Healthy with Jodi

Kinder Milchsnitte

    Traditional German dessert 

    Gluten free

    Happily makes 4 wafers

    ALL ORGANIC INGREDIENTS

    Chocolate Biscuit Cake:

    1/3 Cup all purpose Gluten free flour (I used Cassava Flour)

    2 TBSP Cacao Powder

    2 Eggs

    1/4 Cup Sugar (I used Monk Fruit)

    1 TBSP Milk (I used Coconut milk)

    1/8 tsp Sea Salt

    Filling: 

    1 Cup Cream Cheese (I used Coconut Cream Cheese, Miyoko’s brand)

    1/2 Cup Soft Butter

    1 tsp Vanilla

    3 TBSP Condensed milk (I used Coconut Cream)

    To make the Cake:

    Whisk flour, cacao, and salt together.  In a separate bowl whisk room temperature eggs and sugar together until light and airy. 

    Add flour mixture and mix well until creamy.

    Spray an 8×8 baking pan/stone.  Line with parchment paper.

    Pour in batter.  Cook at 350 for 10-12 mins.  

    Remove, turn over, pull of parchment paper.

    To make the filling:

    Whisk or blend (easiest) the ingredients together.  

    Cut the cake in half. Then cut longways to create a wafer bottom and top.  

    Spread the filling on one side of the cake, then top with the other half.

    ENJOY!

    Cilantro Pesto

      Gluten free, Vegan

      Happily makes 3/4 Cup (about 6 servings)

      ALL ORGANIC INGREDIENTS

      2 Cups Cilantro 

      2 Jalapeños 

      3 Garlic Cloves

      4 TBSP Avocado oil (or oil of choice)

      2 TBSP Lime Juice

      1 tsp Sea Salt

      You can deseed the jalapeños if you want it less hot.  Coarsely cut 

      Cut garlic and leet sit 5-10 minutes

      Wash Cilantro, cut stems off.

      Add all ingredients together in the food processor, blend well until mostly smooth.

      Almond Cookies

        Traditional Chinese Almond Cookie

        Gluten Free

        Happily Serves 12 

        ALL ORGANIC INGREDIENTS 

        1 Cup Butter or Ghee

        1 Cup Monk Fruit

        2 Eggs (divided)

        1 tsp Almond Extract

        3 Cups All Purpose Gluten Free Flour

        1 tsp Baking soda

        1/2 tsp Sea salt

        Optional:

        1/4 Cup sliced almonds, or whole almonds for topping the cookie

        Cream the softened butter with the sugar in a large mixing bowl.

        Add ONE egg and the almond extract. Mix well.

        Add flour, baking soda, salt, and blend, using low speed. The dough will be crumbly.

        Press the dough tight while rolling into balls.  

        Place onto an ungreased stoneware.  

        Gently press down to flatten slightly.

        Crack the other egg and divide the egg white from the yolk. 

        Add 1/2 teaspoon of water to the egg white and mix with a fork.

        Brush each cookie with the egg white.

        Top each cookie with either a single whole almond, or several sliced almonds.

        Bake at 325 degrees F. for 14-16 minutes, until edges and bottoms are lightly browned.

        Remove and let sit for two minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

        Vegetable Beef Soup

          Gluten Free

          Happily Makes 12 (one cup serving

          ALL ORGANIC INGREDIENTS 

          1 Pound ground beef

          1 15oz Can Fire Roasted Organic Tomatoes

          1 6oz Tomato Paste

          4 Cups Bone Broth

          1 Red Bell Pepper

          1 Yellow Bell Pepper

          1 Orange Bell Pepper

          1 Sweet Yellow Onion

          2 tsp Roasted Garlic Powder

          1 tsp Thyme

          1 tsp Parsley

          1 tsp Rosemary

          1 tsp White Pepper

          1 TBSP Himalayan Sea Salt

          3 Bay Leafs

          Cook Ground beef, add sea salt, pepper and roasted garlic.

          Chop onion, bell peppers, add to ground while you prepare the base.

          In a large stock pot, add the bone broth, fire roasted tomatoes, tomato paste.  Stir until combined. 

          Add veggies, ground beef and spices to the pot.  Stir well.

          Add Bay leafs.

          Simmer on low for about 2 hours

          Sweet Potato Pie

            Happily Serves 8-12

            Gluten Free, Dairy Free

            ALL ORGANIC INGREDIENTS 

            Crust

            1 Cup soaked dates 

            2 Cups Paleo Nut Flour or 2 Cups Favorite Nut flour 

            1/8 tsp Himalayan Sea Salt

            To make the crust

            Pulse nut flour and dates together until it becomes a lumpy ball and then press into the bottom of a pie dish and refrigerate. 

            Filling

            4 Cups Fresh Sweet Potatoes (can sub Pumpkin)

            1 Cup soaked dates

            6 TBSP Coconut Cream (not coconut milk) Room Temp

            1/3 Cup Maple syrup 

            1/4 tsp Sea Salt

            1-2 TBSP Pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon

            To make the filling

            Wash, peel, and dice/cube potatoes.  Cook Sweet potatoes

            Add Sweet Potatoes to the food processor and blend until smooth. 

            Add the other ingredients and process until smooth.  

            Transfer the filling to your pie crust and let refrigerate for a few hours. 

            You can top the pie with Dairy free Coconut Cool whip (SODelicious brand)

            Black Bean Brownies

              Vegan, Gluten Free 

              Happily Serves 15 (2oz individual serving size)

              ALL ORGANIC INGREDIENTS 

              3 TBSP Ground Chia Seed + 6 TBSP Water (this equals 2 eggs)

              2 Cups Black beans (If you are going to use canned, rinse and drain well)

              3/4 Cup Cacao Powder

              1/4 tsp Himalayan Sea salt

              1/2 Cup Coconut Sugar or Monk Fruit 

              1 tsp Vanilla Extract

              1 1/2 tsp Baking powder

              3 TBSP Coconut Oil

              Optional:

              1/4 Cup Dairy-free chocolate chips

              Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

              Lightly grease a mini muffin pan, or an 8×8 Bar pan.

              Make Chia seed egg by combining ground chia seed and water in the food processor. You can make this in a separate small if you don’t have a food processor.  Pulse a few times and then let sit for a 2-3 minutes.

              Add remaining ingredients (except chocolate chips) and puree about 3 minutes.  Scrape down sides to blend until smooth.

              If the batter seems too thick, you can add a 1-2 TBSP of water, pulse again. It should not be runny, it should be slightly less thick than chocolate frosting.

              Evenly fill the mini muffin tin and tap pan to remove air bubbles.

              Optional: Sprinkle with chocolate chips. 

              Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tops are dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides. 

              Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes before removing from pan.  Remove gently because the insides are meant to be fudgy.

              Optional to have this be a NO BAKE BROWNIE.  Since there is no raw ingredients, you can individually separate portions and eat the batter plain or cook when you are ready for a hot brownie!

              Cashew Crusted Cabbage Steaks

                Vegan, Gluten Free

                Happily serves 4

                Avocado oil

                ALL ORGANIC INGREDIENTS

                1 Whole Purple Cabbage

                ALMOND BUTTERMILK:

                1 Cup Almond Milk

                1 TBSP Lemon juice or coconut vinegar 

                CRUST:

                1 Cup Cashews

                1 tsp Sea Salt

                1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper

                3/4 tsp Garlic powder

                1 tsp Smoked Paprika

                Optional: 1 tsp Curry or turmeric powder

                First mix almond milk and lemon juice and set aside.

                Cut cabbage into 1 inch rounds and air fry for 4-5 minutes.

                Chop cashews. Add salt, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, curry powder, paprika to the food processor.

                Mix until semi-fine.

                Dip both sides of the cabbage in the almond buttermilk.

                Sprinkle the nut mix and spray avocado oil to help them crisp up.

                Air fry about 5 minutes.

                Gluten Free. Gut Health. Immune Health.

                  How they are intertwined.

                  I find it sad that we need to learn about health issues the hard way.  Our grandparents didn’t have to deal with such issues because they ate real food.  Today it is essential to educate yourself and learn how to get back to basics.  It is also essential to know your sources.  Where is your information coming from?  There are a several Doctors I follow in functional health and medicine, Dr. Osborn is one of them and has a fabulous book out, “No Grain, No Pain”.  He breaks down how it’s all connected.  I believe it’s a triangle of health, can’t just pick one thing, it’s all related because our bodies work as a whole.

                  If you are interested in learning more or need help deciphering through what it all means, call me, I’ll help simply it for you.  No need to spend hours researching on the internet…we’ve already done that for you.

                  A quick break down…

                  Lack of essential and bioavailable proteins are a major contributing factor to persistent illness in those with gluten sensitivity. Why? Protein is the main ingredient your body uses to build immune antibodies as well as heal inflamed structural tissues and muscles. These functions are vital for the following reasons:

                  1-Antibody production, particularly IgA is essential for your body’s ability to combat infection, chemical toxins, as well as allergies. Research has shown that antibody deficiency is a common phenomenon in those with gluten sensitivity. Lack of these vital proteins puts you at risk for multiple chronic health issues.

                  2-Muscles are required for movement of the frame. As part of this process, muscle serves as a pumping system for your lymphatic vessels. These vessels are crucial because they help the body transport immune cells and antibodies. They also help remove damaging toxins. Research has also shown that a large majority of those with gluten sensitivity have poor muscle to fat ratios.

                  Gluten Destroys Muscle & Causes Protein Wasting

                  In more than a decade of seeing patients and dealing with the consequences of gluten, one of the most common side effects of gluten is inflammation in the muscle and joints. The gluten proteins create an inflammatory reaction in these tissues that over time leads to many negative outcomes:

                  •Muscle pain

                  •Muscle atrophy (loss)

                  •Joint pain and arthritis

                  •Weight gain (increased visceral fat – AKA belly fat)

                  •Weight loss (due to muscle atrophy)

                  •Restricted mobility

                  •Increased risk for injury in those trying to exercise

                  Gluten consumption leads to body protein disruption in several ways…

                  1-Inflammation – Gluten can cause the immune system to literally attack the muscle and joints leading to chronic pain and inflammation. A prolonged immune system attack contributes to chronic degradation of these tissues and subsequently atrophy of the muscle and arthritis in the joint.

                  2-Hormone Release – To deal with this chronic damage, the body produces cortisol as an anti-inflammatory hormone. Increased cortisol leads to increased visceral fat (belly fat).

                  3-Damage to the Stomach and GI Tract – Gluten can damage the specialized cells in your stomach and small intestines that secrete vital acid and digestive enzymes. Over time this damage makes it almost impossible to properly digest and break down dietary proteins from meats and vegetables. Many with gluten sensitivity have lost their ability to digest properly and develop protein and amino acid deficits.

                  Gluten Induced Gut Damage Can Make Meat Digestion a Challenge

                  Many who embark on a gluten free diet still have inflamed and damaged gastrointestinal tracts. Some suffer with low acid production making it hard to digest dietary proteins. This is a big part of the “Catch 22″ in healing. To heal the gut, you need protein, but to digest the protein, you need a healthy and functional gut.

                  The Critical Role of Protein

                  Protein balance plays a major role body function. It is essential for proper maintenance of the immune system, the detoxification systems in the liver, antibody formation, muscle maintenance, tissue repair, digestive enzyme production, neurotransmitter (brain chemicals), and hormone production. Protein is responsible for building cellular receptors (antennas) that help recognize hormones, regulate blood sugar, control our circadian rhythm, and control our metabolism.

                  Too Many Carbs

                  Most people following the gluten free diet seek out alternatives to bread, pasta, cereal, etc. Unfortunately, these alternatives are highly processed, contain GMO ingredients, and they disrupt the carb, fat, protein balance. Excessive carbohydrate intake causes damage to important proteins in our bloodstream. This damage, often referred to as AGE (Advanced Glycation End products) is a major contributing factor to inflammation and chronic illness. And if you remember from the lesson above, chronic inflammation leads to hormone changes that tax our body’s protein stores and our ability to heal and repair is minimized.

                  The Problem with Over the Counter Protein Powders?

                  For patients with digestive issues, doctors commonly recommend meal replacement or protein powders. Unfortunately, most protein powders available over the counter contain cheap and highly processed ingredients that are subjected to high heat and chemical processing. These processes denature the protein creating a suboptimal food source that is harder to digest. Many other protein powders are also loaded up with artificial sweeteners and GMO chemicals like aspartame, sucralose, corn fructose, and maltodextrin. Some people will attempt to consume rice based proteins. Big mistake. Most rice proteins are devoid of nutrients, are low in biologically valuable amino acids, have a high potential for arsenic contamination, and most importantly contain a concentrated and very difficult to digest rice gluten. Other common protein options contain foods with severe allergenic potential. The most common include dairy, soy, and egg.

                  All three of these protein replacements can have severe drawbacks. Dairy is usually a major problem for those with gluten sensitivity. Aside from it’ s allergic potential, most dairy proteins are heat processed and derived from GMO cows being fed GMO grains covered in chemical fertilizers and pesticides. These chemicals are known gut irritants and have been shown to alter the microbial gut balance and contribute to intestinal permeability (AKA – leaky gut).

                  Soy proteins are high in phytates and tannins (compounds that inhibit mineral absorption – calcium, iron, zinc). Most soy proteins are also GMO and have been treated with chemical pesticides.

                  Egg protein replacement powders are typically derived from chickens being fed diets high in GMO grain sources. The birds suffer from poor environmental conditions. It is extremely common for those with gluten sensitivity to react to eggs from grain fed chickens.

                  If you want a high quality protein without the drawbacks to help support your recovery and overall health, Collagen and correct supplementation is necessary.  Call me and we can develop an individual plan for you!

                  Purple Sweet Potato Brownies! Grain Free! Dairy Free!

                    Purple Sweet Potato Brownies
                    Grain Free, Paleo, Gluten Free, Dairy free
                    Happily serves 12

                    ALL ORGANIC INGREDIENTS

                    2 Purple Sweet Potatoes
                    14 Medjool Dates
                    1 1/2 Paleo Nut Flour
                    4 TBSP Raw CACAO Powder
                    3 TBSP Maple Butter
                    1/4 tsp Himalayan sea salt

                    Soak Date about 1-4 hours. Remove seeds.
                    Peel Sweet Potatoes. Slice/cut and steam for about 15 mins or until soft.
                    The smaller the pieces, the faster it will cook, the less nutrients you’ll lose.

                    Add Sweet Potatoes and Dates to food processor, blend until a creamy smooth texture.
                    Mix all other ingredients in a bowl, then add cream mixture. Stir well.
                    Bake for 20-30 mins on 350 until the toothpick comes out dry.

                    Allow to cool 10 mins for the brownies to gel together.

                    Chocolate Class! How to make chocolate healthy!

                      Chocolate….we all love it, might as well figure out how to make it healthy so we can enjoy it without Guilt! Just a few things we sampled and made today! Most of these products I got from Sprouts and Natural Grocers.

                      Purple Sweet Potato Brownies
                      Grain Free, Paleo, Gluten Free, Dairy free
                      Happily serves 12

                      ALL ORGANIC INGREDIENTS

                      2 Purple Sweet Potatoes
                      14 Medjool Dates
                      1 1/2 Paleo Nut Flour
                      4 TBSP Raw CACAO Powder
                      3 TBSP Maple Butter
                      1/4 tsp Himalayan sea salt

                      Soak Date about 1-4 hours. Remove seeds.
                      Peel Sweet Potatoes. Slice/cut and steam for about 15 mins or until soft.
                      The smaller the pieces, the faster it will cook, the less nutrients you’ll lose.

                      Add Sweet Potatoes and Dates to food processor, blend until a creamy smooth texture.
                      Mix all other ingredients in a bowl, then add cream mixture. Stir well.
                      Bake for 20-30 mins on 350 until the toothpick comes out dry.

                      Allow to cool 10 mins for the brownies to gel together. (Important step!!)

                      Jodi’s Fudgy Black Bean Brownies
                      Grain free, Dairy free, Gluten Free, Vegan
                      Happily serves 12-15

                      ALL ORGANIC INGREDIENTS

                      1 Egg Replacer (or 1 egg)
                      2 Cups Cooked Black beans
                      One Avocado (or 1/2-3/4 Cup coconut oil)
                      1 TBSP Vanilla extract
                      1/2 Cup Coconut sugar
                      2/3 Cup Raw Cacao or Carob
                      1/4 tsp Baking soda
                      1/4 tsp Baking powder
                      Optional: 1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips

                      Preheat oven to 350°.
                      Grease an 8 x 8″ baking stone or mini muffin pan (spray coconut oil)
                      Mix flax egg, black beans, avocado or oil, vanilla and sugar in the food processor until smooth.
                      Add the Cacao, baking soda, baking powder and mix again until smooth.

                      Batter needs to be stick to be fudgy if you want it thinner add a tablespoon or so of coconut milk or tsp coconut oil.
                      Fold in the chocolate chips spread in the pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
                      Cool completely.

                      Tips:
                      The food processor is best, blends and hides the consistency of the beans.
                      Brownies are best cold.  Can be stored in the fridge or frozen.
                      Also tastes good raw, no need to bake if you are in a hurry.