GAPS Legal Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin is a winter squash but it contains less sugar than most winter squashes, making it ideal for the GAPS Introduction Diet. Pumpkins are also very easily grown so if you’re a beginner gardener looking for an easy first crop or if you only have a small amount of growing space available. 

While other winter squashes like butternut squash can be tolerated by people on the GAPS Introduction Diet, it’s best to do pumpkin because it’s milder and with less sugar.

Pumpkin puree is very easy to freeze in individual portions. You can also sprout the pumpkin seeds. Both mean you can enjoy your own homegrown produce throughout the winter! Once you have the puree for this pumpkin soup recipe, you can also use it to make a pumpkin pie or use it to make GAPS Pancakes.

I usually eat a small bowl of pureed soup alongside a much larger bowl of another soup. It’s a great way to have a multi course meal on the GAPS Intro Diet. 

Ingredients for Pumpkin Soup:

• 2-3 Small Pumpkins

• 4 cups of Chicken Stock

• ¼ of a White Onion

• 1 inch of Fresh Ginger

• 1 tsp Salt

• 2 Bay Leaves

• 1 Cinnamon Stick

Directions for Pumpkin Soup:

Preheat the oven to 400.

Cut each pumpkin in half. Remove the seeds and set aside to make sprouted pumpkin seeds.

Set each pumpkin open face side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the pumpkins in the oven.

Roast the pumpkins for about 45 minutes in the oven until the tops are soft.

Remove them from the oven and flip the pumpkins over so they cool faster.

Using a fork, carefully remove the pumpkin flesh from the skin and add to a bowl. If it’s not well cooked, it won’t remove from the skin easily.

Warm chicken stock on the stove.

Add 3 cups of pumpkin to the warmed stock. Immersion blend until well pureed. Pureeing the pumpkin on it’s own will allow the flavors of the other ingredients to meld better.

Chop onions into bite size pieces so they cook quickly. Add to the pureed mixture. 

Slice ginger and add to the pureed mixture. Add the salt and mix well.

Add bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Simmer for 20 minutes. Be sure to stir as the pumpkin and liquid will separate and the pumpkin will stick to the bottom of the pan. 

Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon stick from the mixture. Immersion blend everything again.

Enjoy! I topped mine with a dollop of creme fraiche but this is optional. Leave it off if you are not tolerating dairy.

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GAPS Legal Pumpkin Soup

Author: The Be Well Clinic

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

• 2-3 Small Pumpkins
• 4 cups of Chicken Stock
• ¼ of a White Onion
• 1 inch of Fresh Ginger
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 Cinnamon Stick

instructions:

How to cook GAPS Legal Pumpkin Soup

1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. Cut each pumpkin in half. Remove the seeds and set aside to make sprouted pumpkin seeds.
3. Set each pumpkin open face side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the pumpkins in the oven.
4. Roast the pumpkins for about 45 minutes in the oven until the tops are soft.
5. Remove them from the oven and flip the pumpkins over so they cool faster.
6. Using a fork, carefully remove the pumpkin flesh from the skin and add to a bowl. If it’s not well cooked, it won’t remove from the skin easily.
7. Warm chicken stock on the stove.
8. Add 3 cups of pumpkin to the warmed stock. Immersion blend until well pureed. Pureeing the pumpkin on it’s own will allow the flavors of the other ingredients to meld better.
9. Chop onions into bite size pieces so they cook quickly. Add to the pureed mixture.
10. Slice ginger and add to the pureed mixture. Add the salt and mix well.
11. Add bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Simmer for 20 minutes. Be sure to stir as the pumpkin and liquid will separate and the pumpkin will stick to the bottom of the pan.
12. Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon stick from the mixture. Immersion blend everything again.
13. Enjoy! I topped mine with a dollop of creme fraiche but this is optional. Leave it off if you are not tolerating dairy.

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Roasted 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. Sprouting your seeds is essentially germinating. Germination changes the chemical structure of the seeds, chemically changing it from a closed off protector of the treasure inside to an open seed ready to bring nutrition.  It’s best to sprout or otherwise properly prepare your seeds to allow more nutrition to be bioavailable to you.

Pumpkin seeds also have an especially helpful quality in that they help rid your body of parasites by attacking the parasites and intestinal worms. If you suspect you have parasites or worms, consuming pumpkin seeds is a good idea. However, be sure to take it slow and don’t overdo it.

Ingredients for Fermented Pumpkin Seeds:

• 3 small pumpkins

• ½ tsp Real Salt

• Water

Directions for Fermented Pumpkin Seeds:

Cut the pumpkins in half.

Remove the seeds from the inside and separate from the pumpkin flesh.

Rinse the pumpkin seeds.

Add the pumpkin seeds to a jar.

Cover the seeds with water, add salt and shake. Place in a sunny location and leave to soak overnight. As long as the jar is closed tightly, these can be put up next to other ferments.

Drain and rinse in the morning. Fill with new water.

Repeat draining, rinsing and adding new water until tiny sprouts have formed.

Rinse one final time. Season with salt and roast in the oven at 250 for several hours until cooked.

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Roasted Fermented Pumpkin Seeds

Author: The Be Well Clinic

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

• 3 small pumpkins
• ½ tsp Real Salt
• Water

instructions:

How to cook Roasted Fermented Pumpkin Seeds

1. Cut the pumpkins in half.
2. Remove the seeds from the inside and separate from the pumpkin flesh.
3. Rinse the pumpkin seeds.
4. Add the pumpkin seeds to a jar.
5. Cover the seeds with water, add salt and shake. Place in a sunny location and leave to soak overnight. As long as the jar is closed tightly, these can be put up next to other ferments.
6. Drain and rinse in the morning. Fill with new water.
7. Repeat draining, rinsing and adding new water until tiny sprouts have formed.
8. Rinse one final time. Season with salt and roast in the oven at 250 for several hours until cooked.

Created using The Recipes Generator

Chocolate Recipe Round Up

Ah chocolate. So delicious and so many different ways to enjoy it.

Good quality chocolate with high cocoa content also contains high levels of antioxidants, flavonoids, fiber, iron, magnesium, copper and manganese. It also contains caffeine. If you’re not tolerating caffeine yet, avoid chocolate.

If you are on the GAPS Diet, you can enjoy chocolate if you are on Full GAPS, meaning you have finished all the stages and your symptoms have gone away. Use pure organic cocoa powder or cacao! If you are reintroducing it for the first time, make sure to start with a small amount.

If you’re looking for a way to enjoy chocolate on Valentine’s Day, below is a selection of real food recipes that feature chocolate. Remember - chocolate should be enjoyed in moderation! But since these recipes are made with real food and some are nutrient dense foods, they can be enjoyed without guilt.

Chocolate Fudge Sauce

This rich chocolate sauce is made with cocoa powder and is a delicious topping to raw milk homemade ice cream.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free

Peppermint Chocolate Fudge with Coconut

The GAPS Legal Fudge is a delicious holiday recipe and easy to share with family and friends! Leave the chocolate fudge on it’s own or top it with the citrus fudge for an richer treat.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free

Raw Milk Chocolate Pudding

Some days don't you just miss pudding cups? I know I do. Now you can make your own! The most frequent comment about this pudding (besides "yum", "delicious", and "mmm...") is that it tastes just like a chocolate pudding cup!

Gluten Free

Decadent Hot Chocolate

I present you with an amazing hot chocolate recipe. No really, it's amazing. Rich, thick, decadent, filling, indulging, chocolaty goodness. And it's a nutrient-dense food!  

Gluten Free

Almond Flour Cookies with Cacao Nibs

These cookies are made with fermented almond flour and cacao nibs. Yet they taste just like chocolate chip cookies!

Gluten Free

How to Make Your Own Dairy Free, Egg Free Sausage

I was searching for the perfect sausage recipe. I discovered I don’t like a sausage that is heavily flavored with sage. My ideal tasting sausage was Jimmy Dean’s sausage which, of course, contains MSG. 

I needed to find a recipe that would keep me from occasionally caving and eating Jimmy Dean. While watching one of my favorite YouTube shows, 18th Century Cooking, I saw their Oxford Gate sausage recipe from Martha Washington’s Book of Cookery which seemed ideal! I’ve modified it below.

This sausage is the ideal breakfast sausage. It wouldn’t work well as a sausage with marinara sauce. It’s great alongside eggs or in an omelette. If I don’t want to eat cheese, it’s also a great, easy snack on the go.

The original recipe for this called for suet, which is rendered kidney fat. The suet melts while cooking and creates a lighter patty. That’s not something I usually have on hand but this recipe works just as well without it. If you don’t mind a denser patty (think like a hamburger) than you’ll enjoy this sausage without the suet.

This is a dairy free, egg free sausage recipe which is great if you’re not currently tolerating either.

You’ll notice a spice used in this recipe is Blade Mace. Blade mace is the shell that surrounds and protects nutmeg. Mace has a sharper taste than nutmeg but if you don’t have blade mace, equal amounts of ground nutmeg can be substituted.

What will you eat alongside this sausage?

Ingredients for How to Make Your Own Sausage:

• 1 lb fresh ground pork

• 1 1/2 tsp. Salt

• ½ tsp Ground Pepper

• ¼ tsp Blade Mace, coarsely ground

• 1 ½ tsp Sage

• ¼ tsp Ground Cloves

• 2 - 3 tbsp Lard

Directions for How to Make Your Own Sausage:

In a large bowl, mix the meat with the spices.

Heat a cast iron pan on low to medium heat. Add 2 - 3 tbsp of lard to the pan, enough to give yourself a good amount of cooking fat. If your pan is too hot, your sausages will burn!

Roll sausages into finger like shapes. Add them to a pan, a small amount at a time.

These need tending! As soon as you can, move them on the bottom of the pan to prevent them from burning. Then roll them gently to cook on all sides. Because they are thicker and take longer to cook, you do need to roll them a bit to prevent them cooking too long on one side.

Cook the sausage for about 5-7 minutes, depending on how thick you make them. They will start to feel more solid as they cook.

Enjoy warm or cold! Cold sausage tastes more salty to me so if you plan to eat them cold, adjust your salt slightly. These also freeze extremely well, cooked or raw! I cooked and took a large batch of them with me when I went hunting and ate them for breakfast cold. 

Snacks to Eat on the GAPS Diet

I’m often asked about snacking on the GAPS Diet. Below is a selection of ‘snack’ type foods that are all GAPS friendly, including a variety of ferments.

Some of these are great to take on the go, like the sausages or trail mix. I often also bring cheese, cuts of meat and cut up vegetables as snacks on the go. Some of these GAPS friendly snacks are great to feed a crowd and would be the perfect dish to bring to a potluck, like the spinach and artichoke dip and mayo free deviled eggs. These would be enjoyed even on those not on the GAPS Diet.

As the video below shows, sometimes the simplest food is the best!

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Homemade sausage is easy

Homemade Sausage

Enjoy these homemade sausages warm or cold! These also freeze extremely well, cooked or raw! I cooked and took a large batch of them with me when I went hunting and ate them for breakfast cold.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free

Full GAPS Spinach + Artichoke Dip

Spinach and artichoke dip - just the name conjures up images of a creamy, delicious dip. This one is made with real foods and no mayonnaise and is as delicious as a traditional spinach and artichoke dip.

Gluten Free, Egg Free

Homemade Gummy Snacks

These gummies are a good way for both children and adults to get collagen and vitamin c together! These gummies are stage five legal on the GAPS Diet because they are cooked fruit.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free

GAPS Legal Banana Splits

Ah, the banana split. It’s so delicious on a hot summer’s day. This one is made with all natural ingredients and real food. This recipe is GAPS Legal if you’ve been on full GAPS for about six months, and you’re tolerating raw milk, and you make it exactly as directed.

Gluten Free

GAPS Legal Onion Rings

These onion rings are my first foray into creating GAPS Legal fried foods. These onion rings use a fermented almond flour batter and are legal on the GAPS Diet at stage 4!

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free

Mayo Free Deviled Eggs

Because I haven't found a mayo my taste buds approve of there is no mayonnaise in my refrigerator. So one day when I had a hankerin' for deviled eggs I got the creative juices flowing and started experimenting with recipes

Gluten Free, Dairy Free

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, and it is easy to double or triple to feed another (or more for yourself).

Gluten Free, Dairy Free

Swedish Gravlax

This is a brined fish meal legal on GAPS stage 2. You eat little pieces, one small piece a day.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free

Liver Pate

Liver pâté makes me feel like I am eating a treat when I'm really eating something healthy—very healthy and good for me! You can make pate out of any type of liver, but chicken liver is the most mild, so that is a great one to start with if you are not used to eating liver.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free

GAPS Pancakes

Make these pancakes with pumpkin or butternut squash. Keep as a savory pancake or for a sweeter treat, add date syrup or cinnamon to the toppings.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free

GAPS Legal Trail Mix

With all the hiking and camping that happens in Colorado, trail mix is almost a main food group. But commercial trail mixes contain candy, sweetened fruit, and unprepared nuts: not the superfoods they claim to be!

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free

Fruit Chutney

If you are following the GAPS diet this is legal on stage 5 or 6, when you are tolerating dried spices and peppercorns. This recipe is very simple—chop and combine ingredients, simmer for a while, then store in jars.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free

Fermented Garlic

Raw garlic, however, has many supportive health benefits. And when raw garlic is fermented, many of these increase. Fermenting garlic is very simple.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free

Vegetable Medley

This recipe contains five different vegetables: beets (good for liver and blood cleansing), cabbage (stimulates digestion), carrots (contain vitamin A), and cauliflower (makes it taste better, believe me), and garlic (good for immune support). It makes a very rich and flavorful liquid, which is also a wonderful probiotic drink.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free

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. The GAPS milkshake is mix of juice, protein, and fat.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free

Beet Kvass

Beet Kvass is a liver tonic. Anyone can make this simple fermented drink! It requires only a few ingredients, and only a few minutes to "put up."

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free

Creamy Garlic Chicken Soup

This is one of my favorite soups! It’s warm and creamy and so delicious.

This soup is easy to make in large or small batches depending on how many servings you need. A small batch requires one small chicken, about 4 lbs, one head of garlic, and one glass baking dish of vegetables. A small batch will make about 4-6 hearty servings of soup. A large batch requires a larger chicken, about 6 lbs, two heads of garlic, and two glass baking dishes of vegetables.

Keeping the garlic in their paper shells roasts the garlic while preventing them from getting burnt. Don’t worry if your paper peels a little off the garlic - it’s still ok!

This soup requires a LOT of salt. If you don’t salt this soup enough, it is very bland and boring.

Because you immersion blend the vegetables into the stock, this is a great recipe to also blend in the the joint cartilage, skin and any of the other parts of the chicken that you may be tempted to throw away. I separate the chicken into three parts usually - bones, chicken meat, and everything else.

Ingredients for Creamy Garlic Chicken Soup:

• 1 Chicken

• 1 Zucchini (Courgettes)

• 1 Yellow Squash

• ½ Large Head of Cauliflower or 1 Small Cauliflower

• 1-2 Heads of Garlic, Cloves separated but still in their paper

• 3-4 tbsp Lard (Learn to make your own lard here.)

• 1 tbsp Salt

• ½ Bunch Parsley

Directions for Creamy Garlic Chicken Soup:

Start a chicken stock on the stove. (Find the recipe for a chicken stock here.)

Cut the vegetables into even size pieces for even roasting. For the cauliflower, you can remove or keep however much of the fibrous material (stems), depending on how much you are tolerating.  Start the oven preheating to 400 degrees.

Add the squash, zucchini, cauliflower and garlic to a baking dish with the lard. Melt the lard in the oven on top of the vegetables and then stir to fully coat the vegetables with the melted lard. If you do not have enough lard to fully coat your vegetables, add more! Season with salt.

Roast the coated vegetables uncovered in the oven for about an hour. The vegetables are done when they are softened and slightly browned. Set them aside to cool. 

About ten minutes before the stock is done, add in ½ bunch of parsley for an added dose of Vitamin C and magnesium. 

Once the stock is done, strain the stock and set the cooked meat aside to cool. 

Once the roasted vegetables have cooled, peel the garlic paper off. Wait until the garlic is cooled - if you are impatient and peel it too early, it will burn your hands.

Add the roasted vegetables to a large pot. Add 12 cups of stock to the pot. 

Once your meat is cooled, remove it from the bone. Separate the joint cartilage and skin from the meat. In the above photo, the top left is the bones, the bottom plate is the meat and the plate on the right has everything else that will be added into the stock and blended.

Add the skin, cartilage and other non-meat bits (no bones) to the pot. 

Immersion blend everything together until it is well blended and the vegetables are in small pieces.

Add the meat from your chicken into the blended stock. Add 1 tbsp of salt.

Cook for 15-20 minutes to blend the flavors.

Enjoy! I topped mine with sliced avocado. However, this does make it legal on GAPS Stage 3.

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Creamy Garlic Chicken Soup

Author: The Be Well Clinic

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

• 1 Chicken
• 1 Zucchini (Courgettes)
• 1 Yellow Squash
• ½ Large Head of Cauliflower or 1 Small Cauliflower
• 1-2 Heads of Garlic, Cloves separated but still in their paper
• 3-4 tbsp Lard
• 1 tbsp Salt
• ½ Bunch Parsley

instructions:

How to cook Creamy Garlic Chicken Soup

1. Start a chicken stock on the stove.
2. Cut the vegetables into even size pieces for even roasting. For the cauliflower, you can remove or keep however much of the fibrous material (stems), depending on how much you are tolerating. Start the oven preheating to 400 degrees.
3. Add the squash, zucchini, cauliflower and garlic to a baking dish with the lard. Melt the lard in the oven on top of the vegetables and then stir to fully coat the vegetables with the melted lard. If you do not have enough lard to fully coat your vegetables, add more! Season with salt.
4. Roast the coated vegetables uncovered in the oven for about an hour. The vegetables are done when they are softened and slightly browned. Set them aside to cool.
5. About ten minutes before the stock is done, add in ½ bunch of parsley for an added dose of Vitamin C and magnesium.
6. Once the stock is done, strain the stock and set the cooked meat aside to cool.
7. Once the roasted vegetables have cooled, peel the garlic paper off. Wait until the garlic is cooled - if you are impatient and peel it too early, it will burn your hands.
8. Add the roasted vegetables to a large pot. Add 12 cups of stock to the pot.
9. Once your meat is cooled, remove it from the bone. Separate the joint cartilage and skin from the meat. Add the skin, cartilage and other non-meat bits (no bones) to the pot.
10. Immersion blend everything together until it is well blended and the vegetables are in small pieces.
11. Add the meat from your chicken into the blended stock. Add 1 tbsp of salt.
12. Cook for 15-20 minutes to blend the flavors.
13. Enjoy! I topped mine with sliced avocado. However, this does make it legal on GAPS Stage 3.

Created using The Recipes Generator

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Spinach and artichoke dip - just the name conjures up images of a creamy, delicious dip. This one is made with real foods and no mayonnaise and is as delicious as a traditional spinach and artichoke dip. Spinach and artichoke dip gets a bad rap but this recipe is actually a great source of fat

I recommend using fresh spinach in this recipe, simply because fresh tastes better. If you use frozen spinach, you will need to adjust the amount of water used because frozen is much wetter.

Be sure to get whole mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, instead of pre-grated cheese. Pre-grated cheese has additional caking agents added to it. It’s important to always grate your own cheese. It’s more expensive but much better!

I enjoy dipping homemade sourdough crackers, corn chips if you can tolerate them, or a variety of raw cut vegetables like cucumbers or carrots into this Spinach and Artichoke dip. You can also eat this on it’s own!

Ingredients for Spinach and Artichoke Dip:

• 2 cups fresh spinach

• 12 oz marinated artichokes

• 8 oz cream cheese, slightly softened

• 1 tsp minced garlic, approx. 2 small cloves or 1 large clove

• 1 cup sour cream

• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese

• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Directions for Spinach and Artichoke Dip:

Steam spinach on the stove.

In a large bowl, add the cream cheese and let it soften slightly.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Once spinach has steamed for about fifteen minutes, until soft, drain and coarsely chop it.

Drain the artichoke hearts and coarsely chop as well. Finely chop garlic cloves.

Smash the cream cheese. Add the sour cream and mix.

Grate your parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Add all the parmesan cheese and ⅔ of a cup of the mozzarella to the bowl with the cream cheese and sour cream mixture.

Add the spinach, artichoke hearts and garlic to the bowl and mix well.

Add the mixture to an oven safe dish. Make sure to use a spatula to even out the mixture.

Sprinkle the additional ⅓ cup of mozzarella cheese over the top.

Bake in the oven for 15 to 25 minutes until bubbling and the cheese is slightly browned. I cover and cook with a lid the entire time.

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Spinach + Artichoke Dip

Author: The Be Well Clinic

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 12 oz marinated artichokes
• 8 oz cream cheese, slightly softened
• 1 tsp minced garlic, approx. 2 small cloves or 1 large clove
• 1 cup sour cream
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

instructions:

How to cook Spinach + Artichoke Dip on the GAPS Diet

1. Steam spinach on the stove.
2. In a large bowl, add the cream cheese and let it soften slightly.
3. Preheat the oven to 350.
4. Once spinach has steamed for about fifteen minutes, until soft, drain and coarsely chop it. Drain the artichoke hearts and coarsely chop as well. Finely chop garlic cloves.
5. Smash the cream cheese. Add the sour cream and mix.
6. Grate your parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Add all the parmesan cheese and ⅔ of a cup of the mozzarella to the bowl with the cream cheese and sour cream mixture.
7. Add the spinach, artichoke hearts and garlic to the bowl and mix well.
8. Add the mixture to an oven safe dish. Make sure to use a spatula to even out the mixture.
9. Sprinkle the additional ⅓ cup of mozzarella cheese over the top.
10. Bake in the oven for 15 to 25 minutes until bubbling and the cheese is slightly browned. I cover and cook with a lid the entire time.

Created using The Recipes Generator

Beef Tongue Recipe

I recently got half a cow and had a beef tongue in my freezer! I wanted to use all of meat and wanted to give this recipe a try. Turns out - I love beef tongue!

Beef  tongue is a very delicious dark meat with a rich flavor because of it’s high fat content. It’s about 66% fat! It’s also a highly used muscle so it’s very tender. 

Beef tongue is very simple to prepare. I prefer to boil it, like the recipe below, but you can also put it in a slow cooker for 8 hours. Either way, the stock that you’re left with is rich and delicious. I’ve kept my beef tongue stock before and used it to make Egyptian Lentil Soup. 

You can also shred beef tongue to use it in tacos or slice it to use in a stir fry. Because it looks like any other cut of meat, no one will know it’s tongue! It’s not an organ meat so it doesn’t have the strong taste associated with it like livers or hearts to.

Ingredients for Beef Tongue:

• 4.4 lbs of beef tongue

• 1 ½ tbsp Salt

• 1 tsp Peppercorns

• 5 Cloves of Garlic, Whole

• 4 Bay leaves

Directions for Beef Tongue:

Rinse the beef tongue thoroughly.

Place beef tongue in a large pot. Fill with enough water to cover the beef tongue. Gently press the beef tongue down so it is under the water.

Add salt, peppercorns, garlic and bay leaves to the pot. Or to prevent inadvertently taking out peppercorns with the scum, add your aromatics after you skim the scum. 

Bring beef tongue and water to a boil. Skim the scum off the top. 

Turn heat down to medium and cook for about two hours, until the outer skin starts to peel off . You want everything to be on a high simmer, low boil.

Once the outer skin can be peeled away, remove the tongue onto a plate to allow to cool. 

Strain the aromatics out of the stock and set aside to use in another recipe. (I suggest this Egyptian Lentil Soup recipe.) 

Once the tongue is cool, peel off the skin completely. Then chop up the meat as you would any other cut of meat!

Enjoy!

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Beef Tongue

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Author: The Be Well Clinic

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

• 4.4 lbs of beef tongue
• 1 ½ tbsp Salt
• 1 tsp Peppercorns
• 5 Cloves of Garlic, Whole
• 4 Bay leaves

instructions:

How to cook Beef Tongue

1. Rinse the beef tongue thoroughly.
2. Place beef tongue in a large pot. Fill with enough water to cover the beef tongue. Add salt, peppercorns, garlic and bay leaves to the pot. Or to prevent inadvertently taking out peppercorns with the scum, add your aromatics after you skim the scum.
3. Bring beef tongue and water to a boil. Skim the scum off the top.
4. Turn heat down to medium and cook for about two hours, until the outer skin starts to peel off . You want everything to be on a high simmer, low boil.
5. Once the outer skin can be peeled away, remove the tongue onto a plate to allow to cool.
6. Strain the aromatics out of the stock and set aside to use in another recipe. (I suggest thisEgyptian Lentil Soup recipe.)
7. Once the tongue is cool, peel off the skin completely. Then chop up the meat as you would any other cut of meat!
8. Enjoy!

Created using The Recipes Generator

Traditional Weaning Diet - Baby's First Foods

Until very recently, the first foods for a weaning child looked very different than what we consider standard today. In fact, advertising and marketing have created an entirely new genre of food titled “Baby and Kid Food.” 

However, for most of human history, children merely ate what their parents ate, starting with simple, nutrient dense foods and progressing as they grew.

Many parents purchase jarred baby food, start with rice cereal, or start with other modern recommendations. The truth is, the best baby foods are dense, whole, real foods, that primarily come from animals.

Animal foods are incredibly important for your developing child. We are constantly amazed at the fast growth in a little baby but we less often think about the nutrition required to provide for that growth. Animal foods are, as a rule, more dense in their nutritional value because the stomachs of herbivores is unique. It breaks food down repeatedly. Additionally, herbivores have a rich and flourishing microbiome that does most of their digestion for them.

Despite common belief, the truth is that animal foods are also easier to digest, making them the ideal food for babies to start with. 

These first foods can be started, in most cases, any time after four months and when babies are showing certain developmental cues. The main ones are they no longer have a tongue thrust when something is placed in their mouth, they can support their own head, and they show interest in food. 

Lightly salting your baby’s food is important— they need minerals too! Use natural sea salt on your baby’s food. (I do not recommend using sodium chloride (refined table salt) for anyone, especially your baby). Refined and iodized table salt is detrimental to anyone’s health, especially a small child. Learn more about choosing the right salt here.

Remember, it can take 12-14 introductions of a new food for that food to be accepted by your child. If they don’t like a food the first few times you offer it, don’t stress! At first, food introduction is not about nutrition, it’s about the experience. In the first year or so of your child’s life, you have an amazing opportunity to create a beautiful and informational relationship with food. Your goal right now is not to make sure your child likes everything. Your goal is to expose them to all the foods that are in nature so that for the rest of their life they will be able to choose foods according to their nutritional needs. Take away all your stress, put aside any neat freak in you and allow your baby to taste, touch and be bathed in the foods that will serve their bodies the rest of their lives.

Now let’s talk about the first foods I recommend for babies. These are based on the research of Dr. Weston A. Price, and are outlined in Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby and Child Care, available on Amazon (affiliate link).

Liver:

Liver is rich in lots of important vitamins and minerals that aid in growth. 

For this “recipe” we are using beef liver that has been deeply frozen for two weeks at least. Beef liver is cleaner and has less potential of pathogens than chicken liver. Deep freezing the liver for two weeks is important because it kills any dangerous pathogens and creates a safe food that’s able to be eaten raw by your baby. If you only have access to chicken liver, I recommend making a liver pâté for your baby. 

Directions for Feeding Liver to Your Baby:

Thaw the liver in the fridge, and don’t soak the liver in any acid. 

Cut liver into approximately 1 inch cubes. One cube will be one serving for a day.

Freeze the liver cubes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Individually freezing the liver will allow you to later store them in a bag as separately frozen pieces. And frozen liver is easier to grate than warm liver! 

When it’s mealtime, grate the liver on a cheese grater. Serve your baby about a tablespoon of grated liver per day. Many babies enjoy the taste of liver, and some even prefer eating it cut into small pieces.

Raw (Runny) Egg Yolk

We start babies off with egg yolks because egg whites are very hard to digest. As your child grows, you can progress to giving them a whole egg. Lightly scrambling a whole egg in lots of animal fat is an amazing food! Runny yolks contain more cholesterol than firm yolks, as the cooking process destroys cholesterol. And cholesterol is good!

A note about egg whites: it’s important to not regularly eat egg whites without the yolks. The yolks contain nutrients that help digest the egg white. If you consume many egg whites alone, your body has to work very hard and you may end up with nutritional deficiencies.

Directions for Feeding Egg Yolk to Your Baby:

Add about an inch of water to a small pan on the stove.

Turn stove to high heat and let water get to a rolling boil.

Crack one egg into the water once it is boiling rapidly.

After a little time, ease the white up off the bottom of the pan.

Cook the egg only until the white is set. Remove the egg from the pan. A slotted spoon works best.

Use a spoon to take the liquid yolk out and feed directly to your baby. The first time you feed your baby an egg yolk, give them only a small amount. But after you are sure there is no reaction, increase the amount until they are eating the entire yolk. After that you may proceed to feeding them the entire egg.

Avocado

Avocados are a unique food because they are approximately ⅓ protein, ⅓ fat and ⅓ carbohydrate. This is a great first plant food for your baby.

Simply slice an avocado into small slices to feed to your baby. As with the introduction of any new food, start with a small amount the first day and gradually increase over time.

Add a shake of salt to the top of the avocados… delicious!

Introducing Cooked Vegetables and Meat

While purees may be easier, some research is showing that babies who learn how to manipulate food pieces in their mouth instead of being forced to progress more quickly with pureed foods will have less trouble with gag reflex and other oral difficulties for their entire lives.

Any mix of vegetables and meat will work! Feel free to start and stay simple. In most cases, your baby can eat whatever the family is eating so there’s no need to make an additional meal. Simply grate some frozen liver on top of whatever you are serving to your baby, and enjoy real foods as a family!

Foods to Avoid (at least in the beginning)

This list looks very different from the traditional weaning diet you may be used to hearing about. You may be wondering if I forgot a few foods. Fruits and grains are the modernly recommended first foods, so let’s briefly discuss them here.

Fruit:

Fruit is not inherently bad, but the sweetness can throw off your baby’s taste buds and cause them to avoid the dense foods they need to be eating. Historically fruit was only available for a short season in the summer, so we know it can’t be essential to a growing baby. Also, it is likely that your child will like fruit whenever you introduce it to them! So wait on the fruit, maybe until the summer after your baby’s first year. I don’t recommend a ban of this food, just try to avoid it as much as possible, and don’t feel like you HAVE to give it to them as part of a “balanced diet.”

Grains:

Grains also are not inherently bad, but until your child has their two year molars, they will be unable to digest grains properly (even properly prepared grains). That being true, you can see that there will be little to no nutritional benefit to eating grains for your child, and all the potential for the difficulties and complications surrounding grains (leaky gut, allergies, etc). So grains are best avoided until those two year molars are in, and they have a well established, health gut flora that will assist in digesting grains. Then the correct, properly prepared grains are a wonderful addition to their diet!

I hope these recommendations are helpful to you. Questions? Ask them in the comments below.

Happy feeding!

Egg Free, Dairy Free Liver Meatballs

Liver is an amazing superfood! It contains lots of vitamins and minerals, including zinc, iron, B vitamins, A vitamins, and folate. In our modern world, all of our livers are well taxed because of our exposure to chemicals. Anytime we know we need to support a particular organ, one of the best ways to do that is to consume the organ meat of the organ you’re trying to support.

You can spice your meatballs with anything you want but think of strong flavors. You want to neutralize the flavor of the liver.  You can also add any additional vegetables that you know your family likes. If you add additional vegetables like zucchini, eggplant or peppers and are finding the consistency of the meatball mixture to not be very sticky, you may want to add an egg to help bind everything together. Otherwise, these meatballs are egg free and dairy free!

This is a recipe that I recommend to a lot of moms! It’s a great way to help your kids eat a little bit of liver every day, which is the best way to eat liver. This recipe makes a lot of meatballs so you can freeze them and take out a few at a time to have for lunch or dinner.

Makes 27-30 Meatballs

Ingredients for Liver Meatballs:

• 2 lb ground beef

• ½ lb beef liver

• 2 carrots, about 1 cup grated

• ⅓ large white onion, about ⅔ a cup grated

• 6 large cloves of Garlic

• Oregano, 1 bunch Fresh or 1 tbsp Dried

• Basil, 1 bunch Fresh or 1 tbsp Dried

• ¼ - ½ tsp Pepper

• 2 tsp Salt

• 1 tbsp lard

Directions for Liver Meatballs:

For milder tasting liver, soak it in some kind of acid. Cover the liver in filtered water and then add the juice of one lemon or 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Leave to soak for 30 minutes. Be sure not to soak it for too long. The acid will break down the liver and start it “cooking” prematurely.

Preheat your oven to 375.

Grate your carrot, onion and garlic into very fine pieces. Add to a large bowl with ground beef. Add in oregano, basil and salt and pepper. Mix with your hands. 

Place your liver into a food processor once it has soaked. Pulse until smooth. Add to the bowl with the beef, vegetables and spices and mix again.

Spread lard onto the bottom of a glass oven safe casserole dish. 

Take a small handful of meat at a time and roll into a meatball. Continue to roll meatballs until you have filled your casserole dish. Keep consistency in the size and shape of your meatballs to ensure even cooking time.

Line meatballs, leaving some space between them.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Enjoy with spaghetti squash and make your own spaghetti sauce for a spaghetti night. Or enjoy with any variety of vegetables like brussels sprouts or broccoli!

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Egg Free, Dairy Free Liver Meatballs

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

• 2 lb ground beef
• ½ lb beef liver
• 2 carrots, about 1 cup grated
• ⅓ large white onion, about ⅔ a cup grated
• 6 large cloves of Garlic
• Oregano, 1 bunch Fresh or 1 tbsp Dried
• Basil, 1 bunch Fresh or 1 tbsp Dried
• ¼ - ½ tsp Pepper
• 2 tsp Salt
• 1 tbsp lard

instructions:

How to cook Egg Free, Dairy Free Liver Meatballs

1. For milder tasting liver, soak it in some kind of acid. Cover the liver in filtered water and then add the juice of one lemon or 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Leave to soak for 30 minutes. Be sure not to soak it for too long. The acid will break down the liver and start it “cooking” prematurely.
2. Preheat your oven to 375.
3. Grate your carrot, onion and garlic into very fine pieces. Add to a large bowl with ground beef. Add in oregano, basil and salt and pepper. Mix with your hands.
4. Place your liver into a food processor once it has soaked. Pulse until smooth. Add to the bowl with the beef, vegetables and spices and mix again.
5. Spread lard onto the bottom of a glass oven safe casserole dish.
6. Take a small handful of meat at a time and roll into a meatball. Continue to roll meatballs until you have filled your casserole dish. Keep consistency in the size and shape of your meatballs to ensure even cooking time.
7. Line meatballs, leaving some space between them.
8. Bake for 45 minutes.
9. Enjoy with spaghetti squash and make your own spaghetti sauce for a spaghetti night. Or enjoy with any variety of vegetables like brussels sprouts or broccoli!

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GAPS Legal Halloween Treat Round Up

Which of these treats will you make for Halloween?

Let us know in the comments below!

Gluten Free Brownies Recipe

While these brownies are not as sweet as conventional brownies, they were deemed by some tasters on the GAPS Diet as being “Better than Brownies.”

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free

Gluten Free Almond Cookies Recipe

These treats are reminiscent of our family’s community famous chocolate chip cookies but they’re totally gluten free.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free

Homemade Gummy Snacks

These gummies are a good way for both children and adults to get collagen and vitamin c together! They are stage five legal on the GAPS Diet because they are cooked fruit. You can make any flavor with whatever fruit you have on hand.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free

GAPS Legal Banana Split

This recipe for a GAPS Legal banana split also includes making your own ice cream, hot fudge sauce, strawberry sauce, maraschino cherries and whipped cream.

Gluten Free

Gluten Free Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe

Snickerdoodles are a mixture of tart and sweet. They are another cookie I grew up making at Christmastime, and this one passed the family taste test!

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free

GAPS Legal 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, and it is easy to double or triple to feed another (or more for yourself).

Gluten Free, Dairy Free

Raw Milk Chocolate Pudding

Raw milk chocolate pudding is a great base to create Halloween friendly ‘Cups of Dirt.’

The most frequent comment about this pudding (besides “yum”, “delicious”, and “mmm…”) is that it tastes just like a chocolate pudding cup!

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free

GAPS Legal Caramel Candy + Candy Sauce

Several years ago I discovered that the mythical candy known as caramel was actually fairly simple to make. Whether you use it as a dip for fruit (GAPS Legal candy apples!) or as a candy, it’s a great addition to your Halloween treat spread.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free

Making Your Own Kefir from Milk Kefir Grains

Kefir is a fermented drink made from kefir grains. It’s a bit like a very thin yogurt and has great health benefits!

The great news is, like many fermented drinks, kefir is very easy to make on your own!

Kefir grains are very sensitive to metal so it is best if you use little to no metal when you’re preparing this recipe.

If you use a dishwasher, rinse your bowl thoroughly before using to ensure there is no detergent residue on it. 

You will need:

• A strainer (preferably not metal)

• A jar to put your kefir in

• A bowl

Ingredients for Kefir

• Fresh Milk (raw or freshly repasteurized, depending on what your grains are used to)

• Kefir with Grains, 4 to 5 healthy grains will make a pint 

Directions for Kefir

Separate kefir grains from kefir by pouring into a non metal strainer. Gently separate the kefir from the grains with a non metal spoon. Don’t push too hard - be very gentle! 

What falls below is your kefir. What stays in the strainer is the kefir grains. 

Leave out on the counter for about 24 hours to ferment. After 24 hours, put the grains into milk into the fridge. OR if you are not needing so much kefir, store it in the fridge directly.

If you store the kefir in the fridge, continue to feed your kefir in the fridge. It takes about two to three weeks before you need to feed it again by changing the milk.

You can use the kefir itself to make kefir cream.

Enjoy!

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Making Your Own Kefir

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

• Fresh Milk (raw or freshly repasteurized, depending on what your grains are used to)
• Kefir with Grains, 4 to 5 healthy grains will make a pint

instructions:

How to cook Making Your Own Kefir

1. Separate kefir grains from kefir by pouring into a non metal strainer. Gently separate the kefir from the grains with a non metal spoon. Don’t push too hard - be very gentle!
2. What falls below is your kefir. What stays in the strainer is the kefir grains.
3. Leave out on the counter for about 24 hours to ferment. After 24 hours, put the grains into milk into the fridge. OR if you are not needing so much kefir, store it in the fridge directly.
4. If you store the kefir in the fridge, continue to feed your kefir in the fridge. It takes about two to three weeks before you need to feed it again by changing the milk.
5. You can use the kefir itself to make kefir cream.
6. Enjoy!

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Sprouted Refried Navy Beans Recipe

Beans make everything delicious! The old adage about beans isn’t true. If you’re worried about the unsightly smells and noises that beans so often bring, worry no more. The reason that beans are known for producing flatulence is because of the strong anti-nutrients present in the bean seed. Once you properly prepare these beans, the anti-nutrients are no longer present so there’s no reason for any symptoms.  When they’re properly prepared and you can tolerate them, navy beans are a good addition to your diet. If you do experience flatulence while eating the beans, it means your body is not ready for the starch and you still have work to do on your gut flora. 

Even if you are tolerating them well, remember that beans are a starch and should always be consumed alongside a generous amount of animal fat. 

These are great served with anything that has a Mexican theme with them. I like them next to eggs, like a Huervos Rancheros sort of feel.

You can freeze this recipe into smaller portion sizes so that you can pull it out quickly to use as a side for a meal. I tried freezing this in muffin tins since they are about the correct proportion of a serving of beans. I lined the muffin tin with unbleached large baking cups and then scooped beans into them. I let them freeze over a weekend and then took them out of the muffin tin and placed them in a gallon bag to protect them from freezer burn. 

Makes about 12 servings

Ingredients for Sprouted Refried Beans

• 6 cups sprouted navy beans

• ½ onion

• ½ jalapeno

Directions for Sprouted Refried Beans

Add sprouted navy beans to a large pot.

Bring to a boil and cook for about 2 hours until the beans are very soft. The beans will foam as they cook. You can skim the foam and the extra bean pods off of the top if you’d like. Just be sure not to scoop out any of your good sprouted beans!

Add onion and jalapeno into the pot once beans are soft. If too much water is gone, add a little bit into the pot so you don’t scorch the beans on the bottom of the pot. 

Immersion blend the beans when they are soft. They should be smoother but still have a little bit of texture to them.

Put them back on the stove. Stir frequently for five minutes over medium high heat to evaporate the liquid.

This is the basic refried bean recipe.

My favorite way to eat these is to add a cup of beans to a cast iron skillet. Add in a half a stick of butter. Cook together until well mixed.

Add a fried egg and a few softened pepper pieces. 

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Sprouted Refried Beans

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

• 6 cups sprouted navy beans
• ½ onion
• ½ jalapeno

instructions:

How to cook Sprouted Refried Beans

1. Add sprouted navy beans to a large pot.
2. Bring to a boil and cook for about 2 hours until the beans are very soft. The beans will foam as they cook. You can skim the foam and the extra bean pods off of the top if you’d like. Just be sure not to scoop out any of your good sprouted beans!
3. Add onion and jalapeno into the pot once beans are soft. If too much water is gone, add a little bit into the pot so you don’t scorch the beans on the bottom of the pot.
4. Immersion blend the beans when they are soft. They should be smoother but still have a little bit of texture to them.
5. Put them back on the stove. Stir frequently for five minutes over medium high heat to evaporate the liquid.
6. This is the basic refried bean recipe.
7. My favorite way to eat these is to add a cup of beans to a cast iron skillet. Add in a half a stick of butter. Cook together until well mixed.
8. Add a fried egg and a few softened pepper pieces.

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A Chili Recipe for the GAPS Diet

I was excited to make this chili as I hadn’t had it for years! For a long time, I have been following the GAPS Protocol and didn’t want to take the time to properly prepare the navy beans needed for this recipe. Even now that I can tolerate more foods, I tend to avoid chili because most chilis are made from beans stored in a can, which should be avoided if possible. However, this homemade chili was well worth the effort because of how delicious it was - and how many meals it made!

This recipe uses GAPS Legal navy beans. Navy beans are GAPS legal because they have a lower amount of starch content compared to other beans. They are legal on full GAPS. These beans have also been soaked and sprouted for easier and better digestion. (Learn more about properly preparing grains here!)

This chili is a great way to get in the healing meat stock that should be part of your every day diet since it contains meat stock as the liquid.

In my opinion, one of the things that makes chili chili is tomatoes! But some people who have a leaky gut are sensitive to nightshades, which includes tomatoes. If that’s you, this is a recipe to look forward to in the future once you have healed your gut. 

There are many great toppings for chili and I’m sure you have your favorites! Some suggestions are sour cream or yogurt, cheese, bacon or cracklings (see recipe for making cracklings here) green onions, avocado.

This is a hearty meal that’s easy to make in large batches and then frozen for later use. I’m looking forward to enjoying this chili on many cool fall and winter evenings.

Ingredients for Chili

• 6 cups of sprouted navy beans

• 6 Large Tomatoes

• Onion

• Garlic

• 1 lb. Ground Beef, you could substitute any ground protein

• ½ Jalepeno

• 2 tbsp Lard

• 4 cups chicken stock

• 7 oz Tomato Paste (make sure it is canned in glass, never in metal!)

• 2 tsp Salt

• 1 tsp Paprika

• ¼ tsp Chili Powder

• ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper

• 1 tsp Cumin

• Chili Peppers (two shakes)

Directions for Chili

Sprout your beans 48 hours in advance. To sprout your beans, soak them in filtered water overnight. In the morning, rinse them. Leave them on the counter in the sunlight with a cover to keep the bugs away and rinse every twelve hours. Drain them completely before you rinse them or you will get mold. Once they sprout, they’re done. Rinse them for a final time. Make sure they are well drained. Put the lid back on the bowl and put the beans into the fridge.

Add 6 cups of sprouted navy beans to a large pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1.5 hours. The beans will foam as they cook. You can skim the foam and the extra bean pods off of the top if you’d like. Just be sure not to scoop out any of your good sprouted beans!

While the beans cook, start your tomatoes stewing and breaking down. Add an inch of water to a stock pot. Remove the cores of the tomatoes. Roughly chop the tomatoes. You don’t have to be very precise since eventually they will cook down and eventually be smashed. Add 1 tsp salt.

Once the beans are softened (but not soft as they will cook longer with the rest of the chili) drain them and set them aside with a lid over the pot to keep them warm.

Melt two tbsp of lard into a cast iron skillet. Add more fat as needed. 

Once lard is melted, add ground beef and onion. Cook until beef is browned. Add in garlic and jalapeno.

Add beef mixture to bean pot. Add in spices. Add in stewed tomatoes, stock, and tomato paste. Mix gently. Add a teaspoon of salt and ½ tsp pepper.

Return to the stove and let simmer for about an hour so that the flavors meld together.

Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

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GAPS Legal Chili Recipe

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

• 6 cups of sprouted navy beans
• 6 Large Tomatoes
• Onion
• Garlic
• 1 lb. Ground Beef, you could substitute any ground protein
• ½ Jalepeno
• 2 tbsp Lard
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 7 oz Tomato Paste (make sure it is canned in glass, never in metal!)
• 2 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Paprika
• ¼ tsp Chili Powder
• ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1 tsp Cumin
• Chili Peppers (two shakes)

instructions:

How to cook GAPS Legal Chili Recipe

1. Sprout your beans 48 hours in advance. To sprout your beans, soak them in filtered water overnight. In the morning, rinse them. Leave them on the counter in the sunlight with a cover to keep the bugs away and rinse every twelve hours. Drain them completely before you rinse them or you will get mold. Once they sprout, they’re done. Rinse them for a final time. Make sure they are well drained. Put the lid back on the bowl and put the beans into the fridge.
2. Add 6 cups of sprouted navy beans to a large pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1.5 hours. The beans will foam as they cook. You can skim the foam and the extra bean pods off of the top if you’d like. Just be sure not to scoop out any of your good sprouted beans!
3. While the beans cook, start your tomatoes stewing and breaking down. Add an inch of water to a stock pot. Remove the cores of the tomatoes. Roughly chop the tomatoes. You don’t have to be very precise since eventually they will cook down and eventually be smashed. Add 1 tsp salt.
4. Once the beans are softened (but not soft as they will cook longer with the rest of the chili) drain them and set them aside with a lid over the pot to keep them warm.
5. Melt two tbsp of lard into a cast iron skillet. Add more fat as needed.
6. Once lard is melted, add ground beef and onion. Cook until beef is browned. Add in garlic and jalapeno.
7. Add beef mixture to bean pot. Add in spices. Add in stewed tomatoes, stock, and tomato paste. Mix gently. Add a teaspoon of salt and ½ tsp pepper.
8. Return to the stove and let simmer for about an hour so that the flavors meld together.
9. Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

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How to Properly Prepare Grains

How to Properly Prepare White Rice on the GAPS Diet:

On the transition to the GAPS Intro diet, or at any time during the GAPS Intro diet, if you or your practitioner feel that your body is in need of some carbohydrates, this is a simple carbohydrate that many of us relate to. While it’s  not a whole grain, which generally we prefer, the husk of a whole grain can be harder to digest. White rice that’s been soaked is fairly easy to digest and fairly untroublesome for the gut.

Soak your rice overnight before using it in any recipe. Place in warm filtered water with 4 tbsp of yogurt or whey. Put a lid on the bowl and place on the counter overnight.

How to Properly Prepare Quinoa on the GAPS Diet:

As a non gluten grain, quinoa is one of the first grains we can try in coming off the GAPS Diet. It is a seed so as with all other seeds it should be properly prepared. Quinoa has never been my favorite, but most of the times I have eaten it in the past were before I understood about anti-nutrients. I wonder if quinoa used to give me a stomach ache and that’s why I didn’t care for it. This quinoa can be used as an exact substitution for any other quinoa recipe, including a cold quinoa salad or a quinoa pudding. 

Soak and sprout your quinoa 24 hours in advance. To sprout the quinoa, put the quinoa in filtered water (2 cups of quinoa to 4 cups of water.) Add in 2 tbsp of yogurt or whey. Leave on the counter covered for 24 hours.

How to Properly Prepare Wild Rice on the GAPS Diet:

Wild rice is not actually a grain. It’s actually the seed of a marsh growing plant. It’s pretty low in fat so it should be eaten with lots of fat. Because it falls into the seed family, wild rice can be eaten on the GAPS Diet. Of course, you should properly prepare it before eating it. I would serve it in place of white rice in many dishes, like in this fried rice recipe.

At least 7 hours before:

Rinse rice well.

Add 1.5 cups of wild rice to 3 cups of warm filtered water. Add 2-3 tbsp of whey or yogurt to the mix. Let sit in a warm place for at least seven hours.

When You’re Ready to Cook

Add water to cover, about half a liter. Cover and place in the oven at 200 degrees. Cook for 45 minutes.

GAPS Legal Chicken Pot Pie Soup

I have fond memories of chicken pot pie growing up. I recently learned it’s one of my mom’s favorite foods, which is probably why we enjoyed it often. She at times would make her own but we would usually have the individual frozen pot pies. 

The key to this soup being reminiscent of a pot pie is to cut the vegetables into bite size pieces and make a consistency that’s more like a stew than a soup. Included in this recipe are a few tricks to thicken the soup so it more closely resembles the gravy that we associate with chicken pot pie.

In case you aren’t already convinced by the title, here are a couple other reasons you should try this recipe:

1. Soup is easy to make in a large batch making it great to feed a crowd or to freeze for later.

2. You just might find some distant childhood memories while eating it.

3. The vegetables in pot pie can vary so you can use up what you have on hand.

4. With a specific flavor profile, it can help expand your soup repertoire. 

Ingredients for GAPS Legal Chicken Pot Pie Soup

• 1 Whole Chicken

• 8 Whole Carrots

• 4 Celery Stalks

• 1 Yellow Onion

• 10 oz. Frozen Peas

• 2 sprig of Tarragon

• 2 sprig of Basil

Directions for GAPS Legal Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Prepare your stock first. Cut up the entire chicken (See how to break down a chicken here.) Set breast meat aside. Add the rest of a chicken to a large stock pot filled with filtered water. Bring to a boil.

Cube chicken breasts, keeping meat around the same size.

Cut up 3 carrots, 2 celery stalks and ½ onions. 

Once chicken is brought to a boil, skim off any scum. Add in the aromatics: carrots, celery, onions, tarragon and basil.

Boil for an hour and half until chicken is done.

Once chicken is done, remove the chicken pieces from the stock pot. Set aside to cool. Keep the remaining yummy stock on the stove.

Once chicken has cooled, remove the chicken meat from the bones. Remove all the meat, joints and connective tissue from the bones. It’s all good stuff! Set the skin aside. The skin will be blended into the stock. Add the bones back to the stock.

Continue to simmer the stock for another 30 - 45 minutes.

Chop up remaining carrots, celery and onion. Roughly chop the cooked chicken into bite sized pieces.

Strain the stock. Add 8 cups of stock to a seperate pot. Add in the chicken skin and any organ meats. Blend the skin into the stock with an immersion blender.

Add in chopped carrots, celery, and onion. Cook for 20 minutes.

When carrots are soft, add in chopped chicken pieces and the frozen peas. Add fresh tarragon and basil. Add additional salt and a few turns of a pepper grinder.

Cook for twenty minutes, until peas are warmed.

Serve warm!

For added creaminess, I recommend adding sour cream, cultured cream, ghee, butter, or heavy whipping cream, whichever you are tolerating. Make sure to add any probiotic foods into your bowl after serving so as not to kill the live microbes.

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GAPS Legal Chicken Pot Pie Soup

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

• 1 Whole Chicken
• 8 Whole Carrots
• 4 Celery Stalks
• 1 Yellow Onion
• 10 oz. Frozen Peas
• 2 sprig of Tarragon
• 2 sprig of Basil

instructions:

How to cook GAPS Legal Chicken Pot Pie Soup

1. Prepare your stock first. Cut up the entire chicken (See how to break down a chicken here.) Set breast meat aside. Add the rest of a chicken to a large stock pot filled with filtered water. Bring to a boil.
2. Cube chicken breasts, keeping meat around the same size.
3. Cut up 3 carrots, 2 celery stalks and ½ onions.
4. Once chicken is brought to a boil, skim off any scum. Add in the aromatics: carrots, celery, onions, tarragon and basil.
5. Boil for an hour and half until chicken is done.
6. Once chicken is done, remove the chicken pieces from the stock pot. Set aside to cool. Keep the remaining yummy stock on the stove.
7. Once chicken has cooled, remove the chicken meat from the bones. Remove all the meat, joints and connective tissue from the bones. It’s all good stuff! Set the skin aside. The skin will be blended into the stock. Add the bones back to the stock.
8. Continue to simmer the stock for another 30 - 45 minutes.
9. Chop up remaining carrots, celery and onion. Roughly chop the cooked chicken into bite sized pieces.
10. Strain the stock. Add 8 cups of stock to a seperate pot. Add in the chicken skin and any organ meats. Blend the skin into the stock with an immersion blender.
11. Add in chopped carrots, celery, and onion. Cook for 20 minutes.
12. When carrots are soft, add in chopped chicken pieces and the frozen peas. Add fresh tarragon and basil. Add additional salt and a few turns of a pepper grinder.
13. Cook for twenty minutes, until peas are warmed.
14. Serve warm!
15. For added creaminess, I recommend adding sour cream, cultured cream, ghee, butter, or heavy whipping cream, whichever you are tolerating. Make sure to add any probiotic foods into your bowl after serving so as not to kill the live microbes.

Created using The Recipes Generator

Full GAPS Legal Fried Rice

We had fried rice a lot growing up! It’s a good “kitchen sink” recipe. You can use almost any ingredients you have on hand. It also comes together fairly quickly, especially if you’re like us and usually have rice in the fridge.

One of the reasons I chose white rice for this recipe is because on the transition to the GAPS Intro diet, or at any time during the GAPS Intro diet, if you or your practitioner feel that your body is in need of some carbohydrates, this is a simple carbohydrate that many of us relate to. While it’s  not a whole grain, which generally we prefer, the husk of a whole grain can be harder to digest. White rice that’s been soaked is fairly easy to digest and fairly untroublesome for the gut.

This is a quick and easy meal.

To make it GAPS legal, substitute wild rice for the white rice. 

One of the keys to the recipe is find a true correctly fermented soy sauce. Soy should only ever be eaten in a properly fermented state. When it’s properly fermented, it’s legal on the Full GAPS Diet. I found a properly fermented soy sauce from Ohsawa Organic called Nama Shoyu. It’s an unpasteurized soy sauce and delicious!

There are “classic” fried rice vegetables but truly you can change this recipe to use any vegetables you have in the fridge. In this version I used carrots, celery, onions, red cabbage and green onion. You could also use any type of summer squash like yellow squash or zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, swiss chard, shredded brussel sprouts, snow peas, snap peas, green peas, or green beans. We always made it with water chestnuts and bean sprouts growing up. I’m not sure if these are GAPS legal but I’m very doubtful they would be. What vegetable combination is your favorite?

Ingredients for GAPS Legal Fried Rice

• 2 cups of rice

• 4 cups stock

• Carrots

• Onions

• Red Cabbage

• Green Onions

• 3 tbsp Lard or Other Animal Fat

• 4-6 cloves of Garlic, depending on size

• 2 Eggs

• 1.5 tbsp Soy Sauce (see note about correctly fermented soy sauce)

Directions for GAPS Legal Fried Rice:

24 Hours Before:

Soak your rice overnight. Place in warm filtered water with 4 tbsp of yogurt or whey.

The Next Day:

Rinse rice under filtered water.

Add 2 cups of rice to 4 cups of stock. Cook rice in the stock for 15 minutes until the stock is absorbed. 

Chop all vegetables. The smaller you chop them, the faster they’ll cook. Make sure you slice your vegetables the same size for even cooking. 

Add 3 tbsp of lard to a  cast iron pan. 

When adding vegetables, add the ones that take the longest to cook in first, usually the hardest ones. So for me, I added the carrots and celery first. Add in cabbage and onions.

Add 1-2 tsps of soy sauce into the cast iron pan. This will start to create the sticky sauce. 

A tip in sauteing vegetables: let them sit for a minute or two to get brown. Then move them to cook other sides. 

Once your vegetables have cooked, add in the rice and stir.

Crack two eggs into a bowl and scramble them. Add them into the cast iron pan and mix well.

Add in about 1 tbsp of soy sauce and mix everything together.

Serve alongside more soy sauce on the table and enjoy!

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GAPS Legal Fried Rice

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

• 2 cups of rice
• 4 cups stock
• Carrots
• Onions
• Red Cabbage
• Green Onions
• 3 tbsp Lard or Other Animal Fat
• 4-6 cloves of Garlic, depending on size
• 2 Eggs
• 1.5 tbsp Soy Sauce (see note about correctly fermented soy sauce)

instructions:

How to cook GAPS Legal Fried Rice

1. 24 Hours Before:
2. Soak your rice overnight. Place in warm filtered water with 4 tbsp of yogurt or whey.
3. The Next Day:
4. Rinse rice under filtered water.
5. Add 2 cups of rice to 4 cups of stock. Cook rice in the stock for 15 minutes until the stock is absorbed.
6. Chop all vegetables. The smaller you chop them, the faster they’ll cook. Make sure you slice your vegetables the same size for even cooking.
7. Add 3 tbsp of lard to a cast iron pan.
8. When adding vegetables, add the ones that take the longest to cook in first, usually the hardest ones. So for me, I added the carrots and celery first. Add in cabbage and onions.
9. Add 1-2 tsps of soy sauce into the cast iron pan. This will start to create the sticky sauce.
10. A tip in sauteing vegetables: let them sit for a minute or two to get brown. Then move them to cook other sides.
11. Once your vegetables have cooked, add in the rice and stir.
12. Crack two eggs into a bowl and scramble them. Add them into the cast iron pan and mix well.
13. Add in about 1 tbsp of soy sauce and mix everything together.
14. Serve alongside more soy sauce on the table and enjoy!

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Homemade Gummy Snacks

Vitamin C and collagen work together to build healthy cells and mucus membranes, as well as healthy joints and skin. Anything with a structure needs vitamin c alongside collagen. These gummies are a good way for both children and adults to get collagen and vitamin c together! These gummies are stage five legal on the GAPS Diet because they are cooked fruit.

I got the basics proportions for this recipe from Integrative Health Coaching Services and modified it to fit my own needs. Depending on what proportions you use, the chart included on the Integrative Health Coaching Services website can help you decide how many gelatin squares to eat. If your children really love these gummies, you can decrease the amount of acerola cherry powder so that they can consume more gummy treats. These can also be great ABA technique rewards to get your child to eat the foods you want them to eat.

I recommend experimenting with adding other things like probiotic powders,and other supplements in these gummies. Just make sure you add anything live when the gummies are not too hot. Wait until the later stages when the mixture is cool enough so you don’t kill it. 

I once made a bold choice and experimented with adding desiccated liver in a quest to figure out what other supplements can be added to the mixture. I don’t think liver was the best choice. There’s nothing wrong with consuming them; they just smell and taste like liver, which isn’t the flavor profile you’d expect. 

I made strawberry gummies but you could also make any berry into a gummy. Other fruit, like apples and bananas, will not work to make gummies at home. Frozen berries are actually a great choice because they are picked ripe and frozen while in season. You could also harvest your own berries locally and freeze them yourself.

Ingredients;

• 1 heaping cup frozen berries

• 1/2 Cup lemon juice

• 1/4 Cup grass fed gelatin

• 3-4 Tbsp.. Acerola cherry powder 

• 1 tbsp honey

Directions:

Add 1 heaping cup of frozen strawberries to a pot. Add enough water to cover the bottom. Turn the stove on to medium heat.

Help the berries break apart by stirring them with a spoon. 

When they start to get really soft, turn the stove to a low heat simmer.

Blend softened berries and lemon juice in a blender.

Once smooth, add back into pot. Add in gelatin and acerola cherry powder. Whisk well for about ten minutes until all combined.

Add honey at the end so that you are not cooking the honey.

Pour into a glass baking dish.

If you are adding a probiotic powder, make sure your mixture is cooled enough to where you can easily leave a finger in it before adding the powder. This will ensure you do not kill the probiotics.

Set in fridge to chill. Gummies should be chilled in about 40 minutes. Slice around the sides and cut into cubes to remove from glass pan.

Homemade Gummy Snacks

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prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

• 1 heaping cup frozen berries
• 1/2 Cup lemon juice
• 1/4 Cup grass fed gelatin
• 3-4 Tbsp.. Acerola cherry powder
• 1 tbsp honey

instructions:

How to cook Homemade Gummy Snacks

1. Add 1 heaping cup of frozen strawberries to a pot. Add enough water to cover the bottom. Turn the stove on to medium heat.
2. Help the berries break apart by stirring them with a spoon.
3. When they start to get really soft, turn the stove to a low heat simmer.
4. Blend softened berries and lemon juice in a blender.
5. Once smooth, add back into pot. Add in gelatin and acerola cherry powder. Whisk well for about ten minutes until all combined.
6. Add honey at the end so that you are not cooking the honey.
7. Pour into a glass baking dish.
8. If you are adding a probiotic powder, make sure your mixture is cooled enough to where you can easily leave a finger in it before adding the powder. This will ensure you do not kill the probiotics.
9. Set in fridge to chill. Gummies should be chilled in about 40 minutes. Slice around the sides and cut into cubes to remove from glass pan.

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Almond Flour Bread with Italian Herbs

This recipe is adapted from the basic bread recipe in the GAPS Gut and Psychology Syndrome book by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. It is legal on Stage Four. If you do a sweet version of this bread it is legal on Stage Five.

I really enjoy the Italian herb version of this basic bread recipe because I like strong flavors. For me, doing an almond bread that’s sweetened with fruit is not sweet enough. I prefer going with a savory bread instead that has a strong flavor.

The beginning piece of this recipe is the basic bread recipe that can be adapted into any other combination of ingredients.

You can use the herbs and combination of herbs of your choice in this recipe. I used tyme, rosemary and parsley. 

Bread is still a treat so it’s best to have one piece a day as a snack in between meals.

Ingredients for Italian Almond Bread with Herbs

• 2 cups fermented almond flour

• ¼ cup softened butter

• 3 eggs

• Herbs of your choice

• 1 clove finely chopped garlic, fresh or fermented

Directions for Italian Almond Bread with Herbs

24 hours in advance, make your fermented almond flour or make it from almonds.

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine flour and softened butter. Add eggs and mix thoroughly.

Finely dice the herbs of your choice.

Mix in with flour mixture. This mixture will look more moist than other bread doughs.

Line a glass baking dish with parchment paper. Optionally, add fat to your parchment paper. Place mixture into baking dish. Spread evenly.

Bake for about an hour.

Slice and enjoy!

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Almond Flour Bread with Italian Herbs

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

• 2 cups fermented almond flour
• ¼ cup softened butter
• 3 eggs
• Herbs of your choice
• 1 clove finely chopped garlic, fresh or fermented

instructions:

How to cook Almond Flour Bread with Italian Herbs

1. 24 hours in advance, make your fermented almond flour or make it from almonds.
2. Preheat oven to 350.
3. Combine flour and softened butter. Add eggs and mix thoroughly.
4. Finely dice the herbs of your choice.
5. Mix in with flour mixture. This mixture will look more moist than other bread doughs.
6. Line a glass baking dish with parchment paper. Optionally, add fat to your parchment paper. Place mixture into baking dish. Spread evenly.
7. Bake for about an hour.
8. Slice and enjoy!

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How to Make Almond Butter

Ingredients for Fermented Almond Butter

• 3 cups Almonds

• ½ cup Whey

• Filtered Water

• Salt

Directions for Fermented Almond Butter

Place your almonds in filtered water with whey. Allow to soak for 24 hours.

Drain the almonds in a colander and rinse with filtered water.

Place almonds into a food processor. Pulse them consistently until you get almond butter.

Once almonds are the consistency of almond butter, add four shakes of salt. Pulse for several more seconds. Add four more shakes of salt.

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Almond Butter

Author: Amy Mihaly

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

• 3 cups Almonds
• ½ cup Whey
• Filtered Water
• Salt

instructions:

How to cook Almond Butter

1. Place your almonds in filtered water with whey. Allow to soak for 24 hours.
2. Drain the almonds in a colander and rinse with filtered water.
3. Place almonds into a food processor. Pulse them consistently until you get almond butter.
4. Once almonds are the consistency of almond butter, add four shakes of salt. Pulse for several more seconds. Add four more shakes of salt.

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