce, which we made absolutely sure did not have any sugar. However, I would suggest for SCD beginners that you cook down tomato juice for your sauce.

Since I am sensitive to Parmesan cheese, I filled my palm and sprinkled it lightly over the chicken. Of course, if you don’t have issues with parmesan, by all means follow the measurement specified in the original recipe.

Lastly, since mozzarella cheese is off-limits for SCDieters, I replaced it with havarti cheese which, when melted, is very similar in taste to mozzarella. In fact, I think it tastes even better.

Chicken Parmesan

• 4 chicken breasts, skinned and boned
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 teaspoon dried whole basil
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• Olive oil
• 8 oz. tomato sauce
• 1 medium clove garlic, pressed
• 1/4 teaspoon dried whole basil
• Parmesan cheese, to taste
• Havarti cheese, to taste

Instructions

1. Combine breadcrumbs, 1/4 teaspoon basil, and pepper. Dip chicken pieces in egg; coat in breadcrumb mixture.
2. Coat a large nonstick skillet with olive oil and place over medium-high heat until hot. Place chicken breasts in skillet, and cook until lightly browned on both sides. Remove from skillet, and arrange chicken breasts in a 12- x 8- x 2- inch baking dish.
3. Combine tomato sauce, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon basil; pour over chicken. Cover and back at 350 degrees for approx. 40 minutes. Sprinkle with havarti cheese; broil for about 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

• Like “Recipe Remedies”? Don’t miss a single one! Subscribe for e-mail or RSS updates, and feel free to comment below to tell me what you think. Your feedback is much appreciated. Happy cooking, everyone!

(I entered this recipe in Real Food Wednesday 4/21/10)

When Denise Isn’t Cooking or Snapping Pictures…

…She’s sewing! (Or procrastinating to sew…) 

I made this dress last year, when I went through my Audrey Hepburn craze… Sabrina inspired the notion. 

 

 Gowns for the many southern heritage balls my sister and I have attended… And yes, we wore hoop skirts… 

 

And my next project (to be completed by July–if I don’t procrastinate, that is…):

   

I love all three of these dresses (though I’d have to say my favorite is the black one). The one I plan to sew is the yellow. It’s perfect for swing dancing.

Food and Stress: Partners in Crime

We know what certain foods do to our systems. For those with gastrointestinal disorders, eliminating sugars, starches, grains, gluten, and dairy from our diets can squelch disease activity to such an extent that it’s nonexistent. If God hadn’t led me to the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, I would still be sprawled across our couch, moaning and hugging my stomach.

However, illegal foods aren’t the only culprits. For many with digestive diseases, stress can make us just as prone to hug our tummies.

Being a college student, I know what it is to be “stressed out.” Whether homework is due at a certain time or the workload is overwhelming, I’ve more than once experienced the tension that comes with being a student. The tightening of the gut is just one obvious symptom. 

Stress can pervade every area of our lives if we let it. We can worry about when the housework is going to get done, when the garden is going to be weeded, or when the children are going to get over their viruses. I get extremely nervous when I have to play the piano before an audience, big or small. I even get nervous when I have to answer a question in Sunday School, among dear friends I’ve known for years.

For those with digestive diseases, we also worry about the food we are eating, or the food we are going to eat. How many of us have worked ourselves into a frenzy because we didn’t know how we were going to satisfy our appetites outside the home? “What if there’s nothing to eat at my friend’s house? What if I don’t get to the ‘legal’ food before it’s all gone? What if my friends don’t realize I can’t have this, this, and this?” 

And then, in our sinful natures, we start worrying about other people, what he or she said, did, or intend to do, or what he or she might think of something we said or did.

I say that stress can be an even bigger culprit than the food we eat. And unfortunately, they like to team up against vulnerable guts.

But what good does it do you to fret about your homework, your housework, your life? *Ding Ding* Correct answer! It does NO good. The Lord said through Kind David, “Do not fret—it only causes harm” (Psalm 37:8b). What happens when I fret? That tightness in my gut sure does give me a lot of trouble. What happens when I relax and lay my future in Christ’s hands?

Freedom.

Recipe Remedies: Apple Snow Pudding

Well, here I am, with my first recipe remedy. *happy-happy-happy*

If you haven’t already guessed, I’ve been extremely excited about this first post. Not only am I discovering how to “fix” recipes for myself, I’m able to share them with others!

So, without further ado, I present you with Apple Snow Pudding!

This was an easy recipe to fix, and is legal on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. For those of you just beginning the diet, check the list of stages to see just where in time this recipe can be introduced. If in doubt, save the recipe for the future. You can never be too careful, especially when you’re first beginning.

The Original Recipe

• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
• 2 cans (8 1/2 oz) dietetic applesauce (2 cups)
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons noncaloric liquid sweetener
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 egg whites

Can you tell this is an OLD recipe? We certainly don’t have dietetic applesauce around anymore, so far as I know.

As I told you, and as you can see for yourself, this recipe can be fixed with just a couple minor tweaks. I replaced the “dietetic applesauce” for storebought, unsweetened applesauce that has all-natural and SCD-legal ingredients. If you are just beginning the SCD, you may feel uncertain about trying storebought, so by all means make homemade. Homemade applesauce is just as delicious, if not more so.

When I experimented with Apple Snow Pudding for the first time, I replaced the two teaspoons of liquid sweetener with one teaspoon of honey. Since honey is so sweet, I figured it would be enough. I left out the lemon peel, since I had no lemons in the house. Lastly, I rounded my measurements of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Bad idea.

While the pudding tasted good at first, it left a bitter aftertaste after it went down. I immediately identified the taste as that of the nutmeg. After further taste tests, I also decided that it could have been a little sweeter.

This morning I measured the nutmeg exactly as instructed, if not a little under 1/4 teaspoon. I also measured out two teaspoons honey, as the original recipe specified for the liquid sweetener. I took a taste before it was ready to chill, and it still tasted a little bitter, so I added another drop of honey before the mixture came to a boil. 

Well, my mother can’t stop eating it. So I guess it was a success! It doesn’t even need the lemon peel. Enough of the lemon juice shone through.

This is the final draft of my Recipe Remedy:

Apple Snow Pudding

• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
• 2 cups unsweetened applesauce
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice 
• approx. 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 egg whites *

* If you are uncomfortable with eating raw eggs, buy pasteurized ones or pasteurize them yourself.

Instructions

1. Sprinkle gelatine over 1/2 cup cold water in small bowl, to soften.

2. Combine applesauce, lemon juice, honey, and spices in saucepan; bring to boil, stirring.

3. Add softened gelatine, stirring until dissolved.

4. Pour into bowl; refrigerate 1 hour.

5. Meanwhile, let egg whites warm to room temperature in small bowl.

6. Beat, with rotary beater, just until stiff peaks form.

7. Gently fold into gelatine mixture; refrigerate until well chilled.

Please, try Apple Snow Pudding and let me know how it turned out!

 Bon Appetit!

• Like “Recipe Remedies”? Don’t miss a single one! Subscribe for e-mail or RSS updates, and feel free to comment below to tell me what you think. Your feedback is much appreciated. Happy cooking, everyone!

(I entered this recipe in Spring Cleaning: Get the Sugar Out!, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday–4/13/10, Real Food Wednesday 4/14/10, and Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays)

Speaking of Meds…

Today I went for my annual check-up. First off, I want to spread the good news: my blood work is absolutely, positively, happily NORMAL. NORMAL! God has certainly blessed me in the past year.

As I mentioned previously, I asked my gastroenterologist about tapering off one of my medications, a steroid I have been taking since I was first diagnosed. He gave me the go-ahead. Praise God! He suggested a quick taper, one that would only take a couple of months, but I have the freedom to decrease the dosage at my own pace.

I figure that in a year’s time, I should be completely off my steroids! Of course, if at any time I feel a negative change in my system, I will be readjusting my dosage. I am not as concerned as I was about remaining on the medication; my doctor assures me that it will not adversely affect future pregnancies. Even so, I’d rather not be on them when the time comes to have children.

Tapering off my meds, I realized, isn’t as easy as it seems. I have several considerations to take into account.

• First, my system has to be stable. Well it is, and has been for nineteen months, with only a couple minor relapses.
• Next, I have to consult my schedule. This year, I have three major trips coming up: one to Houston, Texas, one to Long Island, New York, and one to Moscow, Idaho. With all that travelling and changed eating habits (eating out, having limited resources, etc.), my digestive tract may not be ready for a decrease in the meds.

Those things considered, my family and I have decided that it would be best to wait until I am back on a normal schedule. Our travelling should be done by mid-July. I plan to start tapering my medications in mid-August, after I’ve had sufficient time to re-acclimate myself to home life.

Please keep me in prayer as I prepare to decrease my dosages, not only that I would not be affected by the change, but that I will persevere even more to remain strictly on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.

Oh, and P.S.: In case you were beginning to wonder, my first recipe “Remedy” should be making an appearance either by the end of this week or the beginning of next. So stay tuned!!

😀

When Denise Isn’t in the Kitchen…

…She’s taking pictures of Texas in Springtime.

Texas has various definitions of beauty. This is just one of them.