Coconut Fried Chicken

Ah, there was a moment this week when we felt like we were eating fried chicken!  It was nice to have some new flavors in our mouths and it was a little like cheating, although I know it is still in our healthy perimeters.  We ate ours with a lovely green salad with fresh tomatoes, lemon cucumbers, and peas.  I made our dressing with apple cider vinegar and olive oil.  I might try this with fish next time for a good trickery!

Ingredients:

• Chicken, breast or thigh, cut into large bite sized pieces.  
• 1/2-1 cup dried coconut (not the sugar variety)
• 2-4 eggs, beaten
• Salt
• Coconut oil for frying

Directions:

1. Heat coconut oil up in a skillet on medium low.
2. Dip chicken into egg and then coconut and then place in a warm skillet. Salt them while cooking.
3. Cook on both sides evenly.  Serve.

Squash Porridge

 My littlest girl has started pre-school!  She is so happy to join other children her age and to enjoy the wonderful Waldorf-inspired school.  Most Waldorf schools are heavy on the grains, and it can be tedious to send her with her replacement food, but so worth the effort to keep her healthy and nourished.  On one of the days her teacher serves oatmeal, or porridge.  So, I send her with her squash porridge.  She loves it and eats it all up every time.

Ingredients:

• Squash, any variety (my favorites are butternut, acorn, and banana)
• 2 pastured eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• water, for blending

Directions:

1. Cut up squash in large chunks, leave the peel on it will save you time.  Steam it over water until soft.
2. In blender mix peeled squash, egg, vanilla and cinnamon.  Add enough water to make the blender move.  The hot squash will cook the egg, don't worry here.  
3. Serve, and enjoy.

Intro: omit vanilla and cinnamon and use egg yolks

Herbed Cauliflower "Rice"

Ingredients:

• A head of cauliflower, grated
• 1/4 cup cilantro, minced
• 2 Tb. mint, minced
• 1 scallion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 2-4 Tb. animal fat, or olive oil
• salt

Directions:

1. Steam grated cauliflower until soft.
2. Pulse cilantro, mint, garlic, scallion in Cuisinart (or chop finely).
3. In a bowl, add cooked cauliflower and mix in cilantro, mint, oil, and salt. 
4. Stir and serve.

GAPS Coconut Flour Pancakes

Ingredients

• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup coconut milk or water
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon honey 
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda (or not)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• coconut oil  for frying

Directions

1. Preheat griddle over medium-low heat. 
2. In a small bowl beat eggs, milk, vanilla, and honey.  
3. In a medium-sized bowl combine coconut flour, baking soda, and sea salt and whisk together. Stir wet mixture into dry until coconut flour is incorporated. (Or use a Cuisinart to mix all ingredients quickly).
4. Grease pan with butter or coconut oil. Ladle 1-2 tablespoons of batter into pan for each pancake.   Cook for a few minutes on each side, until the tops dry out slightly and the bottoms start to brown. Flip and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.
5. Serve hot with coconut oil, honey, jam, or fruit.

Coconut Flour Raisin Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup water or coconut milk
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• dash of salt
• 1/3 cup raisins

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Line a cookie sheet with a silpat mat or parchment paper and set aside.
3. In a small bowl, mix the coconut oil, vanilla extract, eggs, honey, salt and milk together.
4. Sift coconut flour into a large bowl.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until combined.
6. Stir in the raisins.
7. Scoop by the tablespoon, roll into a ball with your hands and flatten out.
8. Bake for about 20 minutes until lightly brown.

Banana Mint Smoothie

Ah, Summer freshness in a cup.  This creamy minty concoction is often requested on a hot day.  It can also easily be turned into a popsicle.

Ingredients:
-1/2 cup water
-Handfull of mint, washed
-2 Frozen Bananas
-1 pastured egg (optional, but adds creaminess and protein)

Directions:
In blender, add water and mint, blend until mint is liquified.  Add bananas and egg, blend again, serve.  For an added punch of mint, you could add peppermint flavoring.

GAPS BBQ

Memorial day inspired us to make a traditional BBQ menu.  It was a small party of 5, but well worth all the effort.  Here is what we served:

BBQ Chicken
Seasoned Bone-in, skin-on Chicken Thighs with tandoori spices, garlic, and salt.

Coleslaw
Mixed grated cabbage, carrots and pears with olive oil, vinegar and salt.

Watermelon
Cut off the rind and served in triangles.

Potato-Free Salad
Ingredients
2 Cauliflowers, cut into small florets, steamed
2 Pickles, but up into small pieces
4 Celery spears, cut into small parts
2 Green Onions, minced
1/3 cup cooked bacon, cut in small pieces
1/2 cup home-made mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon Mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions
1. Steam Cauliflower.
2. Cook bacon.
2. Cut up pickles, celery, onion and add to a large bowl.
3.  Mix Cauliflower, veggies, bacon, mustard and mayonnaise.