Category: Heart Healthy

Low Gluten Multi-Grain Bread – version 1

Posted on by Lisa P
Low Gluten Bread
Fresh out of the bread maker

I made this bread for Easter dinner. I should not experiment on a holiday I know, but Trader Joe’s was closed and I wanted a nice bread that wasn’t white and processed, and ideally gluten-free. Gluten-free bread takes too long because it’s not bread machine friendly, so I concocted this mash-up of 1/2 regular whole wheat and 1/2 gluten-free bread recipe for the bread machine. It’s not perfect, but it was good enough for Easter dinner.

1-1/2 C water, warmed in microwave
2 T oil
2 T honey
1 egg
1 t salt
1/8 C ground flax
2/3 C almond flour
1 C brown rice flour
1 C masa de harina
2/3 C Whole wheat flour
2/3 C white bread flour
1/2 C potato starch
1/4 C fat free milk powder
1 t xanthan gum
1 T yeast

Put in bread machine in this order, or in the order recommended by your particular machine. It’s a 2lb loaf however it comes out small and dense so a smaller machine could probably do it. Just make sure to put it on Dark crust so it will get a longer cooking time than a 1-1/2 lb loaf.

Eating notes:
– Tasty but not very sweet.
– Dense but makes good thin slices that toast well
– It freezes also freezes well.

Things to try next time…
– try 3 T ea oil and honey
– more flax meal
– lighter starch?
– replace almond flour with something else… spelt?

Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins

Posted on by Lisa P

Whodathought you could make GF muffins that don’t taste GF?

I made these with freshly puréed roasted pumpkin that I made from a leftover Halloween pumpkin (uncarved!). I brought some to work and left them in the break room, and found this note stuck to the empty plate.

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P.S. I made these in a toaster oven with a convection option.

Lisa’s Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins

Wet Ingredients:
1/4 C Butter
3/4 C Sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 C fresh pureed pumpkin (drained)

Dry Ingredients:
2/3 C brown rice flour
2/3 C gluten-free oat flour
1/3 C almond flour
1/3 C tapioca starch
1-1/2 t xanthan gum
1 T baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1-1/2 t pumpkin pie spice

Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, mixing after each one. Add vanilla and pumpkin and blend well.

2. In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients together well.

3. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet pumpkin mixture. Use mixer on low to mix until just blended. Do not over-mix.

4. Preheat oven to 350.

5. Wipe muffin tin cups with a light coat of oil. A non-stick 12-muffin pan is ideal.

6. The dough will be heavy and dense. Use a large table spoon to scoop dough into cups. It should mound slightly above the surface of the tin.

7. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Let cool slightly in the tin and then use a butter knife to gently pry each muffin out. Cool completely on wire rack.

How to Prepare and Cook Kale

Posted on by Lisa P

I’m sure a lot of people have never tried kale because they don’t know how to cook kale. I was one of those people too until just a few years ago. That was when I discovered that kale is a great tasting, highly nutritious leafy green vegetable, similar to spinach.

Kale is best when fresh, so cook it within a few days after you buy it at the grocery store. Make sure it’s a nice dark green with firm leaves and no brown spots or flimsy areas.

Kale is also very inexpensive, especially when you buy it in season. I can get a huge bunch of it in season (January-March) for about $1.29.

[Time saving tip: Make the whole bunch at once, even if you won’t eat it all that night. Store the rest in the frig for a few days. Then you can briefly microwave it and serve with another meal. That’ll save you a lot of time.] Continue reading “How to Prepare and Cook Kale” →

What Does “Cooking Healthy” Mean?

Posted on by Lisa P

Prepare a Healthy LunchWho do you know who’s NOT busy these days?

One of the first things we sacrifice when life gets too busy is our health.  We push off doctors appointments, we postpone the morning walk, we work late and skip the gym, we stop at Subway on the way home and convince ourselves we’re eating healthy.

Eating a yogurt for lunch at your desk is not healthy.  I actually know people who keep a stash of peanut butter crackers (yup, the packaged kind you get from the wholesale grocery store) in their desk drawer because they usually don’t have time for lunch.

Eating this way will hurt you.  It will sap your energy and rob you of the nutrition your body needs to stay healthy.

Cooking Healthy is about quickly and (almost) effortlessly preparing your own food so that you can …

  • know exactly what you are putting into your body
  • be prepared with something good to eat when you run out of time
  • spend less time in the kitchen
  • have more energy
  • lose weight
  • feel happier about yourself
  • save money on food bills

Cooking healthy is not only about cooking.  By planning ahead, using time-saving techniques, and focusing on preparation, the cooking part becomes nearly effortless.  In some cases there’s no actual cooking involved.

So come on in and look around.  I’m here to help you, so please ask questions.   I hope you’ll also feel free to comment on what you read here.  I’d love to hear your story, your thoughts, and your ideas for how to make things work better for you specifically.

Thanks for coming!

Lisa