Recipe: Nourishing Bone Broth

Here is my own personal recipe for a deeply nourishing bone broth, which can be used as a rich base for any soup or for any recipe that calls for broth or stock.  It is a perfect start to the GAPS Diet (see an introduction to GAPS).  Make sure to use the highest quality ingredients available. 

If you are new to making bone broths, I recommend trying it at least once from the perspective that you are making medicine for you and your family. This is much more than a food, this truly is powerful medicine!

Ingredients

2 lbs. organic chicken or grass fed beef bones
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
Filtered water, to cover
5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 large carrots, roughly chopped
1 large onion, roughly chopped
Sea salt, to taste

IF NOT ON THE GAPS DIET ADD:

2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
1 bay leaf
1/2 bunch parsley, chopped

PRESSURE COOKER Directions

1. Add the bones to the pressure cooker and add the vinegar or lemon juice and enough water to cover the bones completely.
2. Add the remaining ingredients, and put on lid and lock in place. Turn heat to high and wait for it to pressurize.
3. When pot pressurizes, turn heat down to medium and cook for 1-1 ½ hours.
4. Depressurize cooker, and remove all bones and bay leaf from pot, making sure that all marrow and soft tissues are off the bones before you discard them.
5. Blend broth with an immersion blender, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any bits of bone.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper. The broth is now ready to be made into a soup/stew, or to be used as is. Store in freezer in an airtight container for up to one month.

SLOW COOKER Directions

Place everything in a large slow cooker / crock pot and cover with filtered water. Cook for 4-6 hours before using, starting on high for 1 hour, then reducing the heat to low. You can keep this going for 3-5 days if you continually scoop out the broth and replace what you take with filtered water. This method allows the bones to really cook down.

TIPS

• This recipe can also be made without a pressure cooker, in a regular stock pot. Cook several hours, until marrow and soft tissues release from bones.
• Can also use lamb bones or fish bones.
• Use high collagen joints like knuckles, necks, and feet.
• Use as a soup base, cooking liquid for grains or beans, or to make sauces like gravies (thicken with a roux).
• Season the bone broth and serve as a first course to enhance digestion.
• Other herbs, spices, or vegetables can be added to the broth depending on the desired flavor.
• Season with salt and sip throughout the day if you need a boost in energy or are not feeling well. The broth is both energizing and calming.

About Brooke

Brooke Kaufman is a Certified Holistic Nutrition Consultant who creates customized meal plans for her clients with multiple food allergies and intolerances, and for those who are on the GAPS diet. She enjoys helping people eat nourishing food that is easy to prepare and tastes delicious. She believes that having food allergies and intolerances can be a positive challenge that inspires creativity, and brings a higher level of awareness when it comes to what you put in your body. Brooke believes that when we deeply nourish ourselves inside and out, we can attain optimal health…which includes healing our damaged and inflamed digestive systems.

Brooke received her nutrition education at Bauman College, and has learned through her own personal experience with food intolerances, she also works as a cleanse coach for Cleanse Organic, a 28-day, guided whole food based cleansing program.

Find her at:  Balance Within Nutrition

Roasted Sweet Potato Chips with Nutmeg & Cinnamon

This is the ultimate, healthy, B, C, and A Vitamin, Beta-Carotene-loaded, and anti-inflammatory-ily spiced side dish.  The fat of the olive oil actually, according to Worlds Healthiest Foods, enhances your bod's ability to absorb the beta carotene.  Cinnamon is one of the most studied spices for its anti-inflammatory benefits, too.  Another side benefit of this side, is the sweet potato's high content of tryptophan, which might make those late night rummagings a sleep-supporting win. 

Plus, if you need some lovin', this recipe is a quickie. 

Preheat Oven to 425 degrees

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes

1-2 TBS of olive oil

1-1/2 tsp sea or kosher salt

3 tsp of cinnamon (approximate - size of potatoes vary a great deal)

1/4 tsp of fresh grated nutmeg (approximate - just kiss each potato as you grate the nutmeg on the top)

Combine & Roast

On a sheet pan, place a sheet of parchment paper.  I like to use parchment because it helps veggies brown and caramalize, saves the pan (and if you place it correctly, you don't have to wash the pan... shhhh.  Don't tell anyone).

Slice the sweet potatoes to be about 1/4 inch thick for soft potatoes and quite thin for actual chips.  The thinner you slice them, the crispier the potato chips will be.   Both are really good.

Place the chips on the parchment lined pan, then pour about 1 TBS of olive oil in your hand.  Massage the oil over each sweet potato chip - tossing with your hands.  Then sprinkle the salt evenly over the chips, and again toss the chips in your hands to spread the salt to both sides of the potatoes.  Add more oil & salt if needed - depending upon the size of your tubers.

Evenly space the potatoes on the parchment - you want each chip's little bottom to be on the parchment (don't double up).  this way the bottom will be browned.  Sprinkle the cinnamon evenly over the top of each chip.  You can use a sifter to be exact, if you like.  I tend to use my fingers to pinch a little over the top of each.  Then grate a kiss of fresh nutmeg over each chip.

Place into the pre-heated oven and roast for 30-40 minutes.  Serve hot.

Makes a great partner to soup or roast chicken, or your favorite gluten-free sandwich.

READER TIP 

Add a pinch of cayenne to your cinnamon for a little kick.  Thanks Marti & Lori!

A NOTE ON NUT ALLERGIES & NUTMEG

According to FAAN (Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network), Is nutmeg safe?

"Nutmeg is obtained from the seeds of the tropical tree species Myristica fragrans. It is generally safe for an individual with a tree nut allergy."

Watermelon Cucumber Salad with Mint & Balsamic Maple Reduction

This is a refreshing salad where the cucumbers provide crunch, the watermelon is sweet, and the savory reduction brings the two together.

Salad

4 cups of watermelon, cubed & seeded

1 small cipolini onion, diced (you can use red, vidalia or another sweet onion)

1 large organic cucumber*, sliced very thin

Pinch of sea salt

(*Preferrably unwaxed.  Organic cucumbers are sometimes waxed, too, and the word on the street is that organic wax is ok to eat.  Conventional cucumbers, please peel).

Put the cucumbers in the bowl and toss with the sea salt.  Let them sit while you make the dressing.

 

Dressing

3/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar**

2 TBS Maple Syrup (Grade A)

1 tsp. minced garlic

1/4 cup of chopped fresh mint leaves (chiffonade)

1 heaping TBS of chopped fresh basil (chiffonade)

Place all dressing ingredients, except the mint into a saucepan, bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer for 3-5 minutes.  The longer you simmer, the more syrupy the reduction gets.  For a really thick reduction, boil to half. However, the reduction doesn't need to be super thick in this recipe, and 3 minutes will allow you some reserved marinade.

Take the pan off the heat and add the mint and basil.  Let cool for 5 min. then pour half of the marinade over the cucumbers.  Store the rest for later use, or use if needed when tossing in the watermelon.

Just before serving, add the chopped, seeded watermelon into the large bowl with the cucumbers.  Toss gently and serve.

Please note:  ** if you have nut allergies, some balsamic vinegars are aged in chestnut barrels.  Research products to find a vinegar that is aged in a non-nut barrel, like oak, ash, cherry or mulberry, whichever works best for you.

Recipe: Chimichurri Steak Salad

 

Our House

Our house in not air-conditioned, so during the sweltering days of summer, I resist spending hours cooking over a hot stove. This is a very fast recipe that can be made indoors or out, over the grill. It came to me out of convenience: I had a few chimichurri-marinated steak kabobs and a sliced vegetable pack from my local market and simply put it all together. Much of the flavor of the dish comes from the chimichurri sauce, and the balsamic-glazed grilled vegetables add a nice piquancy. If you can find the vegetable pre-sliced (I bought mine at Trader Joe’s), and marinated steak kabobs, by all means take the shortcut. Dinner will be ready that much sooner! If you want to make the dish from scratch, it doesn’t take much longer, and it tastes elegant enough to serve to company. Best of all, it’s naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, grain-free and nut-free and perfect for your TenderFoodie!

© Kyra Bussanich, 2012

Serves 2 hungry TenderFoodies!

Ingredients

Chimichurri sauce (recipe to follow)
8 ounces steak bits
8 ounces washed lettuce or salad mix
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
½ red onion, sliced
4 ounces sliced crimini mushrooms
½ bunch (about 12 spears) baby asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

Chimichurri sauce (recipe from Epicurious.com)

1/2 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons (packed) fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt

Put it Together

Add all ingredients to a food processor bowl fitted with a blade. Puree until uniform in texture (should not be a paste, but rather have some lumps and texture to it).

Place the chimichurri and the steak bits in a plastic bag, seal the end and squish the meat around to coat it with the chimichurri sauce. Meanwhile, wash and slice the vegetables and divide the salad between 2 plates. Set the salad aside. On the stove top or grill, heat a large sauté pan with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add the mushrooms and red onion slices, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté over medium heat until the edges of the mushrooms and onions start to caramelize and the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the asparagus and the balsamic vinegar and sauté until the asparagus is tender, about 3 more minutes. Remove the vegetables from the pan and set aside. Pour the chimichurri sauce and steak bits into the pan and sauté until the steak is done to your tastes, about 2 minutes.

Add the vegetables to the steak and toss to coat the veggies in the remnants of the chimichurri sauce, and divide the contents of the pan over the two salad plates.

Enjoy!

About Kyra

Kyra Bussanich is the owner of Crave Bake Shop, and the first gluten-free winner of the Food Network's Famed, "Cupcakes Wars".  Kyra graduated with honors from the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu patisserie program, which gave her a solid foundation of knowledge about classical French baking techniques which she was able to apply toward baking gluten-free.  Kyra was diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder when she was 20 years old. Part of staying healthy meant switching to a gluten-free diet, avoiding all wheat and overly processed foods. Whenever possible, she uses local ingredients, and serves customers with multiple allergies, as well.

Recipe: Peach Salsa

Recipe by Brooke Kaufman

Copyright, Brooke Kaufman (used with permission)

I made this recipe that nutritionist, Brooke Kaufman sent to me, and just loved and devoured it. At first, I left out the tomatoes & pepper for a nightshade free salsa, and it was just as good.  If you can have night shades, try it both ways.  I didn't miss the tomato, but loved the spiciness of the pepper.  The lime juice brings the flavors together so test after one lime then add more to taste.  I scooped out this delish dish with Lundberg's Sea Salt Rice Chips.  A yummy treat to bring to game night!

Ingredients

2 large ripe avocados, chopped
2 large organic yellow or white peaches, peeled and chopped
1 green jalapeno pepper, minced (remove the seeds and ribs if you want a more mild salsa)
1 medium tomato, diced
1/2 a medium red onion, diced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1-2 limes, juiced
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

 
1.    Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
2.    Season to taste with lime juice, salt and pepper.
3.    Chill and serve.