Low-Carb Mushroom Stuffing (No Bread!)

The holiday season is a time of joy, abundance and community. Memories of crackling fires, fresh evergreens, and rich, spicy aromas that emanate from what seems like every corner of the house! It's a time when we show gratitude, love, and acceptance the most of all the seasons.

What is your favorite part about the holiday season? Please comment to let me know!

For people with allergies or intolerances, it can also mean working harder to maintain physical wellbeing. Since becoming gluten (and lactose) intolerant, this is the hardest (but also most rewarding) cooking time of year for me. I strive to research more, get more creative, and find foods that are nutritionally appealing to me yet still entice the tastebuds of my friends and family.

This recipe, I am proud to say that my husband Jeremy cooked while I was making pie. We'd been toying with the idea of a stuffing with almond meal instead of breads, and bouncing ingredients back and forth while doing other things earlier in the day. So I was SO happy when he created this! I was so preoccupied with making a raw key lime pie that he finished it completely behind me without me even poking my head over to try to help. :)

What makes it so amazing is that when we took it to a friend's house for dinner, and asked after the meal what people thought of it, they said they didn't even realize it was a bread-free stuffing! The consistency of the stuffing was so spot on that it wasn't noticeably low-carb, which makes me very happy.

This recipe is also candida-friendly, is sugar free, yeast-free, and has super healthy coconut oil to hold the crumble together. YUM!

Low-Carb Mushroom Stuffing

3 cups mushrooms, chopped (we used crimini and shiitake)
1 small zucchini, cubed (about 1 cup)
1 small onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 sweet red pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 ribs celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup almond meal
1/4 cup sage, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil
Sage sprigs

Topping:
1/2 cup almond meal
1/4 coconut oil
zest of 1/2 lemon
4 sage leaves
pinch of salt

Brown the onion and celery in pan; set aside. Brown mushrooms; when liquid becomes substantial push the mushrooms to the side of the pan and add the sundried tomatoes to the center of the pan, allow them to cook in the liquid and soak it up. Set aside. Brown the zucchini, then add the red pepper and allow to cook until just tender. In a large bowl, mix up the cooked ingredients along with the sage, almond meal, salt and pepper. Pour into baking dish.

Topping:
Mix topping ingredients in food processor. Crumble across the top. Garnish with sprigs of sage.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Low-Carb Cauliflower Mashed un-Potatoes

So, I've been getting some requests to hear about how my candida cleanse is going. I've been on the diet aspect for about a month and a half now, and have tried two candida cleanse kits from the health food store so far.

The first one, Zand Candida Quick Cleanse, was something I grabbed on the fly. I mainly wanted to start with something non-invasive to see how my body would react to an herbal cleanse of this kind, and I sure got what I wanted! Non-invasive, for sure. I felt no different, really. It helped initially with the yeast infection (brought on by antibiotics earlier in the year), but it came back as soon as the cleanse was done. I did get a little light-headed a few times during the cleanse, but that was the only noticeable effect it had on my body. Oh, and they smelled and tasted like death. Thumbs down.

The next one I started taking about a week after the first product ended. Solaray Yeast Cleanse - it was a little more expensive, and a brand I've used before. Less Ingredients, which was fine because I was taking a couple other immune system and probiotic supplements along with it. I was a little happier with this one. I still didn't feel any different in terms of brain fog, fatigue, etc. but it helped a lot more with the yeast. I just finished this cleanse a couple days ago, and it hasn't come back yet.

I'm beginning to think that either candida isn't my issue (highly unlikely, given the symptoms) or I need something FAR more hardcore than over the counter supplements. I understand this will be a long process, but is it too much to ask to see SOME kind of abated symptoms? I feel like if I fudge and even have a little bit of carbs or sugar while not taking any herbal supplements that the candida will just RAGE in my system again. This makes me so unhappy, considering the time of year I'm doing this. I want to make pumpkin pie and have mashed potatoes with roasted carrots and pickled beets and SUSHI! But.. not all in one meal. That might be pushing it. ;) (I'd probably still eat it though, if given that dinner option!)

Speaking of potatoes, for Thanksgiving I wanted to make a mashed potato substitute that I could have with gravy, and I believe I may have found it in a cauliflower.

You heard me: Cauliflower Mash! With roasted garlic, I might add.

I've been using cauliflower a lot these days, and what better thing to use for a mash than cauliflower? It doesn't have the creamy, starchy consistency that potatoes have, but it's an awesome side dish - especially with gravy. ;)

Low-Carb Cauliflower Mashed un-Potatoes

1 1/2 heads of cauliflower
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil-based Earth Balance
2 Tbsp. roasted garlic (I had some on-hand)
1 Tbsp. brown rice miso paste
salt and pepper to taste
splash of Bragg's liquid aminos
saffron to garnish

Put a pot of water on the stove to boil. Once the cauliflower has been washed thoroughly, cut it into uniform florets, and add to the boiling water. When they're tender, take them out and drain.

In a large bowl or food processor, mash the cauliflower until it's a mostly-smooth consistency. Add remaining ingredients, and mash to combine. Mash, mash, mash! (Can you tell I did this by hand?)

Garnish with saffron and serve!

Do you have any favorite mashed potato alternatives? How do you like to dress up your mashed potatoes?

Asian Salad with Cranberry Dressing

Ever wonder what to do with leftover cranberry sauce? Try this! It's tangy, refreshing, and breaks you out of the standard holiday mode.

Asian Salad

3 cups fresh green beans
2 cups savoy cabbage, chopped
7 radishes, sliced
1/2 red pepper, sliced into thick matchsticks
1 green onion, sliced

In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups water to boil. Add in green beans and turn heat off. Let the green beans sit until the color brightens, then transfer them to either an ice bath or a colander in the sink with cold running water to stop the cooking process.

Once cooled, add green beans to a large bowl, along with the other veggies. Set aside.

Cranberry Dressing

1/2 cup Ginger-Lime Cranberry Sauce
4 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. cold pressed olive oil
2 Tbsp. cold pressed flax oil
1 tsp. desiccated coconut
1 tsp. raw apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. xylitol
Juice of one lime
pinch salt

In a medium-sized bowl, add all ingredients and whisk until emulsified. Pour into your salad bowl, and toss until coated. Serve! :)

Almond-crusted Chanterelles

Hey everyone!

It's the perfect time of year for amazing mushrooms. Shiitakes, maitakes, boletes, truffles, oysters, cat's tongues, and one of my personal favorites, chanterelles. A few of my very good friends and I went out into the woods recently and brought back a HUGE bag of chanterelles! (We also acquired some boletes, cat's tongues, shrimp mushrooms, and a bunch of non-edibles that my friend wanted to study!)
Note: Don't go looking for edible mushrooms in the forest unless you're experienced or have someone with you that knows the difference between species! Some species are very hard to differentiate between!

Chanterelles are not only one of my favorites because they have a beautifully smooth, creamy texture, but they're also very common and in abundance this part of the year. When we lived in our last house in BC, I could go for walks in the park next door with a bag and harvest a pound or two occasionally. They're also quite versatile - you can fry, bake, boil, or dry these cute little dudes and they always withstand the treatments I give them. :) A creamy chanterelle soup is a pretty popular (and delicious!!) standby, but I generally like just cooking and eating them!

The best way to bring out their beautiful flavor before adding them to any food, is to dry fry them without oil or salt. They have a high water content so they won't burn. I, however, am a rebel (as you may have noticed), so I'm going to dredge and fry them in their raw form!

Do you remember the Almond-Crusted Tofu that I made? It had such a lovely, crisp texture, and I had a hunch it would translate well to mushrooms. When we came back from our mushroom hunt, I fried these little babies up while Sandra made a huge pot of silky, delicately delicious soup. :) It was such an amazing day, with an intoxicatingly delicious end.

Almond-Crusted Chanterelles

1 pound raw Chanterelle mushrooms
1 cup almond meal
1/4 cup tapioca starch
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying (I used coconut oil)

In a deep, non-stick pan or pot, heat oil (about an inch deep) on medium-high heat. You want it just hot enough to make the end of a chopstick bubble if you dip it in.

While the oil is heating, mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Next, dredge the mushrooms in the almond mixture, making sure to get a thick coating. If you need a bit more dry mixture, you can add a couple more tablespoons of meal and a couple teaspoons of starch.

When the oil is hot, gently lay the mushrooms into the pan. They're ready to flip in a couple minutes when they start to turn brown.

When the crispy 'shrooms are browned on both sides, drain on paper towels.


Don't these look like cute little vegan pork chops?! We served these with a raw ketchup (pictured) that I made the day before, which I will make another batch of tomorrow and post next. :)

Also: please forgive the poor photo quality! My camera broke so I'll be using my phone's camera for awhile to photograph my food.

Ginger-Lime Cranberry Sauce (Sugar-Free!)

I've been getting so many requests for holiday foods, it's overwhelming! There aren't a lot of holiday treats I can eat right now on my candida diet, but I'm going to try my best to provide you with as many fun tasties as I can!

Take cranberry sauce, for starters: they're tangy, versatile, and packed FULL of antioxidants! Plus, they're a Thanksgiving and Christmas standby.

Cranberry sauce is so inherently easy, in fact, that it's almost impossible to get wrong! Because of this, it has been changed and dressed up innumerable times.

There's also a lot of debate over which is better: whole berry or jellied/smooth? I personally like both for different reasons - whole berry as more of a sauce condiment over foods, jellied as a palate cleanser between bites of food. What's your favorite kind of cranberry sauce?

Since this is the first cranberry sauce recipe that I'm posting (and I've been under the weather the past couple days) it will be quick, but with a twist (of lime)! A heaping dose of ginger, too, should do the trick. ;) This would be wonderful over ice cream! Mmm... I'm using xylitol as a sweetener in this recipe so it's totally free of sugar and candida-diet friendly. I hope you enjoy!

Ginger-Lime Cranberry Sauce (Sugar-Free)

1 12 oz. package fresh cranberries (4 cups)
heaping 1/2 cup xylitol
1 heaping Tbsp. fresh grated ginger
6 Tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
zest of 1/2 lime

In a sauce pot on medium heat, add all ingredients and stir, cover. Cook for about 20 minutes or until desired thickness is reached, stirring occasionally. Serve hot or cold.

Paul Stamets: How Mushrooms Can Save the World!

Wow.

Mushroom expert (what an inadequate word!) Paul Stamets preaching the gospel of Mycelium.


Is it appropriate to get teary-eyed when watching this? I encourage you to send this video to everyone you know! It is truly eye-opening.

Pomegranate-Blueberry Albacore Skewers

Note: My blog has changed! If you find this post through a vegan blog list and know how to contact the keeper of that list, please let me know! I will happily contact them to let them know my blog is no longer 100% vegan. I will still be posting vegan recipes constantly, and will soon have a button at the top of my page to go directly to those posts. All recipes from 2007-2009 are totally vegan. Thanks! :)

(Also, this recipe has instructions for a vegan version. See below for a tofu substitution!)

Fresh fish, skewered and grilled, is the perfect antidote to burger fatigue this summer. I really dig the way the Pomegranate-Blueberry juice infuses with the albacore in this recipe, making it tender and gently tangy. For a fruitier skewer, you could also use things like bananas, pears, concord grapes, papaya, mango, or pineapple! What's your most interesting skewer combination?

If you'd like to make this a vegan recipe, use firm tofu (or just more veggies) marinated in the juice mixture. :)

Pomegranate-Blueberry Albacore Skewers

Marinade:
1 cup POM Pomegranate-Blueberry Juice
Juice of 2 limes
Diced sweet onion
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)
1 tbsp honey or agave

Cut fresh Albacore tuna steaks (about a half pound per person, I used three pounds; can substitute ahi or other tuna steak) into 1” to 2” cubes. Toss in a bowl with marinade, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Submerge skewers in room temperature water (to prevent burning), and set aside.

Cut into 1” to 2” cubes:
2 peppers (red, yellow, orange or green – mix them up!)
1 bermuda onion or red onion
2 cups mushrooms, I used portobello
2 tomatoes (or 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes)
2 peaches, stoned
2 small zucchinis

Toss veggies and fruit with a small amount of olive oil (enough to lightly coat), and set aside.

When your fish is ready, thread the albacore and vegetables onto the soaked skewers. For best flavor, bracket each piece of fish with a piece of onion on one side and peach or pepper on the other.

Grill on medium high heat, turning frequently to avoid burning, until the vegetables are tender; about 15 minutes. Sesame seeds are a wonderful garnish, especially black sesame!

Update: Change in the Winds...

Hello everyone!

It's been a long time since I've posted here at The Gluten-Free Hippie, and I'm sad about that. My life has been an intense ride since the holidays, with a lot of dietary changes and adjustments (including months of eating gluten - booo!) Because of this, you'll see a lot of new subject matter in the coming months, including omnivorous recipes, more product reviews, news, and fun giveaways. :) But don't worry, this blog will always and forever be 100% gluten free!

Wait, what? Omnivorous posts, you say? Yep! I've come to find that my body has a hard time not only processing gluten, but also most beans, lactose/casein, and most soy products (unless they're fermented, like tempeh, miso, etc.) I have, however, always digested animal protein just fine. So, I will occasionally post recipes with meat, but keep mostly vegan. Soon I will have a smaller tab below my banner with a link to JUST my vegan recipes, so you can skip right to them if you're vegan. I would hate to lose my vegan readers/recipe lovers just because I need to change my diet!

Despite all of the dietary fluctuation, I'm in the best shape I've ever been in, and feeling great about life! Now I just need to cleanse my internal system and stop giving in to useless indulgences. :)

I hope to see and hear more of you all in the future! I look forward to sharing all my fun and tasty recipes with everyone!


Blessings,
Lyra