GREEN BEAN and SUPERCHARGED PESTO salad 2 cups frozen green beans 50g pine nut kernels 1 bunch basil 1 bunch green leaves like kale or chard 3-4 frozen broccoli florets, defrosted or steamed 1/2 cup olive oil 2 cloves garlic 1tbsp lemon juice Optional: an extra 50g toasted pine nut kernels or walnuts Optional: 50g grated parmesan cheese Salt to taste
ROCKET salad 1 x 100g bag of prewashed wild rocket 2tbsp sauerkraut 2tbsp sauerkraut liquid Olive oil
TOMATO salad 500g mixture of different tomatoes such as cherry and plum in a mixture of colours if you can get them a few sprigs of fresh basil 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1/2 tsp honey 1/2 a clove of garlic
METHOD
SUPERCHARGED PESTO SAUCE
Place all the pesto ingredients in a food processor and blitz to a smooth paste. If tolerated, use the optional nuts and parmesan.
Taste and fix seasoning.
Pour the sauce into a storage box and set aside. you will not need all the sauce you made and can keep it in the fridge or freezer for future use.
GREEN BEAN SALAD
Boil or steam the frozen green beans as instructed on the packaging, then drain and wash with cold water to stop cooking and cool them down.
Meanwhile, toast the pine nut kernels in a pan on a medium heat, moving them so they don’t burn.
Place the cooled green beans in a bowl and add 2-3tbsp of your supercharged pesto sauce. Mix it to coat the beans, scatter the toasted pine nuts and if you like, shave some parmesan curls on top.
ROCKET SALAD
Tip the rocket into a large bowl, drizzle with the olive oil and sauerkraut liquid and scatter the sauerkraut. Gently mix together and serve.
TOMATO SALAD
Depending on size, halve or quarter the tomatoes into a bowl. Tear in the larger leaves from a few sprigs of basil.
Add 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, mix together and add 1 or 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar with 1tsp honey, then season to perfection. Finely grate in a peeled clove of garlic. Scatter the smaller basil leaves on top and serve.
My next #gapsfacelift for a Jamie Oliver recipe turned out quite complicated and long, so I’ve split it into two posts. Part #1: One dough, two bakes. Pizza and dessert, made the GAPS way.
Make ‘burnt’ ghee by boiling it over medium heat until all the liquids have evaporated and the proteins have sunk to the bottom and taken on a brown colour. keep your eye on it so it doesn’t burn and remove from the heat when it smells like caramel.
Meanwhile pit the dates and soak them in boiling water for 10min, then peel them and place in a blender. Keep the soaking water.
When the ghee is ready, strain it through a muslin or a coffee filter and pour it carefully over the dates (don’t cool it down).
Add the salt and blitz to a smooth paste, loosening it with the soaking water if the paste won’t move. Taste and add salt if needed, then transfer to a bowl and set aside (this can be made in advance and kept at room temp).
PIZZA SAUCE
Heat your fat of choice and olive oil in a deep frying pan on medium heat and add the chopped onion, carrot and celery.
Sauté the vegetables until soft, then turn up the heat, add the garlic and ground beef. Fry until the beef colours.
Add the tomato paste, vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper. pour in the canned tomatoes, then wash out the can with the meat stock and pour it into the pan. stir and bring to the boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for about 15 min, until the tomatoes have broken down and the sauce had come together. taste and amend seasoning. Remove from the heat and let it cool for a few min.
//Texture// If you like the sauce with a natural, chunky texture, leave it as is. If you are dealing with a texture sensitivity, use a hand held blender to create a smooth sauce.
ONE DOUGH – TWO BAKES make the Pizza and squares base
Turn the oven on to 170c then line a shallow pan for the pizza (I used a large frying pan) and a small square pan for the squares.
Place all the ingredients (except the vanilla) in a medium bowl and mix them to a dough. Form a ball and cut it in half.
//For the dessert// Place one half in a separate bowl and add the vanilla, kneading it through to thoroughly incorporate into the dough, then press 2/3rds of the dough into the prepared square pan. place the remaining third in the fridge to form a crumble later.
//For the pizza// Press the other half of the dough into the pizza pan, sprinkle with salt and drizzle with olive oil.
Place both bases in the oven and bake for 15-20min, until golden all over, turning once if required.
Scatter the pecans for the dessert on a baking sheet and place in the oven with the bases for 10min, making sure they toast but don’t burn.
Keep the oven on and turn on the grill to medium.
When the bases are ready, remove from the oven.
//For the pizza// Spread the sauce all over and scatter with your favorite toppings. Place under the grill for 3-5min then slice and serve.
//For the dessert// Spread the salted caramel sauce (use a lot of sauce), then scatter the coconut and toasted pecans. Crumble the extra dough you saved in the fridge all over. Return to the oven and bake for 15 more min until the crumble is golden.
Are you ready for this week’s #gapsfacelift of a Jamie Oliver meal? Here’s comes, my GAPS version of: Cauliflower Mac n’ Cheese, Chicory salad with a bright green dressing and delicious stewed fruit (Original meal recipe by Jamie Oliver from his 30 Minutes Meals book)
1 large head of cauliflower 2 tbsp butter/ghee2 tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, finely chopped 2 tbsp coconut flour 1 tsp Dijon mustard 250g GAPS 24hr fermented cream 250g Gouda cheese, grated* 1 handful raw walnuts a few sprigs of fresh rosemary Parmesan cheese Salt and pepper
SALAD 2 large red chicory 2 large white chicory 1 bunch of fresh basil 1 clove of garlic 6 anchovy fillets in oil 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons GAPS 24hr yoghurt 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 tbsp meat stock a small handful of capers, drained
STEWED FRUIT 18 ripe plums or a mixture of any stone fruit you like, such as nectarines or apricots 1 teaspoon vanilla powder 2 heaped tablespoons honey 1 orange 1 cinnamon stick Optional: 24hr cream for serving
CAULIFLOWER MAC N’ CHEESE
Heat the oven to 200°c
.Get rid of any outer leaves from the cauliflower, then trim off the tough base of the stalk and quarter the head. Continue to chop it into bite size pieces, including the core. Put the chopped cauliflower in a large saucepan and steam, either using a steaming basket or just in water half way up the cauliflower, until slightly tender. Drain and arrange in a glass or earthen roasting dish.
Meanwhile, melt the butter together with the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for about 5min, making sure it doesn’t burn. Turn down the heat to low, mix in the coconut flour and then the 24hr cream. Let it bubble for a minute or two back on medium heat then add the mustard, salt and pepper. Remove from the heat, add the grated Gouda cheese and mix it through until the sauce is smooth and thick.
Pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower and mix it gently, then scatter the crushed walnuts and grate the parmesan cheese all over. Roast in the oven for 15-20min.
STEWED FRUIT
Halve and stone the plums and arrange them, cut side up, in another large roasting tray with 1 teaspoon of vanilla powder and 2 heaped tablespoons of honey. Use a peeler to peel in the zest from the orange, then squeeze in all the juice. Add the cinnamon stick, snapped in two.
Place on the bottom shelf of the oven. Roast for 15 minutes.
SALAD
Trim the bases of the chicory and tear the leaves over a serving platter.
Quickly pick the basil leaves and scatter the small ones all over the salad.
Put a small frying pan on a medium to low heat.
Trim the stems off and put the basil into a blender, stems and all. You can add one or two more green leaves like kale or chard. Peel and through in the garlic clove, then add a good pinch of salt & pepper, the anchovies, 1 teaspoon of mustard, 2 tablespoons of yoghurt, 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar and about the same amount of extra virgin olive oil. Add a small splash of meat stock and whiz until smooth.
Add a splash of olive oil and the capers to the hot frying pan. Fry for a few minutes until crispy.
Taste the dressing to check for acidity, then pour into a jug.
Sprinkle the crispy capers all over the chicory leaves and take to the table with the jug of dressing.
TO SERVE
When the cauliflower mac n’ cheese is golden and bubbling, take it to the table. Take the fruit out of the oven and put it to one side. When ready, serve the fruit in small glasses, layered up with 24hr cream and the fruit juices.
* A word on hard cheeses: Hard, aged cheeses are allowed on full GAPS, however, it’s recommended to introduce them after significant gut healing has occurred and to monitor the reaction. It took us a year with no hard cheeses (only gaps yogurt and cream), then another year of gradual reintroduction of hard cheeses.
#seewhatididthere to make the Jamie Oliver recipe more suitable for GAPS:
The Cauliflower Mac recipe, unfortunately, was a complete no-go with way too many grain based and lactose/casein ingredients. Luckily, a fellow GAPS mum warrior Yael, has a killer Mac n’ Cheese recipe in her assume new cook book, so I used that recipe and added some walnuts to replace the breadcrumbs in Jamie’s original recipe. I also ditched the pancetta since we don’t have pork products at home. I found that frying the onion for the sauce gives it a deep savory flavor, like adding onion soup powder to sauces in my pre-gaps days. Don’t skip that stage.
The salad was pretty straight forward and the main replacement I made was using 24hr yogurt instead of shop bought yogurt. I added some greens from the garden cause my son loves kale and it worked really well. You can also boost the dressing with more green leaves.
The stewed fruit recipe also required little (but vital) adjustments. I used pure vanilla powder instead of paste, which is glucose based. The sugar was replaced with honey, I didn’t use brandy and instead of the recommended vanilla ice cream, I served the fruit with 24hr fermented cream.
So, did it pass the Sam test?! In short, no. While he liked the idea of Mac n’ Cheese, when it was served to his plate and didn’t contain the key ingredient: macaroni, he was not impressed. He agreed to try one mouthful of square cut cauli and declared he didn’t like it. He picked the clean kale leaves out of the salad and ate them…The stewed fruit were a total NO for him, which I wasn’t surprised about at all. •• don’t worry, the kid didn’t go hungry. Just like any other autism mum, I was prepared with some back up food for him. GAPS food of course.••
After a very long time, 3 kids and a three year (ongoing) GAPS and Autism recovery journey, I’m reviving this blog with a new project. All my grain free recipes have been published on my Facebook group (@My Gutsy Kitchen), but I decided to make this blog a home for the project recipes since they are longer than the usual ones I post. So stay tuned cause this is a tasty one.
I’ve taken on a new challenge: Jamie Oliver has always been an inspiration to me. His life story, his cooking and his style. I have some of his books and have closely followed his quest for a healthier, more sustainable existence. However, it’s safe to say that most of his recipes are not suitable for GAPS/SCD in their original form. Even those that don’t contain the obvious GAPS No No’s, still have a tablespoon of flour or sugar in them.
So what does one do with all those cook books? Well… I challenged myself to give some chosen recipes a GAPS facelift. I will replace grain, starch and sugar based ingredients and I will incorporate core GAPS foods like sauerkraut and fermented vegetables, 24hr yogurt or cream and meat stock, to make his food even healthier and give the delicious meals gut healing properties. I’m starting with the the Save With Jamie and 30 Minutes Meals books because they full of family friendly meals which can easily be converted (I most likely will not be sticking to the 30min time frame).
Here’s to an interesting journey.
My GAPS version to Jamie Oliver’s: Mothership Sunday Roast Lamb Dinner (From the book Save with Jamie)
Ingredients: 1 bulb of garlic 1 bunch of fresh rosemary (30g) olive oil1x 2.5kg shoulder of lamb, bone in 3 onions 600ml home made GAPS meat stock 1 large butternut squash 1 bunch of fresh mint (30g) 1 teaspoon honey 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar > GAPSit with raw apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp sauerkraut liquid 4 Anchovy fillets (we don’t eat pork products at home) 1 bag of Brussel Sprouts, trimmed and halved 500g frozen peas 20g butter or ghee
Method:
Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°C/gas 3.
In a pestle and mortar, bash 4 peeled garlic cloves, half the rosemary leaves and a pinch of salt and pepper into a paste, then muddle in a good lug of olive oil. Stab the lamb all over, then stick your finger in each hole and massage the marinade in and all over.
Peel and quarter the onions and place in a snug-fitting roasting tray (this is important), with the lamb on top. Add 50ml of stock, cover tightly with baking parchment and cook for 3 hours.
Remove the lamb from the oven and drain the fat which you will use to coat the butternut squash. Add another 200ml of stock to the lamb, then return the lamb to the oven for another hour.
Meanwhile, peel and core the butternut squash, cut it into chunks and place them in a large roasting tray. Strip in the rest of the rosemary leaves, bash and add the remaining unpeeled garlic cloves, pour the lamb fat all over and toss with salt and pepper.
Pick and very finely chop the mint leaves, scrape into a small jug and mix with the honey, vinegar and 1 tablespoon of sauerkraut liquid.
Chop the anchovy fillets and cook in a large frying pan on a medium heat until they start falling apart. Add the brussel sprouts with a splash of stock, cook for 5-10, then season to perfection.
Remove the lamb from the oven, transfer to a platter and cover. Drain the remaining liquids from the lamb tray into a small pot and add 200ml stock, blend to a smooth consistency using a hand held blender and then simmer for 2-3min. Taste and adjust the flavors, then pour into a jug.
Quickly blanch the peas in a pan of boiling water or stock for a couple of minutes, then drain (save and drink the stock, if using) and coat with butter.
Serve everything in the middle of the table, with a bowl of sauerkraut and other fermented vegetables.
#see_what_I_did_there To make Jamie’s original recipe suitable for GAPS, first of all I replaced the potatoes with butternut squash and used the lamb fat instead of olive oil. You could also use other squashes and pumpkin varieties, swede or beetroot. Instead of using water, I used gut healing meat stock wherever possible. The sugar for the mint sauce was replaced with honey and I added sauerkraut liquid for it’s probiotic properties. Instead of using flour to thicken the gravy, I simply blended the onions in to thicken up the sauce. The peas were cooked in stock and then coated in butter for easier digestion and nutrient absorption.#gapslife#gaps#scd#scdlife#grainfee#glutenfree#sugarfree#starchfree#gapsstock#scdstock#gapsforautism#gapsforcrhons#scdforcrohns#gutsupport#gapsingjamieoliver#savewithjamie#familydining
My gutsy kitchen 