Helping You to Better Health Naturally
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Here is an update on the gluten-free bread described below: I have had people with nut allergies wanting to make this bread which has almond flour originally. It works very well to substitute tigernut flour for the almond flour. Tigernut is a tuber, not a nut and it can be found online when looking for gluten-free flours–a good brand is Organic Gemini. Also, if you have egg whites you want to use, blend some with the water used in this recipe and reduce the volume of water accordingly. It will increase the protein content of the bread (tigernuts are lower in protein than almonds) and allows it to brown nicely.
One other note to keep in mind: you may have to add more water than is listed in the ingredients. I add enough water to get a soft dough–it is not sticky as I knead it either as the flours used are highly absorbent–especially the added ground flax. I probably use about 1/4 to 1/2 cup additional water. This soft dough is easier to work with and makes a nicer bread.
Watch Dr. Eric Berg’s video below for a great recipe for gluten-free bread. I like it because of the taste/texture but also because it is a lot lower in carbs and higher in fiber than most GF breads–plus it doesn’t have any objectionable starches in it like potato starch. I have used it for rolls or as pizza dough. My latest version of pizza had a crust made with this dough which I pressed out into an oiled pizza pan (you can sprinkle sesame seeds in the bottom of the pan first–I usually do) and baked at 350 degrees F until crusty–with no toppings. After it cooled but was still warm, I spread a couple tablespoons of the basil oil on it, followed by avocado slices and olives. Ready to serve and super easy. You could add some tomato slices too for a more traditional pizza. What a treat!
Also, I have at times altered the recipe by adding 2 Tbsp. ground flax seed. You may need to add a little more water (1-4 Tbsp.) to the dough if you add ground flax seed in order to achieve the soft but not-sticky texture shown in the video.
It’s best to use the light-colored almond flour which is made from blanched almonds.
Also, you can refrigerate the dough for a few days; I do this so I can make a fresh pizza or flat bread very quickly during the week. Great with olive oil which has been flavored with a clove of fresh garlic and some salt.
Here is the list of ingredients:
1 cup each of coconut flour, blanched almond flour (or tigernut flour), and arrowroot flour
2 Tbsp. psyllium
2 Tbsp. ground chia seeds (I use the blender to grind them and I also add 2 Tbsp. flax seed ground in blender)
1 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. dry baking yeast granules
1 and 1/4 cup water (egg whites can substitute for some of this liquid if you have fresh egg whites to use)
2 tsp. honey or maple syrup
Follow the directions given in the video for how to mix the ingredients.
The nights are getting cooler and soup is on the menu again. The garden is supplying lots of tomatoes and butternut squash and so are the farmers markets. I admit the combination of these two late summer bumper crops in a soup was not appealing to me, but given the garden’s abundance and the fact that I had some chicken broth in the fridge that I needed to use, I was inspired to try! We liked the outcome and encourage you to give it a go.
Serves 4
4 cups cubed peeled, butternut squash (cut in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and discard, and then cut in quarters and peel each quarter before cubing)
2 cups chopped peeled red tomatoes, seeds removed (any kind but be sure to remove the skin and seeds)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1/4 cup ghee or coconut oil (I prefer ghee)
2 cups chicken broth (or water but broth makes a more flavorful soup–if you use water add 2 stalks of chopped celery)
1 cup organic classic coconut milk
1 tsp. ground cumin seed
1/2 tsp. ground paprika
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
sea salt to taste (Redmond or Celtic are good)
red pepper flakes to taste, optional
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, optional
Saute the onion in the melted ghee in a soup pot for five minutes. Stir in the celery (if you use water, not broth), garlic, cumin and paprika. Add the squash and stir again over medium heat for a few minutes more. Add the tomato and and 1 cup of water and bring to a simmer. Add stock and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and then reduce to low heat and cover soup pot with a lid. After about 20-30 minutes once squash pieces are tender and easily pierced with a fork, add the coconut milk. Simmer for a few minutes. Use an immersion blender and blend until smooth. Salt to taste and add red pepper flakes and basil leaves if desired. Serve hot.
If you haven’t tried to make sour pickles, it’s a good time of year to give it a go—it’s so easy and there’s no canning necessary! You should be able to find locally grown organic cucumbers. Smaller, pickling varieties are best, but even regular eating cukes are good but they should be on the small side so that they are less seedy. I’ve posted this recipe before but I have made some changes. Please read the earlier recipe post to get more information and then give this version a try. I have found that I get better results when I make just a quart at a time and when I keep them fermenting in a cooler with an ice pack to maintain a lower temperature (65-70 degrees F is best).
Here’s a picture of my set up. There’s one quart of pickles and a jar of ginger carrots fermenting at the same time in this photo. You can put a glass dish or jar on top of the pickles to keep them submerged. Also, if you place a dish or bowl under the jar if the brine overflows as the pickles ferment you won’t have a mess. Since the dish completely covers the mouth of the pickle jar I did not need to cover it with cheese cloth (not the case for the carrots).
I have a styrofoam cooler that can sit on my counter-top and when placed on its side it fits both quart and 1/2 gallon wide-mouthed jars. All you need is one ice pack changed twice a day–before bed and first thing in the morning to keep it cool enough. If you keep your house air-conditioned and at a constant low temperature (about 70) you won’t need the cooler.
The ratio for brine is 3 Tbsp. of sea salt to 1 quart of water. If your brine is not salty enough the pickles will spoil. I have found that if made in smaller batches (a quart instead of a gallon), it’s easier to accomplish and I can just use the extra cucumbers as they come from the garden. Remember, this is a way of preserving food–these pickles will keep for months in your refrigerator. Don’t pack the jar with cucumber halves–put them in loosely, otherwise you may not have enough brine to do the job.
For 1 quart of pickles:
About 2-4 small cucumbers, washed well and sliced in half (size will determine how many you can fit in the jar)
1 sprig of fresh dill or 1 tsp. dried dill weed, optional
3 large cloves garlic, optional
About 1/2 to 3/4 of a quart of brine: 3 Tbsp. sea salt (I like Redmonds or Celtic) per quart of filtered water (don’t use chlorinated water)
Arrange as many of the cucumber halves in a quart-sized, wide-mouth glass jar as will fit easily. Also leave a space of at least 2 inches at the top of the jar. I place them in vertically, side-by side. Add the dill and garlic, if desired, by pushing them down in the spaces between the cucumbers. Dissolve (by stirring well) 3 Tbsp. of salt in 4 cups of filtered water in a quart mason jar. Pour this over the cukes to within an inch of the top of the jar. Now place a small glass bowl over the mouth of the jar–it should fit so that the cucumber halves are kept submerged and the mouth of the jar is completely covered but CO2 will still be able to escape (don’t cap the jar with the lid!)– remove the bowl and add more brine to cover the cucumbers if the cukes are not completely submerged. Place in a 65-70 degree F room out of direct light or use a cooler as described above. Put a plate or bowl under the jar just in case some brine spills over as the fermentation proceeds. Check every day to be sure the cukes stay submerged. The pickles should bubble as they ferment and be soured through in 4-7 days (should be dark green all the way to the center). Cap the jar and keep in the refrigerator.
Don’t throw away the juice from your cultured vegetables–some people drink it (in small amounts or diluted because it is salty) but I discovered it makes very good salad dressing! It may be hard to believe–sauerkraut juice in salad dressing?–but made as I describe below it is delicious. You’ll need a blender.
1-1/2 cups of salad dressing
1/2 cup sauerkraut juice
1/2 avocado
1-2 tsp. honey (you could try monk fruit instead but I like the honey)
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar (I use the vinegar from marinated red onions)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend well. You should not have to add salt as the sauerkraut juice is salty.
Please explain why you came to our office.
“After being diagnosed with arthritis in my lower back about three years ago and going through several sessions of therapy and shots that did not relieve the pain, friends told me about Towers Family Chiropractic.”
Please describe your response to treatment.
“The pain has been relieved quite a bit.”
81 year-old female
Celeriac or celery root should be showing up at the farmers markets and produce sections now that late summer crops are ready to harvest. If you haven’t tried this unusual vegetable yet this simple recipe may inspire you. I just started digging up a few at a time in my garden. I’ve posted soup recipes that had celeriac as an ingredient and they do make flavorful, creamy soups when cooked until soft and blended. This recipe uses finely chopped pieces of the root so that it will cook tender in about the same time as the green beans–just put them in the same vegetable steamer. The roots have to be peeled–a bit of a chore but easier with a vegetable peeler.
Serves 2
2 cups chopped fresh greenbeans
1 cup peeled and chopped celeriac root (no bigger than 1/2 inch cubes)
1 Tbsp. butter or ghee
salt to taste
black pepper to taste, optional
Put the beans and celeriac cubes in a vegetable steamer. Bring water to a boil and then cover and reduce heat to low to gently steam the vegetables for about 5 or more minutes. Keep an eye on them piercing a few times during steaming so they don’t overcook. You want them perfectly tender but not soft. As soon as they are tender, remove from steam and transfer to a bowl. Add the butter or ghee and cover so that it melts. After a few minutes, stir the butter or ghee in and add salt and pepper, if desired, to taste. Serve immediately.
Please explain why you came to our office.
“I have been to probably a dozen chiropractors in my life and Dr. Burgoon is without question one of the top two, possibly the best. He knows the technical skills to a tee, and he has great intuition that guides him to locate the source of the problem.”
Please describe your response to treatment.
“I come in mostly for maintenance but whenever I have an acute problem, I always feel better and begin healing right after visiting Dr. Burgoon.”
~57 year-old male
Please explain why you came to our office.
“I was in pain–went from my hip to ankle on left leg. Because of Covid no chiropractor open in my area; a friend suggested Dr. Burgoon. I called and was welcomed to come in right away.”
Please describe your response to treatment.
“After first treatment I had relief and it didn’t take long before I was walking without any pain at all. And am having other good results from treatment for things I had issues with but didn’t realize were connected to my lower back problem.”
~70 year-old female
Please explain why you came to our office.
“I have struggled with hyperhydrosis, migraine headaches and arthritis in my hands. Also, lower back pain from my scoliosis.”
Please describe your response to acupuncture treatment.
“I have had very positive results with all of the above. Dr. Mike is so compassionate to the needs of his patients and I am truly appreciative of his care.”
65 year-old female
Children suffer injuries that lead to misalignments just as adults do. Children generally respond very well and quickly to gentle chiropractic adjustments. A case in point is that of a 5 year-old … [Read More...]
