Tag: gluten-free

Dips and spreads

Ghee

Jenny

ghee

Ghee is a type of clarified butter used in Indian cooking. Making ghee from butter involves removing the milk solids that contain casein, leaving only the casein-free butterfat behind. In addition, ghee (like butter) contains very little lactose, so it is generally tolerated even by people who are lactose-intolerant. Ghee is permitted on both the GAPS and GFCF diet.

Ghee is great for frying as it has a higher smoke point than butter. I particularly like using ghee for cooking eggs, and I also like having ghee to hand to grease my cake tins as I don’t cook with butter. In a covered container, it keeps for months in the refrigerator.

Ghee

at least 250g unsalted, organic butter, more if you like

Preheat your oven to 120°C/250°F/gas mark 1/2.

Put the butter into a saucepan or oven dish with high sides. It should fit fairly snugly.

Bake in the oven until the butter has fully melted. The melted butter will split into 3 parts: a milky, nearly solid layer at the bottom; a golden liquid layer in the middle; and a shallow layer of white foam on the top.  Remove carefully from the oven when the foamy top layer has started to brown, after about 45 minutes.

Using a spoon or spatula, carefully skim off the foamy top layer and discard.

Prepare a clean receptacle for the ghee such as a glass jar with a lid. Place a colander over the jar and line with muslin. Pour the golden middle layer through the lined colander into the jar, being careful to leave all of the milky bottom layer in the pan.

Discard the bottom layer of milk solids (do not pour down the sink unless you would like a visit from your plumber!).

Allow the ghee to cool, then refrigerate. It will keep for up to six months in the refrigerator.

Snacks

Kale Chips

Jenny

kale

Happy new year! Here’s wishing each and every one of you a wonderful 2014 filled with good health and delicious food.

It’s been a year now since I started the blog section of my website. Thanks so much to all of you who have supported me and cheered me on. My most popular post of the year was Slow-Roasted Duck Legs, with 261 hits! I have big plans to continue posting recipes and fact sheets this year. In particular I will be adding more GAPS-friendly recipes, as GAPS has been increasingly significant in my clinical practice.

Kale chips might be a little bit 2013 by now, but they are still easy and delicious. So if you have never made them, I urge you to have a go. I used curly purple kale, but any variety works for this recipe.

Kale chips (adapted from a David Lebovitz recipe)

1/2 of a head of kale (about 6 large leaves)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

Serves four as a snack

Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

Wash the kale leaves and dry in a salad spinner. Tear the leaves into large bite-sized pieces, taking care to discard the tough central stem. Toss with the olive oil in a bowl, then arrange the kale on a baking tray in a single layer.

Bake for 20 minutes or until crispy. Remove from the oven and put the kale on some kitchen paper to blot excess oil. Sprinkle very generously with sea salt, and serve as a snack.

 
Dips and spreads, Side dishes

Cranberry-apple chutney

Jenny

chutney

This cranberry-apple chutney is one of my holiday staples. Every year I like to make a big batch just before Thanksgiving and pack it into jars, either to serve with festive meals at home or to bring to our hosts as an edible gift. I’ll be testing it out on Thanksgivukkah this year and I think it will go down a treat.

apples

The chutney is lovely with turkey, slow-roasted duck legs or really any roasted bird – and wonderful with leftovers.

chutneyjar

Cranberry-Apple Chutney (adapted from a Nigella Lawson recipe)

700g Granny Smith apples (about 5 medium or 7 small), peeled, cored and sliced into bite-sized pieces

250g dried cranberries

1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped

a thumb-sized knob of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

350 ml apple cider vinegar

200g caster sugar

1 teaspoon tumeric

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

2 teaspoons salt

Makes about 3 jam jars of chutney

Place all of the ingredients into a saucepan or dutch oven and place over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a rapid simmer, stirring regularly, then lower the heat to a slow simmer.

Cook for 45 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the apples have become soft and the mixture appears thick and jammy.

Transfer the chutney into clean jam jars and close the lids tightly. Once cool, store the chutney in the refrigerator until the holidays are over.

Side dishes

Corn with girolle mushrooms

Jenny

corngirolle

Growing up in the United States, we enjoyed corn on the cob all summer long. Shucking corn on the cob was a chore I never minded, and we ate the corn with funny plastic corn-shaped holders on either end.

All that came to an end during the years I lived in France, where corn is mainly something to feed to animals. Or possibly to drain out of a can to put in a salad.

I’ve enjoyed eating fresh corn again since moving to the UK. While I grew up eating corn boiled, with a pat of butter, I now prefer my corn on the cob grilled, with just a sprinkling of sea salt.  Or, as we move towards autumn, I love eating corn cut off the cob and gently pan-fried with some fresh girolle mushrooms.

Corn with girolle mushrooms (inspired by an Alice Waters recipe in Chez Panisse Vegetables)

3-4 ears of fresh corn, kernels cut off the cob

100 g fresh girolle mushrooms

1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

1 tablespoon coconut or vegetable oil for pan-frying

1 large ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped

1-2 tablespoons olive oil for dressing

a squeeze of lime juice

1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves

salt and pepper to taste

Serves 4 as a side dish

Rinse the girolles in a colander, then wipe any remaining dirt off with a paper towel. Slice into small bite-sized pieces.

Heat the coconut or vegetable oil in a skillet and add the garlic. As soon as the garlic starts to sizzle, add the girolles and cook over medium heat. When the girolles have started to brown, add the corn and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the corn is just cooked (taste to be sure). If the corn starts to burn while cooking, add a few drops of water.

Allow the corn and girolles to cool for 10-15 minutes. Add the avocado, lime juice, and coriander leaves, then add olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Note: Corn is not GAPS-friendly and is often not tolerated by followers of the GFCF diet, so this recipe will not be for everyone. That said, even the most vegetable-averse children often like corn, so it can be a useful “gateway vegetable” to teach children about getting more color onto their plate.