Crème Fraiche

So you know what sour cream and yogurt are, maybe you’ve even dabbled with kefir a bit, but have you ever heard of creme fraiche? This is a go-to for my family, we try to make sure we always have a supply! It is not only delicious, but it is full of probiotics and high quality fat (so it’s very helpful for anyone dealing with constipation). For anyone who can do dairy, I recommend you try it out! A lot of the “sour cream” sold commercially in the United States is technically creme fraiche, but when you make it at home it is so much better (of course), and it is actually very easy to make! 

Check out the recipe below, and happy culturing! 

Ingredients for crème fraiche:

• 1 pint raw cream or organic heavy cream from grass-fed cows (pasteurized is ok, just not UHT pasteurized - note the difference between methods with raw and pasteurized)

• ¼ cup culture (whey, yogurt, or previous crème fraiche*)

Directions for Crème Fraiche:

• Pour cream into small pot, place on stovetop

• If using raw cream, slowly heat to 100-110F.

• If using pasteurized cream, slowly heat to 180F then let cool to 100-110F

• After appropriate heating is done, pour into a pint-sized wide-mouth glass jar (mason jar style)

• Add your culture, stir to combine

• Cover and leave on counter for 24-36 hours**

• Store in the fridge.

*If you use whey, you will have a thinner product. If you use yogurt, it will be thicker, if you use a previous crème fraiche, it will be creamier.

**The longer it sits, the more sour and more probiotic it will be.

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Crème Fraiche

Author: Hollie Bigham, Be Well Clinic

Ingredients

• 1 pint raw cream or organic heavy cream from grass-fed cows (pasteurized is ok, just not UHT pasteurized - note the difference between methods with raw and pasteurized)
• ¼ cup culture (whey, yogurt, or previous crème fraiche*)

Instructions

1. Pour cream into small pot, place on stovetop
2. If using raw cream, slowly heat to 100-110F.
3. If using pasteurized cream, slowly heat to 180F then let cool to 100-110F
4. After appropriate heating is done, pour into a pint-sized wide-mouth glass jar (mason jar style)
5. Add your culture, stir to combine
6. Cover and leave on counter for 24-36 hours**
7. Store in the fridge.
8. *If you use whey, you will have a thinner product. If you use yogurt, it will be thicker, if you use a previous crème fraiche, it will be creamier.

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Switchel

What is switchel? Switchel is a fermented lemon/ginger drink that is especially refreshing during the summer when working in the heat! The fermented aspect provides probiotics for the gut, the apple cider vinegar helps you be able to drink greater amounts without feeling bloated, and the lemon and ginger help hydrate you more effectively! Plus, it is simply delicious. I try to always have a few bottles brewing throughout the summer.

Ingredients for switchel:

• 2-3 inches of fresh ginger (peeled and chopped)

• 1 cup hot water + enough filtered water to fill the jar

• 4 Lemons (juiced)

• ¼ - ⅓ cup Apple Cider Vinegar - raw, unfiltered with the mother 

• ¼ cup raw honey

• A ½ gallon mason jar (or similar vessel that can close tightly) 

Additional Supplies for switchel:

• ½ Gallon sized mason jar or similar vessel with a sealing lid

• Metal strainer

Directions for making switchel:

In a small bowl, combine the hot water with the honey. We want the water to be just hot enough to allow the honey to dissolve - it should not be boiling, or this will kill off the beneficial microbes in the honey. 

To the mason jar, add the chopped ginger, fresh lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. Add the honey-water mixture, then add filtered water to fill up to approximately 1 inch from the top of the jar. Cover tightly and give the jar a few shakes to mix everything up. Loosen the lid slightly and leave on the counter at room temperature for 24-36 hours.

Once done, strain the switchel into a clean glass vessel (I use just another mason jar or a swing-top bottle) and store in the refrigerator. 

Pour over ice and enjoy!

- Hollie

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Switchel

Author: Hollie Bigham, Be Well Clinic

Ingredients

• 2-3 inches of fresh ginger (peeled and chopped)
• 1 cup hot water + enough filtered water to fill the jar
• 4 Lemons (juiced)
• ¼ - ⅓ cup Apple Cider Vinegar - raw, unfiltered with the mother
• ¼ cup raw honey
• A ½ gallon mason jar (or similar vessel that can close tightly)

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine the hot water with the honey. We want the water to be just hot enough to allow the honey to dissolve - it should not be boiling, or this will kill off the beneficial microbes in the honey.
2. To the mason jar, add the chopped ginger, fresh lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. Add the honey-water mixture, then add filtered water to fill up to approximately 1 inch from the top of the jar. Cover tightly and give the jar a few shakes to mix everything up. Loosen the lid slightly and leave on the counter at room temperature for 24-36 hours.
3. Once done, strain the switchel into a clean glass vessel (I use just another mason jar or a swing-top bottle) and store in the refrigerator.
4. Pour over ice and enjoy!

Honey Sweetened Vanilla Custard

Honey Sweetened Vanilla Custard:

Ingredients for Honey Sweetened Vanilla Custard:

• 1 cup cream 

• 3 egg yolks + 1 whole egg

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 2-3 tbsp honey

• (sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg if desired)

Directions for Honey Sweetened Vanilla Custard:

1. Preheat oven to 340F

2. Place all ingredients in a blender, blend on low until just combined. Try not to blend too long - we don’t want it getting frothy. 

3. Pour equally into small oven-safe cups (depending on the size, it will fill 6-10 cups).

4. Place all of the cups in a baking pan with sides at least 1.5 inches high. 

5. Add water to the pan (careful not to get it in the cups!) to fill about ⅔ of the height of the cups to create a water bath. 

6. Place the baking pan in the oven, bake for 45 minutes or until custard is set and not runny when poked with a toothpick. 

*Note: depending on the size of your cups, you may need to adjust the baking time. If you take it out and it is still runny you can leave the custard cups in the hot water bath to set.

Practical uses:

• To help relieve headaches (while pregnant or not!)

• For help sleeping if you typically wake up around 1-3 am

• To help babies sleep (after you’ve introduced dairy/eggs) - for this one just omit the honey, it’s still great!

• For a pick-me-up snack in the afternoon when you might crave sugar or caffeine

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Honey Sweetened Vanilla Custard

Author: Hollie Bigham, Be Well Clinic

Ingredients

• 1 cup cream
• 3 egg yolks + 1 whole egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 tbsp honey
• (sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg if desired)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 340F
2. Place all ingredients in a blender, blend on low until just combined. Try not to blend too long - we don’t want it getting frothy.
3. Pour equally into small oven-safe cups (depending on the size, it will fill 6-10 cups).
4. Place all of the cups in a baking pan with sides at least 1.5 inches high.
5. Add water to the pan (careful not to get it in the cups!) to fill about ⅔ of the height of the cups to create a water bath.
6. Place the baking pan in the oven, bake for 45 minutes or until custard is set and not runny when poked with a toothpick.
7. Note: depending on the size of your cups, you may need to adjust the baking time. If you take it out and it is still runny you can leave the custard cups in the hot water bath to set.

GAPS Recipes for Kids

GAPS is extremely beneficial for kids: the younger the better! Here are a variety of recipes that you can make with your kids so they can see how real food is prepared and know what they are eating and why they are eating it! These recipes span all of the intro stages and full GAPS, so take a peek - if you're not on that stage yet, you have much goodness to look forward to!

Remember that during GAPS, we have lots of changes going on in our bodies. As we heal, our cravings/desires change, even our taste buds and palettes change! If something is less than appealing to your child in the beginning, try again a few weeks later. Most likely they will be ready to try some new foods throughout their GAPS journey even if they were very particular about tastes and textures before you started.

For more recipes check out our blog! There are many more where these came from!

Kid Friendly Rainbow Ferment

Get your kids involved in the preparation or cooking process! When giving fermented food to your children, it’s best to consider what vegetables they already like and in what forms.

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Fermented Ginger Carrots

These are a kid favorite! This recipe is based on the Nourishing Traditions Cookbook but I’ve found most kids prefer carrots sliced rather than grated.

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Fermented Ketchup

Store Bought ketchup, while reminiscent of the traditional flavor, is an unhealthy food choice due to the added sugar. Traditional ketchup is a live food and is beneficial to your body.

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Fermented Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are like any seed (or bean or nut.) They should be properly prepared before consuming to neutralize the acid and make them easier to digest.

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7 Layer Dip

A real food version of seven-layer dip! Great for a party or potluck but sometimes it is just great for lunch!

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GAPS Legal Trail Mix

Commercial trail mixes contain candy, sweetened fruit, and unprepared nuts: not the superfoods they claim to be!

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GAPS Friendly Pancakes

This recipe was adapted from the GAPS Pancake Recipe in the Gut and Psychology Syndrome book by Dr. Natasha Campbell. Makes 3 Pancakes.

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Russian Custard

Russian custard is a delicious desert or afternoon snack. It is rich, and just sweet enough. You can whip it up in just a few minutes.

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GAPS Milkshake

This delicious, satisfying and helpful beverage is a wonderful way to daily consume your freshly-pressed juices, and can even be a meal.

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GAPS Zucchini Bread

Zucchini is great because of its versatility: it can be used hot or cold, baked or fried, and in soups, salads, breads, or even as a noodle substitute.

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Spaghetti Sauce

This spaghetti sauce recipe can be used for a lovely spaghetti night, or you can use it to make zucchini pizzas!

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Creamy Chicken Garlic Soup

This soup is easy to make in large or small batches depending on how many servings you need.

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GAPS Friendly Homemade Yogurt

Let’s make yogurt! Around here we are very into fermented and cultured foods. Not only are they delicious but they are so full of probiotics, vitamins and minerals that are easy for our bodies to utilize! 

Fermented and cultured foods can seem intimidating to those who have not made them, but once you’ve started in the world of ferments and cultures, you will see how easy, quick, and fun they are. 

Yogurt is one of my family’s favorites. We use raw milk, but you can use pasteurized milk if that is all you have access to. It will need to be whole milk, preferably organic, and grass fed, and it cannot be UHT (or ultra-high temperature) pasteurized. You’ll treat it a little differently than raw milk, so pay attention to those directions. You can also use numerous types of starters - whey, creme fraiche, another yogurt - if you have any of these on hand, you can make yogurt! Like the milk, if you are using yogurt as a starter, you can use one that you previously made, or you can use yogurt from the store. Just make sure it is whole milk, organic, plain, with no other ingredients added beside the milk and the probiotic strains. 

As far as cultured dairy products go, yogurt is high in protein versus fat. For this reason, we usually recommend it to people who are more prone to diarrhea or soft stools instead of people who are constipated (for whom we would recommend a higher fat content dairy like sour cream or creme fraiche). 

Let’s dive in! 

Ingredients for Homemade Yogurt:

• Milk

• Whey
  

Pour your milk into a pot and slowly heat it over the stove. Raw milk should be heated to 110 F. Pasteurized milk needs to be heated up to 180 F, then cooled to 110 F. 

This is very important because when milk is pasteurized, it starts growing bacteria that are not beneficial, and can actually be quite harmful (this is why pasteurized milk has an expiration date and why it “goes bad” when it is too old or left out of refrigeration). We have to kill these off first before we let the culturing process happen.

Once your milk is at temperature, remove from heat and add your starter. This can be yogurt, whey or crème fraiche. Whey generally makes a thinner yogurt, a previous yogurt will make a thicker yogurt, and crème fraiche tends to make a creamier yogurt. Stir briefly to combine.

Pour the milk/starter mixture into an insulated container. I use my instant pot with it unplugged and covered. Then I wrap a couple towels around it to keep any heat from leaking out. You can use a thermos, or place your milk in a jar and put it somewhere where you can regulate the temperature such as in a dehydrator or in the oven with the pilot light on. The goal is to keep the milk at 110 F for the next 24-36 hours. Many recipes will say 8-12 hours is fine. When trying to reduce the lactose level and predigest the proteins as much as possible, we aim for at least 24 hours. I find that closer to 28-30 hours produces my favorite consistency/flavor balance. (If you are following the GAPS nutritional protocol, stick to the longer timeframe.)

When the culturing process is done (24-36 hours later), your yogurt is complete! Pour into a glass jar, store in the fridge and enjoy!

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Homemade Yogurt

Author: Hollie Bigham, Be Well Clinic

Ingredients

• Milk
• Whey

Instructions

1. Pour your milk into a pot and slowly heat it over the stove. Raw milk should be heated to 110 F. Pasteurized milk needs to be heated up to 180 F, then cooled to 110 F.
2. This is very important because when milk is pasteurized, it starts growing bacteria that are not beneficial, and can actually be quite harmful (this is why pasteurized milk has an expiration date and why it “goes bad” when it is too old or left out of refrigeration). We have to kill these off first before we let the culturing process happen.
3. Once your milk is at temperature, remove from heat and add your starter. This can be yogurt, whey or crème fraiche. Whey generally makes a thinner yogurt, a previous yogurt will make a thicker yogurt, and crème fraiche tends to make a creamier yogurt. Stir briefly to combine.
4. Pour the milk/starter mixture into an insulated container. I use my instant pot with it unplugged and covered. Then I wrap a couple towels around it to keep any heat from leaking out. You can use a thermos, or place your milk in a jar and put it somewhere where you can regulate the temperature such as in a dehydrator or in the oven with the pilot light on. The goal is to keep the milk at 110 F for the next 24-36 hours. Many recipes will say 8-12 hours is fine. When trying to reduce the lactose level and predigest the proteins as much as possible, we aim for at least 24 hours. I find that closer to 28-30 hours produces my favorite consistency/flavor balance. (If you are following the GAPS nutritional protocol, stick to the longer timeframe.)
5. When the culturing process is done (24-36 hours later), your yogurt is complete! Pour into a glass jar, store in the fridge and enjoy!

GAPS Legal Cocktails

Enjoy some full-GAPS legal cocktails (or mocktails)! Delicious, refreshing, good for you and beautiful!

Each drink uses a homemade honey-herb simple syrup, unflavored kombucha and fruit. You can add liquor if desired (see recommendations for each drink).

Honey Simple Syrup:

• 1/4 c filtered water

• 2 tsp honey

• 2 short sprigs of one herb (for these recipes we used rosemary, basil and mint)

Add each ingredient to a small pot. Simmer together for 15 minutes, stirring often to combine and making sure it does not boil. After 15 minutes remove from heat, strain the herbs out and pour the remaining syrup into a jar to cool.

Blueberry-Rosemary (Makes 2 servings)

• 1 1/2 cups of unflavored kombucha (either homemade or store bought - remember, the longer ferment the better with GAPS)

• 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries

• 2 tbsp rosemary simple syrup

• Rosemary sprig for garnish (optional)

• Recommended liquor: Gin (optional, to taste)

Blend kombucha and blueberries until smooth. (it may take several minutes to get the blueberry skins to blend completely. It is still enjoyable even if it’s not completely smooth, so don’t stress if your blender has trouble with this part!)

Add cooled simple syrup and stir to combine. Pour into two glasses, add optional ingredients if desired, enjoy!

Strawberry-Lime-Mint (Makes 2 servings)

• 1 1/2 cups of unflavored kombucha (either homemade or store bought - remember, the longer ferment the better with GAPS)

• 3/4 - 1 cup frozen strawberries

• 1/2 lime (slice the other half for garnish)

• 2 tbsp mint simple syrup

• Mint and lime wedge for garnish (optional)

• Recommended liquor: Vodka (optional, to taste)

Blend kombucha and strawberries until a nice icy-blend consistency. Squeeze in juice of 1/2 lime and add mint simple syrup (add 1 tbsp at a time to taste). Stir with spoon to combine. Pour into two glasses, garnish and add liquor if desired, enjoy!

Orange-Basil (Makes 2 servings)

• 1 1/2 cups of unflavored kombucha

• Fresh juice from 1 orange

• 2 tbsp basil simple syrup

• Basil leaf and orange peel for garnish (optional)

• Recommended liquor: Scotch (optional, to taste)

Combine kombucha, orange juice and basil simple syrup, pour into 2 glasses, top with garnish and add liquor if desired. Enjoy!

All drinks are delicious without liquor. Note: small amounts of liquor is legal on full-GAPS, so make it a rare treat if you add in your choice of liquor. Just remember, as long as you are sticking to the legal foods, eat/drink intentionally, thoroughly enjoy, and move on - no guilt with a boozy treat, even with GAPS!

Hollie Bigham
RN, BSN, FNTP, CGP

Morning Sickness Bars

Morning sickness bars are nutrient dense, and easy on the stomach. This is Hollie’s go to food when “morning sickness” lasts morning, noon and night. Morning sickness bars will nourish your body even when you do not feel like eating. This recipe is so easy and quick once the nuts/seeds are soaked and dried. Try to soak and dry nuts and seeds in bulk to have ready when a craving for a new kind of fruit pops up! These can be whipped up within 5 minutes, and even eaten before they make it to the freezer!!

Ingredients for Morning Sickness Bars:

• 2 cups dates

• 2 cups soaked and dried assorted nuts (cashews, almonds, walnuts and pecans work well)

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 2 cup shredded coconut

• 1 cup soaked and dried pumpkin seeds (chopped)

• 2 tsp lemon zest

• 1 cup dried fruit (chopped)

Directions for Morning Sickness Bars:

Blend 2 cups of dates. Add in the nuts and blend well, scraping down the sides and blending as needed (approximately 1-2 min). Add sea salt and coconut and blend for 30 seconds.

Turn out mixture onto parchment paper. Knead in seeds, lemon zest and dried fruit just enough to combine evenly throughout the mixture.

Place another sheet of parchment paper on top and the mixture out until approximately 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Cut into bars (whatever shape and size you want).

Place in freezer for about 20 minutes, then wrap individually in parchment paper and keep in the fridge. Take a few out before bed and keep them on your nightstand. Eat immediately when you wake up before rising out of bed to help ease morning sickness.

Feel free to change up the nuts, fruit, add dried ginger, whatever sounds good to you at the moment.

Enjoy, mamas!

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Morning Sickness Bars

Author: Hollie Bigham, Be Well Clinic

Ingredients

• 2 cups dates
• 2 cups soaked and dried assorted nuts (cashews, almonds, walnuts and pecans work well)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup soaked and dried pumpkin seeds (chopped)
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 1 cup dried fruit (chopped)

Instructions

1. Blend 2 cups of dates. Add in the nuts and blend well, scraping down the sides and blending as needed (approximately 1-2 min). 
2. Add sea salt and coconut and blend for 30 seconds. 
3. Turn out mixture onto parchment paper. Knead in seeds, lemon zest and dried fruit just enough to combine evenly throughout the mixture. 
4. Place another sheet of parchment paper on top and the mixture out until approximately 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Cut into bars (whatever shape and size you want). 
5. Place in freezer for about 20 minutes, then wrap individually in parchment paper and keep in the fridge.
6. Take a few out before bed and keep them on your nightstand. Eat immediately when you wake up before rising out of bed to help ease morning sickness.
7. Feel free to change up the nuts, fruit, add dried ginger, whatever sounds good to you at the moment.

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Honey Fermented Garlic

What is the difference between fermented garlic and honey fermented garlic? The difference is mostly sweetness, but fermented garlic uses a saltwater brine, whereas honey garlic uses the liquid from the garlic cloves combined with the live enzymes and microbes in the honey to ferment. Both are very useful to support the immune system, but honey garlic has the additional benefit of raw honey. Most children like the sweetness, so it may be easier to get garlic into the children.

How long does it take to ferment? Fermentation will be well on its way in about a week, but most prefer to ferment for about a month. Even in this thick honey the garlic did float, so make sure to turn it over every day to make sure the garlic stays coated while it ferments. Check the lid before, it may come loose from the gassings.

Where do I source local, raw honey? You want to get your honey from a local farmer. One, because they’re the best. Two, local honey can help with allergies. When you buy your honey, ask the following questions to see how aligned your beekeeper is with your priorities of healthy honey:

• Where are your bees located?

• How do you process your honey?

• Is it cold pressed or raw?

Their answers will give you an idea how close they are to pesticide areas and will give you an idea if your beekeeper is trying to avoid pesticide areas. The process they describe should include harvesting their honey, putting it in a cold spinner, and spinning the honey while filtering out pieces of beeswax and bee parts with a mesh filter. The honey then goes into buckets and is divided into the containers that you purchase. You want to find honey that is processed with no heat, and only the basic filtering. Most people who do this process will do only small batches, which is ideal.

Ingredients for Honey Fermented Garlic:

• Garlic, peeled

• Raw Honey

Directions for Honey Fermented Garlic:

Peel enough garlic to fit in your jar, you want both the honey and the garlic to be raw. Do not crush garlic. The bacteria and wild yeast in the raw honey and the juice in the garlic is what is used for the fermentation.

Add enough raw honey to the jar to cover the garlic cloves.

Place a lid on the jar and find a cool place for it to rest. The mixture can bubble up, so I recommend keeping a plate underneath. Turn over every day or so. Eat anytime, but it takes a month to be finished. 

A few notes:

• Garlic cloves can turn blue or green while fermenting. Not to worry, this is related to the sulfur content in the garlic.

• Honey Fermented Garlic can be stored for long periods of time in a cool dark place.

• The longer you ferment, the milder the flavor. 

To eat, you eat with the honey. Keep them together. Because it has medicinal properties. Enjoy!!

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Honey Fermented Garlic

Author: Amy Mihaly, Be Well Clinic

Fermented Garlic is very useful to support the immune system, and honey fermented garlic has the additional benefit of raw honey. Most children like the sweetness, so it may be easier to get garlic into the children.

Ingredients

• Garlic, peeled
• Raw Honey

Instructions

1. Peel enough garlic to fit in your jar, you want both the honey and the garlic to be raw. Do not crush garlic. The bacteria and wild yeast in the raw honey and the juice in the garlic is what is used for the fermentation.
2. Add enough raw honey to the jar to cover the garlic cloves.
3. Place a lid on the jar and find a cool place for it to rest. The mixture can bubble up, so I recommend keeping a plate underneath. Turn over every day or so. Eat anytime, but it takes a month to be finished.
4. To eat, you eat with the honey. Keep them together. Because it has medicinal properties. Enjoy!!

Preparing and Cooking Sweetbreads

GAPS LEGAL stage 4 and up

I am on a quest to get more organ meats into my diet. Organ meats have been lost to our culture but they are so important to having a healthy body, healthy pregnancy and healthy children. There has been a stigma for literally hundreds of years in western cultures that organ meats are eaten only by those who can’t afford the pricier cuts of meat or are “forced” to eat the entirety of their animals and therefore should generally be avoided. In countries where that stigma doesn’t exist, organ meats are prized for their nutritional value and are the most desired cuts of meat. Because organ meats are so dense nutritionally, I encourage you to join me in finding recipes to regularly bring organ meats to your family’s table as well

I’ve done lots of liver recipes so far and now I’m branching out to other organ meats. Try liver in liver pate, liver meatballs, bacon wrapped liver, jalapeno liver poppers, and simple liver shots.

Sweetbread is the thymus gland of an animal, traditionally a young calf. They do not have a strong flavor like other organ meats, making them a great “gateway” organ meat. The thymus gland is involved in the immune regulation systems. It’s primarily connected to lymph tissue and it plays in a role in adaptive immunity, which is immunity where the body learns, grows, and retains information from alien (outside of the body) microbes. 

There were quite a few butchers who sold sweetbread online. Some of those were organically raised but I was happy to find sweetbreads from a person I trust at Fields of Athenry Farm.  

This recipe is based on Nourishing Traditions.

Ingredients for Preparation:

• 1 lb Sweetbread

• Filtered Water

• 6 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

• 1 tsp Salt

Directions for Preparing Sweetbreads:

Rinse your sweetbread with filtered water.

Add to a large bowl and cover with filtered water. Add 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar.

Allow to sit for 2 hours, changing the water once or twice and adding new vinegar.
Rinse after 2 hours. Put in a sauce pan and cover with filtered water. Add 1 tsp salt.

Parboil for 15 minutes. Remove from liquid. The liquid can be reused if you are doing more than one sweetbread.

Cool and then remove all loose skin, tissue, fat, and membranes. 

Put between unbleached parchment paper. Place a weighted plate or cookie sheet on top and keep in the fridge overnight.

Cooking Sweetbread:

Multiple different recipes that you can find in the nourishing traditions cookbook and other sources of how to cook your sweetbread once it's been prepared. The most popular way to eat sweetbreads is breaded. If you are able to tolerate breading, and want to use a traditional flour, I would recommend using einkorn flour, I get mine from Jovial.

The recipe I am preparing here today is a non-floured preparation. Modification on Sally Fallon’s sweetbread with pearl onions. I always have yellow onions on-hand, so that is what I use for this recipe. Pearl onions add a lot of flavor, so they would add a lot to this dish. Next time I remember to buy pearl onions, I will try the recipe with them. The taste is unique, although not too unlike other meats. Not as strong as liver or kidney meats. I enjoy these simply fried without the breading, and serve them alongside either a main dish a portion of scrambled eggs or over top of caramelized onions. The thymus glad is an immune organ, so eating this on top of caramelized onion will give a good boost to the immune system. The thymus gland regulates a lot of functions in the immune system, and as a general principle it is good to eat the organ of the organ that is struggling. It makes sense to consume the thymus gland which would give you the vitamins, minerals and other co-factors contained in that organ and needed for that organ as well as the photomorphogenic information and support contained in the DNA of the thymus cells. 

Ingredients for Cooking Sweetbreads:

• 1 pair of prepared sweetbreads

• ½ stick butter

• 1 lbs yellow onions, peeled, sliced and sauteed in butter

Slicing on the bias (which is diagonal to the grain). Fry the sweetbreads in butter on a stovetop and top with caramelized onions.

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Preparing and Cooking Sweetbreads

Author: Amy Mihaly, Be Well Clinic

Sweetbread is the thymus gland of an animal, traditionally a young calf. They do not have a strong flavor like other organ meats, making them a great “gateway” organ meat. The thymus gland is involved in the immune regulation systems. It’s primarily connected to lymph tissue and it plays in a role in adaptive immunity, which is immunity where the body learns, grows, and retains information from alien (outside of the body) microbes.

Ingredients

Ingredients for Preparation:

• 1 lb Sweetbreads
• Filtered Water
• 6 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 tsp Salt

Ingredients for Sweetbreads:

• 1 pair of prepared sweetbreads
• ½ stick butter
• 1 lbs yellow onions, peeled, sliced and sautéed in butter

Instructions

Preparation:

1. Rinse your sweetbread with filtered water.
2. Add to a large bowl and cover with filtered water. Add 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar.
3. Allow to sit for 2 hours, changing the water once or twice and adding new vinegar.
4. Rinse after 2 hours. Put in a sauce pan and cover with filtered water. Add 1 tsp salt.
5. Paraboil for 15 minutes. Remove from liquid. The liquid can be reused if you are doing more than one sweetbread.
6. Cool and then remove all loose skin, tissue, fat, and membranes.
7. Put between unbleached parchment paper. Place a weighted plate or cookie sheet on top and keep in the fridge overnight.

Cooking:

1. Slice your sweetbreads on the bias (which is diagonal to the grain). 
2. Then, fry the sweetbreads in butter on a stovetop and top with caramelized onions.

Created using The Recipes Generator

Beef and Sauerkraut Soup

While you may be tempted to throw all the ingredients together, the taste is incredibly different when you follow the recipe step-by-step. I knew this experientially, but finally came fully onboard after reading many of my old recipe books and realizing how many recipes contain essentially the same ingredients but tasted completely different because of the preparation order. The difference between a good recipe and a great recipe is taking the time to prepare things in a specific order.

While this is a delicious soup for anyone, it can be very healing for anyone with a short term or long term illness. Each ingredient in this soup contains its own nourishing and healing properties. Onions are high in sulfur, read more here. Sauerkraut is predigested cabbage, link to recipe. Stock is high in easily accessible amino acids and meat contains proteins, minerals, fiber and other vitamins. Make sure to salt to taste using a good quality sea salt, adding minerals to complete this healing food. It also naturally contains copious amounts of animal fat which your body will use to heal and repair your cells as well as feed the immune system. The probiotics in the sauerkraut will be killed in the cooking process however, you still will get the benefits of predigested cabbage. There is also some evidence that even killed bacterial bodies from fermented foods has an immune benefit to your body. The lamb stock I used in the soup made for a delicious flavor. But all my taste senses were focused on the sauerkraut. Which brought a richness and layered complexity.

Ingredients for Beef and Sauerkraut Soup:

• Chuck Roast

• ½ Stick Butter

• Chopped Onions

• Salt

• 6 Cups Meat Stock (beef or lamb)

• Sauerkraut

Directions for Beef and Sauerkraut Soup

Cube by slicing perpendicular to the grain into half inch slices, then cubing from there. In this recipe, I use a chuck roast, but any cut of meat would be fine. You could also start with stew meat, but be sure to cube it down to bite-sized pieces. Stew meat is often very expensive cuts of meat that did not end up in a pretty cut, so I recommend purchasing and using stew meat to get quality, affordable meat. I often purchase stew meat to get tender cuts at affordable prices.

Melt ½ stick butter, add chopped onions, salt and cook 5-6 minutes until the onions begin to soften.

When the onions are becoming soft, add beef and brown the outside of the meat cubes to trap the flavors. Sauté for 5-7 minutes to brown the outside of the cubes to trap the flavor and moisture inside. Medium High Heat.

Drain the sauerkraut and set aside the juice. When most sides are brown-ish, add drained sauerkraut and stock. Turn down heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, salt to taste.

This recipe is not as boring as it looks, it is actually complex and rich. Feel free to add more sauerkraut and enjoy!!

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Beef and Sauerkraut Soup

Yield: 2-4

Author: Amy Mihaly, Be Well Clinic

Ingredients

• Chuck Roast
• ½ Stick Butter
• Chopped Onions
• Salt
• 6 Cups Meat Stock (beef or lamb)
• Sauerkraut

Instructions

1. Cube by slicing perpendicular to the grain into half inch slices, then cubing from there. In this recipe I use a chuck roast, but any cut of meat would be fine. You could also start with stew meat, but be sure to cube it down to bite-sized pieces. Stew meat is often very expensive cuts of meat that did not end up in a pretty cut, so I recommend purchasing and using stew meat to get quality, affordable meat. I often purchase stew meat to get tender cuts at affordable prices.
2. Melt ½ stick butter, add chopped onions, salt and cook 5-6 minutes until the onions begin to soften. 
3. When the onions are becoming soft, add beef and brown the outside of the meat cubes to trap the flavors. Sauté for 5-7 minutes on medium high heat to brown the outside of the cubes and trap the flavor and moisture inside.
4. Drain the sauerkraut and set aside the juice. When most sides are brown-ish, add drained sauerkraut and stock. Turn down heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, salt to taste.
5. Add the sauerkraut juice and enjoy!!

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Tapioca Pudding

This is my favorite pudding of all time & I’ve been wanting to make this recipe for years! Finally, I got around to it. Be prepared for multiple steps to make tapioca pudding. I can see why most people choose the instant food version. The real food version is absolutely worth the effort!

This recipe needs to be started the night beforehand. So, make sure to plan ahead! This also can be done days ahead of time, as it is served well chilled. So, if you are planning on serving this delicious dessert, prepare at your convenience up to a week beforehand. 

Ingredients for Tapioca Pudding

• 1 cup pearl tapioca

• 4 cups raw milk 

• 3 eggs

• ½ teaspoon sea salt + pinch

• ¾  cup date sugar

• 1 lemon, grated

Directions for Tapioca Pudding

Soak tapioca overnight in 4 cups of raw milk. 

At least 8 hours later, add to a double broiler. Cook about 45 minutes or until thick. Keep stirring it every few minutes as it cooks to prevent it from clumping. Stir constantly near the end to prevent boiling. This is a great recipe to make with your children, as the tapioca will need to be stirred almost constantly near the end. It may be a job that’s best suited for an older child. When you think the mixture is thick and done enough, test your tapioca pearl to make sure they are cooked.

In a separate bowl, blend the egg yolks, ½ tsp of sea salt, date sugar and lemon rind.

When the tapioca is thick, temper the egg mixture by adding a spoonful of the hot mixture to the eggs. Then add the warmed egg yolk to the tapioca. Cook for 5-10 minutes over the double boiler or until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is smooth.

Beat egg whites with sea salt until softly stiff and fold gently into the mixture.

Chill and enjoy.

The original recipe from nourishing traditions is to use rapadura. I find my body does better with fruit as a sweetener so I prefer to use date sugar. I find it to be a 1 to 1 substitution. If you choose rapadura or date sugar the end result will be off-white. 

*Eating uncooked or raw eggs or feeding raw eggs to your pets can pose a risk to your health.

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Tapioca Pudding

Yield: 3-4

Author: Amy Mihaly, Be Well Clinic

This recipe needs to be started the night beforehand. Be prepared for multiple steps to make tapioca pudding. I can see why most people choose the instant food version, but the real food version is absolutely worth the effort!

Ingredients

• 1 cup pearl tapioca
• 4 cups raw milk
• 3 eggs
• ½ teaspoon sea salt + pinch
• ¾ cup date sugar
• 1 lemon, grated

Instructions

1. Soak tapioca overnight in 4 cups of raw milk.
2. At least 8 hours later, add to a double broiler. Cook about 45 minutes or until thick. Keep stirring it every few minutes as it cooks to prevent it from clumping. Stir constantly near the end to prevent boiling. This is a great recipe to make with your children, as the tapioca will need to be stirred almost constantly near the end. It may be a job that’s best suited for an older child. When you think the mixture is thick and done enough, test your tapioca pearl to make sure they are cooked.
3. In a separate bowl, blend the egg yolks, ½ tsp of sea salt, date sugar and lemon rind.
4. When the tapioca is thick, temper the egg mixture by adding a spoonful of the hot mixture to the eggs. Then add the warmed egg yolk to the tapioca. Cook for 5-10 minutes over the double boiler or until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is smooth.
5. Beat egg whites with sea salt until softly stiff and fold gently into the mixture.
6. Chill and enjoy.
7. The original recipe from nourishing traditions is to use rapadura. I find my body does better with fruit as a sweetener so I prefer to use date sugar. I find it to be a 1 to 1 substitution. If you choose rapadura or date sugar the end result will be off-white.

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Fermented Cocktail Sauce

Cocktail sauce can be used on any seafood. Traditionally it is used for shrimp, but can be eaten with other shellfish such as crab, lobster or different varieties of fish. It is is a great opportunity to add a ferment to your seafood dinner. This recipe serves two, but can easily be doubled or tripled.

*When you purchase seafood, it should always be wild caught and sourced from a location that is not off the coast of China. When seafood is fresh, it tastes very mild. As it ages, it will become more and more “fishy.” Flash frozen seafood is often the best because was preserved in the freshest state possible.

Ingredients for Fermented Cocktail Sauce

• 1 Tbsp. Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

• ½ Cup Fermented Ketchup

• 2 ½ Tbsp. Horseradish

• Pinch of salt

Directions for Fermented Cocktail Sauce

Mix the fermented ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice and salt.

Defrost shrimp by running them under room temperature water.

Play with the flavors until you like the combination. If you like it to be more spicy, you may want to add extra horseradish. The fermented ketchup includes salt, so you may want to use less salt.

Once you have the ingredients already in your fridge, this recipe takes a quick three minutes to mix together. I am not sure how it stores, due to the how the lemon juice may interact with the other ingredients, but if you end up successfully keeping some in your fridge for a period of time, let us know.

I recommend making this delicious fermented cocktail sauce fresh with your meal. 

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Fermented Cocktail Sauce

Yield: 2

Author: Amy Mihaly, Be Well Clinic

Cocktail sauce can be used on any seafood. Traditionally it is used for shrimp, but can be eaten with other shellfish such as crab, lobster or different varieties of fish. It is is a great opportunity to add a ferment to your seafood dinner.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
• ½ Cup Fermented Ketchup
• 2 ½ Tbsp. Horseradish
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Mix the fermented ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice and salt.
2. Play with the flavors until you like the combination. If you like it to be more spicy, you may want to add extra horseradish. The fermented ketchup includes salt, so you may want to use less salt.
3. I recommend making this delicious fermented cocktail sauce fresh with your meal.

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15 Minute Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas

While not everyone’s favorite, Shrimp Fajitas are enjoyed by many. You don’t have to go to a restaurant to enjoy this delicious meal. In fact,  you can make it so quickly, this is part of our 15 Minute Meal Series. The cooking process actually takes 15 minutes itself, so be sure to leave yourself a little more time. This meal can still be thrown together when you are short on time.

When you purchase seafood, it should always be wild caught and sourced from a location that is not off the coast of China. When seafood is fresh, it tastes very mild. As it ages, it will become more and more “fishy.” Flash frozen seafood is often the best because was preserved in the freshest state possible.

Ingredients for Shrimp Fajitas

• 1 Yellow Onion

• 2 Bell Peppers (preferably two different colors)

• Garlic

• 1 lb. Shrimp (peeled & deveined)

• 1 Tbsp. Butter

• 1 tsp. Cumin

• 1 tsp. Coriander

• 1 tsp. Chili Powder

• 1 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

• Sourdough Tortillas

• Lime Wedges and Cilantro for garnish

Directions for Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Add butter to sheet pan, and melt in the oven. While waiting, slice the peppers and onions fajita-style.

Defrost the shrimp by running them under room temperature water.

Spread your sliced peppers, onions, and defrosted shrimp on the cookie sheet or cast iron skillet with melted butter. Add seasonings and place in oven.

Stir at 15 minutes, and check for doneness. If needed, cook until shrimp are turning translucent. Garnish with lime and cilantro, and serve with fermented sourdough tortillas. Enjoy!!

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Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas

Yield: 2-4

Author: Amy Mihaly, Be Well Clinic

This recipe is part of our 15 Minute Meal Series. The cooking process actually takes 15 minutes itself, so be sure to leave yourself a little more time. This meal can still be thrown together when you are short on time. Quick and delicious!

Ingredients

• 1 Yellow Onion
• 2 Bell Peppers (preferably two different colors)
• Garlic
• 1 lb. Shrimp (peeled & deveined)
• 1 Tbsp. Butter
• 1 tsp. Cumin
• 1 tsp. Coriander
• 1 tsp. Chili Powder
• 1 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
• Sourdough Tortillas
• Lime Wedges and Cilantro for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Add butter to sheet pan, and melt in the oven. While waiting, slice the peppers and onions fajita-style.
2. Defrost the shrimp by running them under room temperature water.
3. Spread your sliced peppers, onions, and defrosted shrimp on the cookie sheet or cast iron skillet with melted butter. Add seasonings and place in oven.
4. Stir at 15 minutes, and check for doneness. If needed, cook until shrimp are turning translucent. Garnish with lime and cilantro, and serve with fermented sourdough tortillas. Enjoy!!

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Liver and Onions

Liver and onions are what most people think of when they think about eating liver. It seems that for decades this was the most popular modality of eating liver. Probably because it could be cooked up and served as a meal in contrast to things like liver pate which is a side to another main course.

If you are an older adult, liver and onions may be why you think you dislike liver. If that’s the case, we encourage you to try again. There is a good chance that the person cooking this dish overcooked the liver.

Liver and onions is traditionally made with cow’s liver. If you choose to use cow’s liver I recommend reading our blog on read our blog on “calming the flavor of beef liver”, before cooking, you do not necessarily need to use this preparation for more mild tasting livers such as chicken, and domesticated fowl.

Ingredients for Liver and Onions

• 2/3 Lbs Liver

• 1 Yellow Onion

• Butter

• Salt

Directions for Liver and Onions

Cut the liver into slices, making sure to cut off any membrane pieces that are some people's major objection to eating liver.

Add butter to your cast iron pan and turn the heat on low to melt the butter. While the butter is melting, slice onions and add the onions to the pan. Cook over low until your onions start to soften. The key to liver and onions is the timing. You want to add the liver when the onions only need to cook for 2-3 minutes.

Once the onions are softish, add salt to the onions. Add sliced liver to the pan and add salt to the liver as well. Turn your heat to medium-high just before adding the livers, and sauté until you have reached the desired doneness. A liver is cooked perfectly when it is still pink in the middle but not bloody.

To cover the liver flavor, you could also experiment with spices. Try adding your favorite spice and see what you think.

Liver is important for us to be eating everyday, but it can be difficult to prepare daily. Is this is the way you like liver, consider making a large batch and freezing so you can defrost and enjoy some everyday.

Do you actually love liver and onions? If so, tell us your tips and tricks!!

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Liver and Onions

Author: Amy Mihaly, Be Well Clinic

Liver and onions are what most people think of when they think about eating liver. It seems that for decades this was the most popular modality of eating liver. Probably because it could be cooked up and served as a meal in contrast to things like liver pate which is a side to another main course.

Ingredients

• 2/3 Lbs Liver
• 1 Yellow Onion
• Butter
• Salt

Instructions

1. Cut the liver into slices, making sure to cut off any membrane pieces.
2. Add butter to your cast iron pan and turn the heat on low to melt the butter.
3. Cut the onion into slices, and add the onions to the pan with melted butter.
4. Cook over low until your onions start to soften.
5. Once the onions are softish, add salt to the onions.
6. Add sliced liver to the pan and add salt to the liver as well.
7. Turn your heat to medium-high just before adding the livers, and sauté until you have reached the desired doneness.
8. A liver is cooked perfectly when it is still pink in the middle but not bloody.
9. To cover the liver flavor, you could also experiment with spices. Try adding your favorite spice and see what you think.

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GAPS Legal Turkish Eggs

Eating eggs is a huge part of a healthy diet. However, it is easy to get bored with traditional egg recipes like omelets, scrambled eggs, or hard boiled eggs. This recipe is quick and simple, with an exciting blend of flavors, making it a great way to change up eating eggs.

Most consumers know greek yogurt as a thick, high protein yogurt. Greek yogurt is not just yogurt with whey strained out but is actually a unique culture used to inoculate the milk (growing bacteria on purpose to make the cultured dairy.) It is these particular probiotic strains that make the particular taste and texture of greek yogurt. You can buy these specific cultures online including from Cultures for Health.

If you don’t like Greek Yogurt, you can use any yogurt. Simply strain some of the whey out of it to make it thicker. While this recipe is traditionally made with greek yogurt, you could also make this particular recipe using any thick yogurt, creme fraiche, or sour cream.

While I prepared this with only one egg per bowl, you could easily add two or three eggs to the herbed yogurt. Feel free to play with the spices you add to find a palate and flavor profile that you like. I ate this simply with a spoon but you could also dip cut vegetables like carrots into it.

Ingredients for Turkish Eggs

• 3 tbsp Butter

• 1 cup Greek Yogurt

• ½ tsp Hot Smoked or Hungarian Paprika

• 1 tbsp High Quality Olive Oil

• 1 Clove Garlic, Minced

• 1 tsp Dried Oregano

• 2 eggs

Directions for Turkish Eggs

Melt butter in a small sauce pan on the stove. Add the paprika.

In a bowl, mix the greek yogurt, olive oil, garlic, and oregano. 

Add filtered water to a pot. Bring to a gentle simmer.

Add eggs gently to poach them. Simmer for 2-3 minutes depending on how done you’d like the yolk to be. 

Divide the yogurt mixture between two bowls. Add one egg to each bowl. 

Drizzle half the butter mixture over each bowl. Top with parsley.

If you are not on GAPS, serve with a toasted piece of sourdough, topped with plenty of butter or not. 

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GAPS Legal Turkish Eggs

Author: Amy Mihaly, Be Well Clinic

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp Butter
• 1 cup Greek Yogurt
• ½ tsp Hot Smoked or Hungarian Paprika
• 1 tbsp High Quality Olive Oil
• 1 Clove Garlic, Minced
• 1 tsp Dried Oregano
• 2 eggs

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a small sauce pan on the stove. Add the paprika.
2. In a bowl, mix the greek yogurt, olive oil, garlic, and oregano.
3. Add filtered water to a pot. Bring to a gentle simmer.
4. Add eggs gently to poach them. Simmer for 2-3 minutes depending on how done you’d like the yolk to be.
5. Divide the yogurt mixture between two bowls. Add one egg to each bowl.
6. Drizzle half the butter mixture over each bowl. Top with parsley.
7. If you are not on GAPS, serve with a toasted piece of sourdough, topped with plenty of butter or not.

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Real Food Raw Cheesecake

Cheesecake was never something I enjoyed until very recently. At first, when I was younger, I just didn’t like cheesecake. Then I was allergic to dairy for ten years. Then I started the GAPS Diet and didn’t eat sugar for years! Because of that, it never occurred to me to try to make a recipe similar to a cheesecake until my cousin, who’s very good at making cheesecake, made cheesecake with a gluten free crust and I tried some. I realized how delicious it is and how simple it is to create as a real food dessert. 

As I’ve been exploring the world of desserts, I’m realizing more and more how desserts were a way to eat a lot of animal fat and traditional recipes were very nutrient dense foods. One of the main problems of desserts is the processed sugars. Sugar can be a problem if you often eat too much of it at a sitting, especially if it is not accompanied by generous amounts of animal fat. Sugar is further a problem when processed and refined because refined sugar removes the important nutrients such as magnesium, B vitamins, and other trace nutrients that assist your body in breaking down the sugar naturally. Not only does processed sugar spike our blood sugar, we don’t have the magnesium molecules needed to safely break down the sugar and utilize it in our bodies. We can correct all of that. We can go back to using high concentrations of animal fats in our desserts and use sugars that are natural and whole. In this way, most people can enjoy desserts for special occasions once a certain amount of healing has been done in their bodies. 

From Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, Measurements Adjusted for Round Pan

**The USDA warns against consuming raw dairy and egg products. Healthy animals have healthy raw milk and eggs. Source your food well. We’re not liable if you get sick.

Ingredients for Real Food Raw Cheesecake 

• 1 1/2 cup dry Truly Raw Almonds (from Azure Farms) to make 2 cups Almond Flour

• ¼ cup Yogurt

• Filtered Water

• ½ cup dates, if you do whole dates with pits, it’s about 6

• 1 - 2 tsp butter

• Generous ½ cup of Raw Milk

• 2 Eggs

• 1 Tablespoon of Gelatin

• 14 - 16 ounces cream cheese

• ¼ cup Honey

• ½ tsp Vanilla

• Salt

Directions for Real Food Raw Cheesecake

Properly prepare your nuts. If you are just fermenting your almonds or almond flour, you need to start 24 hours before. If you are wanting to soak and then sprout your almonds, you need to start 2-3 days before. They can be prepared ahead of time and will keep for weeks to months if dehydrated. 

Take cream cheese out of the fridge a few hours before you are ready to prepare your cheesecake.

When your nuts are properly prepared, rinse them thoroughly with filtered water. I left the brown skins on my almonds because I wanted the contrasting color to the pale cheesecake. You can definitely remove them if you’d like. Then grind your prepared nuts as finely as you can. You can use a food processor, hand food processor, blender, or VitaMix. They do not have to be dry to grind them.

You may have a little extra almond flour at this stage. Measure your almonds to get two cups.

Blend your nuts and dates together. I used an immersion blender but anything that will really pulverize them together is sufficient. 

Generously butter a 9 inch round glass baking dish. Press the date almond paste into the pie crust pan to form the crust. Set aside.

Add raw milk to a small saucepot. Separate egg yolks and whites. Add egg yolks to the pot with the raw milk. Mix together to break apart yolks. 

Turn the stove onto the medium low heat. Add gelatin to the milk and egg mixture. Mix together. Heat until the gelatin is just dissolved. DO NOT COOK. Gelatin is dissolved when you are able to only hold your finger in the liquid less than 3 seconds. Quickly remove from the heat.

To a large bowl, add the softened cream cheese, honey, and vanilla. Beat with an immersion blender or mixer until smooth and combined.

Add in the slightly cooled milk mixture to the cream cheese mixture. Blend until completely smooth.

Place the mixture of cream cheese into the fridge.

In a separate bowl with the egg whites, add a pinch of salt. Beat until stiff peaks form.

Gently fold the egg white mixture into the cream cheese mixture.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan with a crust.

Cool for several hours until hard.

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Real Food Raw Cheesecake

Author: Amy Mihaly, Be Well Clinic

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup dry Truly Raw Almonds (from Azure Farms) to make 2 cups Almond Flour
• ¼ cup Yogurt
• Filtered Water
• ½ cup dates, if you do whole dates with pits, it’s about 6
• 2 tsp butter
• Generous ½ cup of Raw Milk
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Tablespoon of Gelatin
• 16 ounces cream cheese
• ¼ cup Honey
• ½ tsp Vanilla
• Salt

Instructions

1. Properly prepare your nuts. If you are just fermenting your almonds or almond flour, you need to start 24 hours before. If you are wanting to soak and then sprout your almonds, you need to start 2-3 days before. They can be prepared ahead of time and will keep for weeks to months if dehydrated.
2. When your nuts are properly prepared, rinse them thoroughly with filtered water. I left the brown skins on my almonds because I wanted the contrasting color to the pale cheesecake. You can definitely remove them if you’d like. Then grind your prepared nuts as finely as you can. You can use a food processor, hand food processor, blender, or VitaMix. They do not have to be dry to grind them.
3. You may have a little extra almond flour at this stage. Measure your almonds to get two cups.
4. Take cream cheese out of the fridge a few hours before you are ready to prepare your cheesecake.
5. Blend your nuts and dates together. I used an immersion blender but anything that will really pulverize them together is sufficient.
6. Generously butter a 9 inch round glass baking dish. Press the date almond paste into the pie crust pan to form the crust. Set aside.
7. Add raw milk to a small saucepot. Separate egg yolks and whites. Add egg yolks to the pot with the raw milk. Mix together to break apart yolks.
8. Turn the stove onto the medium low heat. Add gelatin to the milk and egg mixture. Mix together. Heat until the gelatin is just dissolved. DO NOT COOK. Gelatin is dissolved when you are able to only hold your finger in the liquid less than 3 seconds. Quickly remove from the heat.
9. To a large bowl, add the softened cream cheese, honey, and vanilla. Beat with an immersion blender or mixer until smooth and combined.
10. Add in the slightly cooled milk mixture to the cream cheese mixture. Blend until completely smooth.
11. Place the mixture of cream cheese into the fridge.
12. In a separate bowl with the egg whites, add a pinch of salt. Beat until stiff peaks form.
13. Gently fold the egg white mixture into the cream cheese mixture.
14. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan with a crust.
15. Cool for several hours until hard.

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15 Minute Meal: Zoodles and Steak

This is my go-to meal. I eat this or something very similar to this for about 80% of my meals. All I need is a vegetable cooked in fat and meat cooked in fat!

Don’t be afraid to utilize this recipe a lot. Because it’s so simple, you can get a huge variety of meals out of it based on the herbs and spices you use and the cut of meat you use. It’s a recipe that has helped me to not feel overwhelmed cooking real food for every meal. Keep it simple and save elaborate meals for times when you have more energy or need something special.

This recipe serves 1-2 but can easily be multiplied to serve more people. Don’t forget to drink a mug of meat stock alongside for a rich and filling meal.

Ingredients for 15 Minute Zoodles and Steak

• 1 small zucchini per adult

• 3-5 tbsp of butter

• 1 tbsp of avocado oil

• 3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

• Dried Herbs and Spices

• 1 tsp Salt

Directions for 15 Minute Zoodles and Steak

Wash your zucchini. Cut the ends off the zucchini.

Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zucchini down to the seeds, turning as you go. Depending on the angle you hold the vegetable peeler, you’ll get different size noodles. Do not peel the middle core with seeds. You can chop the core later or compost it. If you are the beginning stages of GAPS and sensitive to having a lot of seeds, you should dispose of the core piece.

To a cast iron pan, add 2 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of avocado oil. Add the zucchini noodles and use your hands to quickly toss them in the butter and oil before they get too hot.

Sautee the zoodles. This means stir them and then let them sit - don’t continually stir!

After the noodles have cooked for 2-3 minutes, add a few pinches of salt. Adding the salt too early will cause the zucchini to sweat too much and get too wet. As it cooks, add more salt to taste. 

After a few more minutes, add your herbs and spices. On early stages of GAPS, you would do fresh herbs. Later stages, you can use dried herbs. I usually do oregano, thyme, sage, garlic, and onion.

After your vegetables are semi-soft, heat a second cast iron pan on the stove. Add 1-2 more tbsp of butter to the new pan and turn to medium heat.

Add in your steaks. Season with your desired spices. Currently, I’ve been enjoying salt and paprika.

Cook your steaks to your desired doneness. I usually turn them over a couple times to ensure the spices are distributed evenly and that the steaks are cooking evenly. If you have a very thick steak, you might want to stand it up for a minute or so on each side to evenly cook the edges as well.

Add your zoodles to your plate and top with the steaks. Remember to pour over the extra butter, fat, and spices that have collected in the pan.

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15 Minute Meal: Zoodles and Steak

Author: Amy Mihaly, Be Well Clinic

Ingredients

• 1 small zucchini per adult
• 5 tbsp of butter
• 1 tbsp of avocado oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
• Dried Herbs and Spices
• 1 tsp Salt

Instructions

1. Wash your zucchini. Cut the ends off the zucchini.
2. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zucchini down to the seeds, turning as you go. Depending on the angle you hold the vegetable peeler, you’ll get different size noodles. Do not peel the middle core with seeds. You can chop the core later or compost it. If you are the beginning stages of GAPS and sensitive to having a lot of seeds, you should dispose of the core piece.
3. To a cast iron pan, add 2 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of avocado oil. Add the zucchini noodles and use your hands to quickly toss them in the butter and oil before they get too hot.
4. Sautee the zoodles. This means stir them and then let them sit - don’t continually stir!
5. After the noodles have cooked for 2-3 minutes, add a few pinches of salt. Adding the salt too early will cause the zucchini to sweat too much and get too wet. As it cooks, add more salt to taste.
6. After a few more minutes, add your herbs and spices. On early stages of GAPS, you would do fresh herbs. Later stages, you can use dried herbs. I usually do oregano, thyme, sage, garlic, and onion.
7. After your vegetables are semi-soft, heat a second cast iron pan on the stove. Add 1-2 more tbsp of butter to the new pan and turn to medium heat.
8. Add in your steaks. Season with your desired spices. Currently, I’ve been enjoying salt and paprika.
9. Cook your steaks to your desired doneness. I usually turn them over a couple times to ensure the spices are distributed evenly and that the steaks are cooking evenly. If you have a very thick steak, you might want to stand it up for a minute or so on each side to evenly cook the edges as well.
10. Add your zoodles to your plate and top with the steaks. Remember to pour over the extra butter, fat, and spices that have collected in the pan.

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Gluten Free Noodle Alternatives

Years ago, it was quite unheard of to have a noodle alternative. But recently, allergies to gluten have allowed many traditional flour noodle alternatives to appear.

Large flat noodles can be replaced by cabbage, zucchini or yellow squash slices, or eggplant. Rice can be replaced by cauliflower. Long, skinny noodles can be replaced by zucchini or yellow squash zoodles or spaghetti squash.

Below you’ll find recipes to make two of my go-to noodle alternatives. If I want the convenience of something out of a box or a more traditional noodle for things like pasta salad, then I look for a minimally processed, minimal ingredient alternative noodle such as lentils, rice flour, seaweed, etc.

How to Make Zucchini Noodles

You can use a zoodler to make noodles out of your zucchini. I use a simple vegetable peeler! You will need one small zucchini per adult.

Wash your zucchini. Cut the ends off the zucchini.

Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zucchini down to the seeds, turning as you go. Depending on the angle you hold the vegetable peeler, you’ll get different size noodles. Do not peel the middle core with seeds. You can chop the core later or compost it. If you are the beginning stages of GAPS and sensitive to having a lot of seeds, you should dispose of the core piece.

To a cast iron pan, add 2 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of avocado oil. Add the zucchini noodles and use your hands to quickly toss them in the butter and oil before they get too hot.

Sautee the zoodles. This means stir them and then let them sit - don’t continually stir!

After the noodles have cooked for 2-3 minutes, add a few pinches of salt. Adding the salt too early will cause the zucchini to sweat too much and get too wet. As it cooks, add more salt to taste. 

After a few more minutes, add your herbs and spices. On early stages of GAPS, you would do fresh herbs. Later stages, you can use dried herbs. I usually do oregano, thyme, sage, garlic, and onion.

Then - enjoy!

How to Make Spaghetti Squash

Preheat oven to 400.

Slice spaghetti squash in half lengthwise.

Remove seeds and strings in center. You can compost the seeds but you might get lots of volunteer spaghetti squash seedlings. (Which is not necessarily a bad thing.)

Roast in the oven for 35 minutes to an hour. It depends on the size of your squash. I like my squash to be very soft and well cooked. This is also important for the GAPS Diet to have well cooked vegetables.

Check your squash after 35 minutes to see if they are softened and squishy. They should not be mush, but should feel much softer.

When they are soft, remove them from the oven. If you need your squash to cool faster, you can flip them over. I prefer to keep them with the middle side down so they continue while they cool.

Check your spaghetti squash with a fork to see if it is done. If not, cook for a while longer.

Once the spaghetti squash is cooked, remove the insides of the squash by scraping a fork along the insides.

Game Meat Stuffed Bell Peppers

This recipe falls into that category of simple but rich in flavor and possibilities. It’s really up to you to make this dish something that you and your family will enjoy! My favorite part of these growing up was the minced peppers inside the peppers so don’t skip this part!

Anytime you eat game meat, you need to pay good attention to adding extra animal fat. I ground my elk burger with lamb fat to make it pretty fatty. This is a good start but I’m also going to add lots of other fat to the vegetable mixture as I cook it.

This is a great recipe to use up vegetables that are in your fridge. Some good staples are onion, garlic, celery, carrots, zucchini, etc. If you do zucchini, cauliflower, or eggplant, remember they are very moist vegetables and you should drain those vegetables after frying to help mitigate the moisture level.

It’s also a great recipe to get organ meats into your diet. I added liver to this one but you can add others if you’d like. I used beef liver because I like saving my chicken livers for recipes that need more mild flavors.

Ingredients for Game Meat Stuffed Bell Peppers

• 2 lbs Ground Elk Burger

• 7 -9 Red, Yellow, or Orange Peppers

• 4 tbsp butter

• 1 Whole Onion

• 2 Carrots

• 6-8 Cloves Garlic

• 3-4 Sprigs of Thyme

• 2 Sprigs Oregano

• 1 sprig Rosemary

• 2+ tsp Salt

• Freshly Ground Pepper

• 1/2 lb Beef Liver

Directions for Game Meat Stuffed Bell Peppers

Finely mince your vegetables that are not peppers. Feel free to use your food processor if you want to, particularly if you have children that can spot vegetables they are under the illusion of not liking! You want approximately a 1:1 ratio of carrots to onions. 

Preheat oven to 350.

Add butter to a cast iron pan and turn to medium heat. Add carrots and onions (or other hard vegetables) to the pan.

Cut the tops off your peppers, leaving a nice boat to be later filled by your meat and vegetables, and then finely mince the tops. Stand the peppers upright in a glass baking dish.

Let vegetables cook, adding additional vegetables based on how long they will take to cook. Add salt when you add each vegetable and add additional butter if your vegetables soak it in. After about 10 minutes, add in the minced peppers.

After an additional 5 minutes, add in minced garlic, and stir to cook.

When vegetables are soft, remove from heat.

Finely chop or blend liver. The finer you chop it the less likely it will be noticed.

Add the liver to the ground meat and mix with your hands.

Add in the slightly cooled but still warm cooked vegetables. Mix the meat and vegetables well.

Using a spoon or your hands, pack the meat and vegetable mixture tightly into the peppers. You can pack them pretty tight and full because the mixture will shrink as they cook.

Add the peppers to the oven. Bake for 45 minutes until meat is the correct temperature.

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Game Meat Stuffed Bell Peppers

Author: Amy Mihaly, Be Well Clinic

Ingredients

• 2 lbs Ground Elk Burger
• 9 Red, Yellow, or Orange Peppers
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 Whole Onion
• 2 Carrots
• 8 Cloves Garlic
• 4 Sprigs of Thyme
• 2 Sprigs Oregano
• 1 sprig Rosemary
• 2+ tsp Salt
• Freshly Ground Pepper
• 1/2 lb Beef Liver

Instructions

1. Finely mince your vegetables that are not peppers. Feel free to use your food processor if you want to, particularly if you have children that can spot vegetables they are under the illusion of not liking! You want approximately a 1:1 ratio of carrots to onions.
2. Preheat oven to 350.
3. Add butter to a cast iron pan and turn to medium heat. Add carrots and onions (or other hard vegetables) to the pan.
4. Cut the tops off your peppers, leaving a nice boat to be later filled by your meat and vegetables, and then finely mince the tops. Stand the peppers upright in a glass baking dish.
5. Let vegetables cook, adding additional vegetables based on how long they will take to cook. Add salt when you add each vegetable and add additional butter if your vegetables soak it in. After about 10 minutes, add in the minced peppers.
6. After an additional 5 minutes, add in minced garlic, and stir to cook.
7. When vegetables are soft, remove from heat.
8. Finely chop or blend liver. The finer you chop it the less likely it will be noticed.
9. Add the liver to the ground meat and mix with your hands.
10. Add in the slightly cooled but still warm cooked vegetables. Mix the meat and vegetables well.
11. Using a spoon or your hands, pack the meat and vegetable mixture tightly into the peppers. You can pack them pretty tight and full because the mixture will shrink as they cook.
12. Add the peppers to the oven. Bake for 45 minutes until meat is the correct temperature.

Created using The Recipes Generator

How to Decrystallize Honey

Honey is very important and a very nutrient dense food. However it is fragile and should be treated with respect. In ayurvedic tradition, honey is sacred and shouldn’t be heated. Heating honey turns the honey toxic and the bees in the hive work extremely hard to make sure their honey does not reach 104. On a hot summer day, much energy is spent by the bees to cool the honey so it does not become toxic. Toxic honey is discarded by the bees. 

Crystalized honey works well for some things but can be messy and difficult to work with for other things! If the raw honey you buy is crystallized, you can decrystallize it very simply, taking care not to overheat the honey.

There are a couple main rules to decrystallizing honey. Number one - never let it get above 104. Number two - make sure you decrystallize your honey completely. Otherwise it will recrystallize much quicker.

What you will need for this recipe: crystallized and raw honey, a thermometer to make sure your temperature is not getting too high. If your thermometer is touching the bottom of the pan, it may read incorrectly. Take care to check where your thermometer is. 

You want to get your honey from a local farmer. One because they’re the best. Two local honey can help with allergies. When you buy your honey, ask the following questions to see how aligned your beekeeper is with your priorities of healthy honey: where are your bees located? This will give you an idea how close they are to pesticide areas and will give you an idea if your beekeeper is trying to avoid pesticide areas. How do you process your honey? Asking questions like is it cold pressed or raw can sometimes get a yes answer, even if the process is different from what you mean. The process they describe should include harvesting their honey, putting it in a cold spinner, and spinning the honey while filtering out pieces of beeswax and bee parts with a mesh filter. The honey then goes into buckets and is divided into the containers that you purchase. No heat, no processing, and only the basic filtering. Most people who do this process will do only small batches, which is ideal. 

As you may have noticed, nearly all the sweets recipes on our blog do not use honey that is heated as the sweetener. It’s better to use dates or other fruits, or maple syrup if you are tolerating it for cooked recipes. Honey is best enjoyed cold and raw.

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