Recipes

Really Tasty Spring Vegetable Soup

In Cook's Illustrated November/December 2011 issue, they printed a recipe for "Farmhouse Vegetable Soup." I'm sure their version, thickened with barley and potatoes, would be spectacular. This version, GAPS-legal, is still spectacular, though it requires the lemon-thyme butter to add unctious texture just before serving (you can substitute plain butter; just don't leave the fat out entirely!).

Serves 6-8

An unusual and delicious Dosa Recipe

We hadn't eaten beans since we started GAPS a year and a half ago, and this was my first experiment. It started as a recipe for "Tarhana," which is a Turkish soup made from a fermented dough. I used red lentils for the dough, and fermented it until it was quite sour. Then, with a little water added to thin it, I poured it into a hot cast-iron pan with LOTS of fat. The resulting "dosas" were incredibly tasty...a bit of a cross-cultural fusion!

Super Delicious Tea!

I am so not a tea person, but this is fantastic, and sweet without any sweetener. Someone sent it to me, titled "Jai Hari's adaptation of Yogi Bhajan's Yogi Tea."

1 gallon boiling water
60 cardamom pods
60 black peppercorns
40 whole cloves
6 cinnamon sticks
10 slices fresh ginger root (no need to peel)

Simmer for 1-2 hours. (At this point, you can add three black tea bags, and simmer for fifteen minutes more, if you want a caffeinated tea.)

Harira - or, Super Tasty Lamb Stew, Moroccan Style

This is so good! I adapted it from "The Grassfed Gourmet", by Shannon Hayes, and added a few veggies--the original has chickpeas and/or lentils, I think, so I just upped the meat. She says something about how this stew is associated with the holiday of Ramadan, and also how some people might describe it as the tastiest stew in the world... :)

The ingredient list seems long, but the dish comes together easily.

2 T. tallow or other fat
2 lbs. lamb stew meat
1.5 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Lacto-Fermented Roasted Tomato-Red-Pepper Salsa

I recently made the most delicious salsa, based on this recipe: http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2010/08/lacto-fermented-roasted-tom… . SO good! And it's fermented, to boot!

My modifications/ingredient list are below; I used the technique from the original recipe:

* 3 pounds tomatoes, sliced in half length-wise (I used a mixture of cherry tomatoes, heirlooms, and romas)

* 1 pound (2 medium/large) red peppers, seeded and sliced in half lengthwise

Crispy Salt-Crusted Succulent Chicken

Thanks to Tammy for this fantastic and simple recipe! It was crispy on the outside, super moist inside, and it cooked quickly. What's not to like?? I adapted my technique from this article: http://almostbourdain.blogspot.com/2010/02/thomas-kellers-favorite-simp… . I don't know how to truss a chicken, so I just tied the legs together.

3-lb. chicken, giblets removed
1 tsp. fine sea salt
pepper, if desired
1-2 tsp. minced fresh thyme, if desired.

French Lentil Salad for a Crowd

This can feed about 100 people, if you serve a few other dishes as well (works well with a pasta salad and a veggie salad).

16 oz. (1 bottle) balsamic vinegar
2 heads of garlic, cloves peeled and minced or pressed
Salt and Pepper to taste

3 bunches of broccoli
2 red peppers, seeded and diced
1 medium green cabbage, chopped finely and blanched
1 medium red cabbage, chopped finely and blanched
2 large bunches parsley, minced
1 large bunch basil, minced

Tammy's Superlative Brisket

This is SO good! And so easy. And fatty. And Delicious.

1 brisket (maybe 2-3 pounds)
some crushed garlic and ramps (or scallions and garlic greens, or leeks and garlic, or...)
Salt and pepper to taste, a generous sprinkling

Brown the brisket under the broiler, 2-8 minutes per side (watch very carefully, in case your broiler is a 2-minute variety); switch the heat to oven 375f.

Tuck the garlic and ramps under and around the brisket in a dutch oven, and fill with water to 3/4 cover the meat.

Terri's Tongue Cutlets

Thanks to Terri for this recipe! And yes, they really taste good. :) The tongue is a pain to prepare, but this is an undetectable way to insert this nutritious meat into ones diet.

1 lb ground beef
12-16 oz. tongue (can also substitute part liver or kidney for the tongue)
1 tsp. salt
2 shallots or some onion
1-2 cups broth
1 small onion, cut in half
1 summer squash (or piece of cauliflower), cut in half

Fricase con Pollo

I'm sure this is not authentic, but it's delicious anyway. :)

1 3-4 lb chicken
Water to cover
Salt and pepper to taste
Chicken fat or lard

1 lg. onion, chopped
6 stalks celery, chopped
1 head garlic, chopped

4 zucchini, cubed
1/4 cabbage, chopped
2 peppers, chopped
2 tsp. cumin powder
Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup tomatoes, fresh or frozen
1 T. capers (optional)

Olive oil to serve

Pork Omelettes

This recipe is from Tammy's mom, who doesn't measure but makes sure that everything just tastes Right. I added some measurements, and cooked the omelette mixture like pancakes, and everyone loved them anyway.

1 lb. ground pork
5-8 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
4 dried shittake mushrooms, soaked and minced
handful scallions or chives, minced
lard or ghee to fry

Mix everything besides fat in a medium bowl. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, and cook flattened dollops of the mixture gently until cooked through (flip once).

Millie's Cuban Chicken Soup, Adapted

(My adaptation is that I added some measurements. The soup would probably be even more
delicious without any of these!)

1 whole Chicken
Water to cover
1/2-1 tsp. cumin
Salt and pepper
5 bay leaves
1/2 cabbage, cut into two pieces
1-2 heads garlic, peeled, cloves flattened slightly under the side
of a knife blade
1 small onion, peeled and cut in half

Cook these ingredients for about 3 hours in a large pot, or until the
chicken is falling off the bones.

GAPS Gefilte Fish

This is adapted from a recipe at Elana's Pantry: http://www.elanaspantry.com/gefilte-fish/ . I should also mention that, having been entirely vegetarian for 30 years (up until GAPS in April 2010), I have never eaten gefilte fish before tonight, and have absolutely no idea what they're supposed to taste like. But this was delicious--and straight from the kitchen of a non-kosher Atheist Jew, nontraditional lard notwithstanding.

Makes about 24 fish balls/patties

Amanda's Southwestern-Style Chicken Soup

Amanda Love is a total inspiration http://thebarefootcook.com/ ! And she inspired this soup, which can be infinite varied with different types of veggies, etc. I find that it works best to simmer the chicken in the highly-seasoned brother the day before, and then refrigerate the chicken separately overnight. The next day, you can picked the meat off the carcass and proceed with the recipe without burning your hands.

Completely Non-Authentic Antichuchos (Marinated Beef Heart)

I hear tell that beef heart is a Peruvian Delicacy, generally served grilled on skewers as the ultimate in nutrient-dense street food.

However, in our house we do not have a grill, and this was my second attempt at making beef heart edible to all family members...this made a very palatable casserole.

1 Beef Heart, gristly parts removed, cut into 1- to 2-inch chunks
1/2 Cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
pepper

How To Make Fermented Coconut Cream

Just in case you're interested, here's my small amount of accumulated wisdom on the topic of Coconut Milk:

Ingredient: 4 mature (brown) coconuts.
Time: I have not been able to complete this process in under two hours...yet.

Equipment: Hammer, awl/butter knife, potato peeler, nut milk bag, Vitamix or similar blender.

This makes about three quarts of milk, or two quarts of cream plus one quart of fermented coconut water.

Wanice's Exotic Indian-Spiced Turnips

These are very tasty, and a nice way to eat more local roots in the dead of deep dark winter.

1/3 cup or so of ghee
2 large onions, diced
1 tsp. salt
1 heaping tsp. turmeric
2 heaping tsp. coriender (ground)
4 medium turnips, sliced thin

Saute the onion and salt in ghee (use a wide cast-iron skillet with lid). Add spices, and stir thoroughly for 30 seconds or so. Add turnips, and stir to coat.