Monica’s Recipes Roanoke Chiropractor—spinal adjustments Towers Family Chiropractor

GF Bread Updated– Nut-free Version

September 28, 2020 by towers

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 2 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.

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 rolls very quickly during the week.

Here is the list of ingredients:

1 cup each of coconut flour, blanched almond flour, and arrowroot flour

2 Tbsp. psyllium

2 Tbsp. ground chia seeds (I use the blender to grind them)

1 tsp. sea salt

2 tsp. dry baking yeast granules

1 and 1/4 cup water

2 tsp. honey or maple syrup

Follow the directions given in the video for how to mix the ingredients.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsl5ENgZnr0

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Late Summer Soup

September 7, 2020 by towers

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.

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Easy Sour Pickles

September 4, 2020 by towers

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.

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Avocado Dressing

August 28, 2020 by towers

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.

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Greenbeans with Celeriac

August 24, 2020 by towers

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.

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Natural Deodorant with Essential Oils

July 22, 2020 by towers

If you have a collection of essential oils you likely have what you need to make a simple, effective deodorant. You will need good quality grain ethyl alcohol too–such as Everclear or high proof vodka or gin (organic versions are available). General rule of thumb–use 10 drops of a combination of specific essential oils (listed below) per ounce of alcohol. Best not to use rubbing alcohol due to questionable purity for using on a daily basis.

We’ve been using variations of essential oils in this recipe for years and love it–always smells great and it works!

Glass 2-4 ounce spray bottle (we used an empty Weleda spray deodorant bottle)

2-4 ounces of grain alcohol

10 drops total of essential oils per ounce of grain alcohol; good choices are tea tree, lavender, chamomile, lemongrass, sage, geranium, jasmine, sweet orange, grapefruit, lemon, frankincense. Be sure to include the tea tree oil and at least 2 of the other choices that are printed in bold.

Pour the alcohol in the spray bottle. Add your combination of essential oils. Shake before application.

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Onions with Basil Oil

June 29, 2020 by towers

It’s the season of onions and basil, especially if you are a gardener. While fresh basil is usually available year-round in grocery stores, it is never as good as the very fresh leaves from your garden. Now that I have an abundance from my garden I make basil oil every few days so there’s always some in the fridge. If you don’t have basil plants, support your local farmers market where you should be able to find it.

The basil oil recipe was posted last year and you can find it here. If you have that already made this onion topping recipe can be made very quickly.

And on the topic of onions–don’t neglect them! They are relatively inexpensive and store well so it makes sense to always keep them on hand. If you have them in the garden they are likely ready to start harvesting. Because they are so flavorful, onions can jazz up lots of other vegetables. The other night I made this onion recipe to use as a topping on gluten-free pizza. I spread some of the basil oil on the fresh-from-the-oven baked crust and then topped with these onions plus some pitted olives. If you eat dairy, it would be delicious to put grated cheese over the basil oil and then top with the onions–just put it under the broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese if desired. Other options for the onions besides pizza are steamed green beans, broccoli, or cauliflower. Of course, they would be good with the basil oil on pasta and I’ve done this with organic brown rice fettuccine.

Serves 2

1 cup chopped yellow onion

2 tsp. basil oil

Place the chopped onions in a baking tray (about 8 x 10-inch size). Add the basil oil and stir until onions are coated. Spread the coated onions in a thin layer over the surface of the pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or so. Serve immediately.

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Chicken-Broth Rice

June 15, 2020 by towers

In the summer when it is too hot for soup, you can use your chicken broth to make flavorful rice. If you are not making your own broth, give it a try–see a previous post for this recipe. It’s easy and economical, when you buy a whole chicken for the meat, to follow up with a batch of broth. Keep in mind that home-made broth has some fat in so I don’t add any additional oil or ghee to the rice once it is cooked.

Serves 2

1 cup organic brown basmati rice

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup water

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 Tbsp or so organic GF tamari, optional

Place broth in a sauce pan and heat it if it is a gel until it “melts”. (If it has been refrigerated and it is made correctly, it will be a gel. Again, follow the broth recipe that is linked above for really good broth.)

Rinse rice under running water and drain. Add the rice to the warmed broth and add the cup of water and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and then immediately reduce heat to low so the mixture just simmers. Cover with a lid and continue to simmer undisturbed (don’t remove lid) for 30 minutes. Remove lid (all the liquid should be absorbed and if it isn’t continue to simmer with the lid on for another 5 minutes or so). Add tamari or salt to taste but fluff the rice with a fork to mix–gently lift the rice from the outside toward the middle. Serve immediately.

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Another Sauerkraut Recipe Revisited

June 5, 2020 by towers

Originally posted in 2014, this recipe is worth revisiting. It can be as simple as cabbage and salt and dill, which is what I used last week when my Chinese cabbage started coming in. I have an abundance of dill seed heads from the greenhouse. No need to remove them from the stems–I just put the whole seed head in the bottom of the fermenting jar and added the cabbage on top of it. Dill is good at self-seeding so if you’re not growing it, consider buying some and let it go to seed in your garden–you’ll be pleasantly surprised to see it coming up the next year.

Note the pictures above. You don’t need anything fancy–just a wide mouth jar for the cabbage mixture and a smaller jar filled with water to act as a weight and which fits inro that wide mouth. Cover it all with cheese cloth. This is all explained in the previous posts that I link below.

Here’s the original recipe:

Cabbage galore no more–finally the garden cabbage is gone! The last couple of batches I made were kept pretty simple but delicious just the same–I wanted to share these options with you. First, don’t underestimate the flavor of fresh herbs for improving the taste of your cultured veggies. I have dill growing in my garden and have been adding lots of it to the last couple of batches of sauerkraut I’ve made. It seems that the dill tones down the cabbage quite a bit in both smell (while fermenting too) and taste. Second, I’ve been adding chopped cucumber to the fermenting sauerkraut for the last 1 or 2 days of fermentation. This allows the cucumber to pick up the dill and garlic flavors but retain its crispness. Have fun experimenting!

1-2 large head of Chinese cabbage (this is about 1 gallon finely chopped)

1 cup of fresh dill weed chopped fine or 1 flower head of dill seed

3 large cloves of garlic, crushed

1-2 Tbsp. sea salt, depending on the size of the cabbage

About 3-5 days later 1 cucumber, chopped

Cut the cabbage in half and core each half. Cut side down, quarter lengthwise. Then holding the quarters together chop across in 1/4 inch slices. This will result in a fairly fine shred. I find this easier with this type of cabbage than shredding with a grater. Put cut cabbage into a large bowl. Add rest of ingredients except cucumber. It should taste salty–this is important because the salt inhibits mold growth. Follow directions for fermenting described in the previous recipe. After about three to five days (taste the mixture daily and proceed when it has fermented to your satisfaction), chop a cucumber lengthwise in half or in quarters and then in 1/4 inch slices across. Stir it into the sauerkraut and press the vegetable mix down into the juice. Let ferment another day. Keep refrigerated.

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Really Good Mayonnaise

May 18, 2020 by towers

I have seen recipes online for making mayo right in a wide-mouth glass jar in one step using an immersion blender–this is a great idea! And it is my preferred method now that I know how well it works. I have had it fail a few times but I think that was because I did not wait until the ingredients came to room temperature.

Here’s my version which uses a blend of equal parts olive, sesame and coconut oils. You could use all olive oil or just two oils– olive and sesame or coconut.

Look at the gold color of this mayo in the picture–the result of using very good quality eggs from pastured chickens. Only use the best quality eggs since the product is not pasteurized.

2 egg yolks from pasture-raised chickens fed antibiotic/hormone-free feed, room temperature

1 tsp.. honey–optional

2 Tbsp.. raw, organic apple cider vinegar

1/4 to 1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. prepared yellow mustard

1/3 cup (room temperature–not cold) each of extra-virgin olive oil, cold-pressed organic sesame oil, and organic coconut oil

OR 2/3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil and 1/3 cup of sesame or coconut oil

Be sure your ingredients are at room temperature. Place the egg yolks in a clean, dry wide-mouthed glass jar (16 or 32 ounce size). Add the apple cider vinegar, salt, mustard, and honey. Pour the oil on top. Place the blender head all the way into the bottom of the jar where the egg yolks are and pulse briefly in bursts while holding the head in place (the bottom of the jar). Do not move the blender head up and down until you see the “creamy white” mayo forming around the blender head and then only move it up slowly. Be patient and only pulse a few seconds at a time. Once the egg yolks and other ingredients are clearly well mixed and the oil is starting to get pulled in and changing to creamy yellow in color continue to pulse while moving the head of the blender very slowly up and down gradually working your way up as the oil gets pulled in. Do this until all the oil is emulsified. Do not over-mix–as soon as the mayo completely forms, stop! The mayo should be thick by this time–as thick as regular mayo but it will thicken more once refrigerated. Keep refrigerated. Very nice to have a lot less clean-up–store the mayo in the fridge in the mason jar!

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GF Bread Updated– Nut-free Version

Late Summer Soup

Easy Sour Pickles

Avocado Dressing

Greenbeans with Celeriac

Natural Deodorant with Essential Oils

Onions with Basil Oil

Chicken-Broth Rice

Another Sauerkraut Recipe Revisited

Really Good Mayonnaise

Good Nutrition

GF Bread Updated– Nut-free Version

Children’s Adjustments

Children with back pain

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