Monthly Archives: February 2016

Fresh Basil, Chive and Dill Herb Sauce

Sauces are one of my favorite ways to elevate the flavor of anything!

This sauce is a savory one that can be used in many different ways. I use it as a dip for crackers or raw vegetables, drizzle it on meat or fish after it is cooked, sautée it with vegetables, and use it as a marinade before grilling. It also is a delicious way to dress a salad by thinning it with a little more lemon juice.

Fresh Basil, Chive and Dill Sauce

When I have sauces handy, it is going to be a good week in the eating department, even if I don’t have a lot of time to spend cooking! What I mean by this is, it makes it super easy to elevate meals from boring to spectacular. Sometimes on the weekends, I spend a Saturday morning making sauces to use for the next couple weeks. I like to freeze half of them, so I can pull them out of the freezer when I need them. There are 21 other recipes for sauces and dressings to choose from under the Sauce section in my Recipe Index.

Fresh Basil, Chive and Dill Sauce over Pork Tenderloin

This sauce utilizes three different herbs that gives it a Mediterranean flare and lots of beneficial nutrients. I am always taking into consideration the benefits as well as flavor of recipes. 🙂 Herbs are generally under-used in cooking, and really bump up flavor and nutrition.

This recipe makes 1 1/4 cups. I like to pour it into two jars, one for the fridge and one for the freezer.

Fresh Basil, Chive and Dill Herb Sauce

Ingredients:

3 Packages of Fresh Basil (3/4 oz.)

1 Package of Fresh Dill (3/4 oz.)

1 Package of Fresh Chives (3/4 oz.)

1/2 Cup Raw Pecans

6 Tablespoons Garlic Infused Olive Oil

6 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

(or 12 Tablespoons of Olive Oil and 2 Fresh Garlic Cloves if not following Low FodMap Diet)

1 Tablespoon Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

1 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

1 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

Ready to Blend Ingredients for Sauce!

Simply put all the ingredients into a blender, and blend on high until smooth!

Now, how will you use your fresh herb sauce? I would love to hear your ideas!

Versatile Herb Sauce as a Dip with Crackers!

Bacon Scallion Grain Free Crackers

Bacon and Scallion Grain Free Crackers

Good Morning! Are you as excited about Spring and “springing ahead” as I am? Today the sun is shining after some very wintry weather and many “no school” days for the kids.

This weekend is birthday weekend at our house. Three of my daughters have birthdays consecutively starting Sunday.

I have this really good cracker recipe that includes bacon and chives that would be great as an appetizer for any get together. It doesn’t go crazy on the bacon, just two tablespoons in the batch really imparts a bacon flavor to the crackers.

Whether or not you are eating with food restrictions, this cracker should appeal to everyone. I am always looking to create recipes that I can feed to company, that I can eat too, and uses real ingredients.

You can cut these crackers into fancy shapes, or just use a pizza cutter to cut them into squares or rectangles. They are intended to be bite size, so if using a cookie cutter, use accordingly. 🙂

Baked Bacon and Scallion Almond Flour Crackers

Bacon Scallion Grain Free Crackers

1 1/2 Cups of Superfine Almond Flour

1/4 Cup Scallions, Green Parts Only (finely minced)

2 Tablespoons of Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice

2 Tablespoons of Crispy Cooked Bacon, crumbled (use sugar free bacon if eating SCD Low FodMap)

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

1 Teaspoon Sea Salt

1/4 Teaspoon of Baking Soda

Directions: Preheat your oven to 350º degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients with a fork, including the bacon and scallions. Add the lime juice and olive oil and whisk again with a fork until the dough holds together. You can add a bit more lime juice if needed.

Bacon and Scallion Cracker Dough

Form the cracker dough into a ball, and place it on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Between two pieces of parchment or plastic wrap, from into a rectangle. Then, roll the dough with a rolling pin into an approximate 8″ x 11″ rectangle.

Bacon and Scallion Cracker Dough Ready to Roll

Ready to Cut

Now you can cut out the shapes, I used a small heart shaped cutter, or using a pizza wheel, cut the dough into squares or rectangles about an inch and a half in size.

Ready to Go Into the Oven

Bake in a preheated oven for 12 to 20 minutes. This a a wide range, but I have found it really depends on the thickness of the cracker. So keep an eye on them, and bake them until brown but not over brown. Cool completely on the baking sheet to allow them to crisp up.

Baked Bacon and Scallion Almond Flour Crackers

Enjoy these delicious little crackers as an appetizer, or with whatever your heart desires!

Makes approximately 40 bite size crackers.

Very Low FodMap Serving Size is 4 crackers.

Eat Your Nutrients!

Easy Pineapple One Bowl Muffins

One of my favorite cakes in the 80’s was pineapple upside down cake. Crushed pineapple was really popular to use in baking, and added lots of moisture to the recipe. Hummingbird cake, pineapple upside down cake, and dump cakes are three that come to mind. I loved pineapple upside down cake growing up, and I thought why not try a muffin with a few simple ingredients that can be made fast, grain free and low fodmap……….I had a craving! 🙂

So, if you like pineapple, here is a recipe that is simple, fast, and a pleasure to put together, that I think you will love! It makes an even dozen, and the muffins have a beautiful crumb. They start to brown on the tops as they are finishing off, for a truly delicious muffin that is not overly sweet.

Easy Pineapple One Bowl Muffins

Easy Pineapple One Bowl Muffins

Directions: Preheat your oven to 350º degrees. Line a twelve cup muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.

Ingredients:

1 14 oz. can of Native Forest Crushed Pineapple (or one without additives)

2 Eggs

1/4 Cup Clear Honey (Clover Honey is Lower in FodMaps)

1 1/2 Tablespoons Ground Ginger

1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

1 1/2 Cups Superfine Almond Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda

Okay, this is really, really simple, and I love it! Put the ingredients in a bowl in the order listed above, and using a hand held mixer, mix until completely blended. Scoop evenly into the muffin liners. I used a muffin scoop. Bake for 30 minutes in your preheated oven. They will be starting to brown on the top, and when gently pressed, the tops will spring back when done. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Pineapple Dump Muffins Batter