Meal Prep and Emergency Preparedness #WellnessWednesday

Hello Everyone! This Wellness Wednesday Week 4 and I'm here to talk to you about Paleo Meal Prep and Emergency Preparedness. One of the easiest ways to fail with a Paleo diet is to not have a plan. It's so easy to get home late and think to yourself "I don't have time to cook now, we can get takeout tonight." That may be okay if you choose the right restaurant and pick a paleo option, but it's really
easy to let "tonight" become tomorrow night, and the night after that, and before you know it, you have been eating out for several weeks in a row. Taking the time to form a plan for your meals for the week ahead of time can not only save you time, but also be easier on your budget (eating out is expensive!).

Some of the best ways to prepare are baking a whole chicken and/or ham; steaming several day's worth of quinoa or wild rice; baking sweet potatoes, spaghetti squash, butternut squash, or another starch; or even preparing breakfast foods such as pancakes, egg cups, waffles, or baked oatmeal. Don't forget that a crockpot can also be an excellent asset, allowing you to prepare tomorrow's meal today.

You can either prepare enough meals for a few days and use all of them fresh, or you can prepare enough for the entire week and freeze some for the end of the week. This is also helpful for when the primary cook in your house is going out of town. It can also be great for when your children are home from school with a babysitter or when you are preparing for a big storm. I grew up in rural Connecticut and we lost power several times a year for days at a time because of the weather, and it was always nice to have food prepared ahead of time rather than having to live on processed foods and tuna fish.

While you're at the store, don't forget to pick up a few gallons of drinking water, extra batteries for flashlights, anything missing from your first aid kit, and stop by your local sandbag distributor if your home could be in a flood zone (also a good idea to check evacuation routes!).

Stay safe, stay dry and please remember to reschedule your appointment if you won't be able to make it!
Yours in Health,
Dr. Chelsea

Neverending Pancakes GF DF

My friends, if you learn nothing else from this blog, I hope I can teach you to ALWAYS READ ALL OF THE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE STARTING A RECIPE!

Breakfast is by far my favorite meal of the day and the most fun to cook! I'm all about making pancakes from scratch, and I have several recipes I use which are completely Paleo and also delicious!

However, I know that making breakfast for a crowd- whether it's for a holiday, special occasion, or simply because you have a large family- can be a significant struggle. Sometimes, shortcuts must be taken, particularly when said family shows up unexpectedly. You want to be able to keep the gluten free integrity of your home, but they may be wary of "this whole no grain thing". 

Making a big show about breakfast (or breakfast for dinner) can also be a special treat to help kids who are a little more reluctant to sign on to the gluten free lifestyle. Sometimes, you have to get as close as you can to the "real thing" while they're adjusting to the transition. When your family is more established in a gluten and dairy free routine, it's easier to use recipes with fewer processed ingredients like this pumpkin pancakes recipe.

For when you need a shortcut, this King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Pancake Mix is definitely the way to go!  


If you are not cooking for a crowd, please make sure to follow the instructions for cutting this recipe in half! I made the mistake (yet again) of not reading the box where it says "add mix". Not "add 1/3 cup of mix". Not "add half of mix". They mean add the WHOLE MIX.

Whoops.

Well, I'm human. Like you, I'm not a chef. Kitchen mishaps happen. 


This made a MOUNTAIN of pancakes! A little much when you intend to make breakfast for two people, but perfect for a crowd!

I also am not the world's leading authority on flipping pancakes. Whoops.

Also please make note of where it says to let the mixture rest for 10 minutes to allow it to thicken, this is important! To make this dairy free, I subbed Smart Balance for butter and used coconut oil spray on the pan. I also used 2 cups of almond milk in place of the milk, also after not reading the box where it recommends an appropriate proportion of rice milk. 

As you can see, the pancakes fluffed up beautifully anyway, hooray! Box mixes can be wonderfully forgiving. Blueberries also make a wonderful addition.

I hope you enjoy these as much as we did!
Dr. Chelsea

Ratatouille (the dish, not the Disney movie)

My favorite thing about summer at the clinic is lunchtime. In the interest of eating well, decreasing stress, and solidifying our relationships, we cook lunch in teams. Every team has a day, so we are constantly eating fabulous, unique dishes and we each only have to cook once per week. Most of the time we also use this as an excuse to try new recipes. It's just another aspect of the wonderful culture that Dr. Frank and Laure have built here at the Frank Clinic!

Dr. Holstein and I make lunch on Thursdays and we always try to come up with something sumptuous but simple. A few of the recipes we have tried out are crockpot barbecue chicken, spaghetti squash with vegan chili, and of course the angel food cake I made for her birthday found its way in there as well.


Like many Disneygenarians out there, I have wanted to try to make Ratatouille since seeing the film. It's naturally paleo and also vegan and is great when you want to feed a whole group of people. This recipe comes from The Comfort of Cooking.

LAYERED RATATOUILLE

YIELD: Makes 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 onion, finely chopped *You won't find onion in any of my recipes, I left this out*
2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
1 cup tomato puree
¼ tsp. oregano
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small eggplant, such as Italian or Chinese *I recommend actually getting a small one, the large ones present an issue when you start to layer everything. In fact, try to be sure that all of your veggies are approximately the same diameter*
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 long red bell pepper
Few sprigs fresh thyme *We were out so I used rosemary. Basil would also be fabulous*
Salt and pepper

Parchment paper

Look at all of that color!

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Pour tomato puree into bottom of an oval baking dish, approximately 10 inches across the long way. Drop the sliced garlic cloves and chopped onion into the sauce, stir in oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, one tablespoon of the olive oil, and season the sauce generously with salt and pepper.

Trim the ends off the eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash. Trim the top of the red pepper and remove the core.

On a mandoline, adjustable-blade slicer or with a very sharp knife, cut the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash and red pepper into very thin slices, approximately 1/16-inch thick.

*Or if you don't have fancy kitchen tools, do the best you can with a knife. My slices were anywhere between 1/16 and 3/8 of an inch thick*

Atop the tomato sauce, arrange slices of prepared vegetables concentrically from the outer edge to the inside of the baking dish, overlapping so just a smidgen of each flat surface is visible, alternating vegetables. You may have a handful leftover that do not fit.

Drizzle the remaining tablespoon olive oil over the vegetables and season them generously with salt and pepper. Remove the leaves from the thyme sprigs with your fingertips, running them down the stem. Sprinkle the fresh thyme over the dish.

Cover dish with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit inside.

Bake for approximately 45 to 55 minutes, until vegetables have released their liquid and are clearly cooked, but with some structure left so they are not totally limp. They should not be brown at the edges, and you should see that the tomato sauce is bubbling up around them.

If you don't want to get too fancy with it, you can actually just bake the vegetables in a large dish, what some people call "Country Ratatouille". Either way, it's colorful and delicious and is an excellent way to incorporate several different kinds of vegetables. I arranged mine in two different patterns, since cooking at the office required a double batch.

Bon Appetit!
Dr. Chelsea

Dr. Chelsea's Whipped Coconut Cream

Whipped cream is something I really missed when I cut out dairy. Pumpkin pie is just not the same without a dollop of whipped cream on top, nor are pancakes. So I would cheat and have it anyway on special occasions and pay the price with sinus congestion and a stomachache. Naturally, finding an alternative became a matter of high importance.

This is by far my favorite allergy-free recipe because it is relatively easy and quick if you plan ahead, and you can use it for just about anything sweet. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure you could also tweak it to be an alternative to mascarpone cream or even with savory flavors to compliment a meat dish. The possibilities are endless!

Dr. Chelsea's Whipped Coconut Cream GF DF SF EF NF

This is completely egg, gluten, dairy, nut, and soy free and makes an excellent accompaniment to fruit, pancakes, waffles, crepes, oatmeal, or your favorite dessert. It can modified to make frosting by adding more sugar (to be used in limited quantities obviously) and beating with a mixer. You can even blend it into your coffee instead of conventional coffee creamer (although I would leave out the sugar if you do)! I have made this completely sugar free, and it is still delicious, but the recipe below is the one I have found to taste the best.
*This does require 2+ hours of pre-refridgeration, so plan ahead!

Tip: When looking at alternative milks (soy, rice, almond, etc) watch out for additives, even among the organic brands. A lot of the time they will include stabilizers such as guar gum and carageenan and added sugars. Try to pick a brand with the fewest ingredients. Silk is a non-organic option that can be found commonly in conventional grocery stores. If you can make it to a health food store like Chuck's Natural Foods, Rollin' Oats, Publix Greenwise, Whole Foods, or Trader Joe's, you will have a wider range of organic alternatives.

Ingredients:
1 can full fat coconut milk
2 Tablespoons of sugar
1-2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:
1. Place can of coconut milk in the fridge, upside down and chill for at least 2 hours 
I prefer 4+ and try to keep one in the fridge so I never have to worry about it! DO NOT put it in the freezer thinking it will chill and separate faster, you will end up with ice crystals of coconut water that will melt and ruin the consistency.

2. Place a medium to large glass or metal mixing bowl in the freezer at least 30 minutes prior to preparation.
I try to freeze mine for at least 2 hours. An easy way to remember is to freeze it when you put the coconut milk in the fridge. 

3. Open can of coconut milk and drain off the liquid.
You can save this to use as the base for a smoothie, green shake, or coconut soup.

4. Take the bowl out of the freezer and scoop the coconut fat into the bowl.

5. Add sugar, vanilla and cinnamon.

6. Whisk or until thickened and smooth.
I usually do this for 2-4 minutes. If it isn't thickened by then, add a little more sugar and cinnamon in ¼ teaspoon increments. If you have to add more than 2 teaspoons, try some meringue powder or cornstarch in small increments. The fat content of this milk may not have been high enough. If it is too paste-like and difficult to mix, add a small amount of the coconut water and re-mix. I have had better luck with a whisk than a beater with this, it can get over-mixed sometimes.

7. Taste, and add small amounts of more cinnamon, vanilla, then sugar to taste.
This is not supposed to be a very sweet cream, enjoy that wonderful coconut flavor!

Variations:

Sugar Free: Omit sugar and add cinnamon as needed to taste

For frosting:
Beat with a mixer instead of a whisk and add sugar slowly to thicken. I use granulated sugar over confectioner's sugar with this because it doesn't taste as sticky-sweet and helps the coconut fat thicken into soft peaks. If it doesn't thicken well, try adding cornstarch or meringue powder in small increments.

Chocolate/Chocolate Peppermint: Use 2-3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (and possibly a few drops of food grade peppermint essential oil)

Pumpkin: Add 2 teaspoons of pumpkin spice

Tropical Fruit: Omit cinnamon and add a few drops of orange or lemon essential oil (or both)

Piña Colada:  Omit cinnamon and add small amounts of pineapple juice or finely crushed pineapple to taste

Key Lime Pie: Omit vanilla and cinnamon and add small amounts of key lime juice to taste

Raspberry: Omit cinnamon and add small amounts of raspberry jam to taste (you can always add cocoa powder to this as well).

Pumpkin: Omit sugar and fold in 1/4 cup pureed pumpkin, add 1tsp pumpkin pie spice

Please me know what you thought of it, any modifications you made, and any suggestions for additional variations!

Thanks,
Dr. Chelsea

Pumpkin Pancakes (21DSD)

21 Day Sugar Detox Recipe: Pumpkin Pancakes With Vanilla Bean Coconut Butter (GF DF SF NF)

By far one of the best pancake recipes I have come across!

I haven't done a side-by-side comparison yet, but I think this stands right up next to a regular flour pancake recipe, and it is completely gluten and grain free.

Laure made pancakes and belgian waffles with this recipe and both fluffed up beautifully. We were actually even more impressed with the waffles because they looked so beautiful! As hard as we are working on the 21 Day Sugar Detox, this was the first recipe I have come across where I felt it actually needed some sugar. Not the panffles themselves though, more so in the topping.

The real question here is are we just accustomed to having sweet flavor to breakfast foods, or did it actually need a sugary topping to balance the flavor? Hard to say for sure.

All I know is, I spent a solid 15 minutes trying to perfect the vanilla bean coconut butter. I tried heating it up, adding more vanilla, then cinnamon, then some pumpkin, and even a little bit of pomegranate molasses to no avail. We ended up eating them with just butter and a little bit of raw peanut butter, which was delicious. But I think they would have been absolutely perfect with a little bit of maple syrup or my whipped coconut cream.

There are no sweeteners added to this recipe!
PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOKING TIME: 30 minutes
SERVINGS: 4
Ingredients
6 eggs
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of sea salt
3 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil
for the vanilla bean coconut butter
3 tablespoons coconut butter
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
seeds from 1/2 of a vanilla bean pod
Preparation
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla. Sift the pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, coconut flour, and baking soda, and salt into the wet ingredients. Alternative option: combine all ingredients in a food processor until well mixed.
Grease the skillet with 1 teaspoon of ghee and spoon the batter into the skillet to make pancakes of your desired size. Allow the pancakes to cook for about three minutes, and when a few bubbles appear, flip the pancakes once to finish cooking for another three minutes.
Serve with bacon or sausage.

Make the vanilla bean coconut butter:
Combine the coconut butter, vanilla, and vanilla bean seeds in a small mixing bowl.
Mix well to combine, then use to top pancakes.

Topping ideas:
Vanilla bean coconut butter
Almond butter
Sliced green bananas
Chopped walnuts or pecans
Dr. Chelsea's Whipped Coconut Cream

Hope you enjoy them! Let us know what you thought in the comments below!
Laure and Dr. Chelsea