Garlic Infused Olive Oil

I talk a lot about Garlic Infused Olive Oil, but I’ve never really talked about how to do this.  A reader asked me, so I thought I’d tell you 3 ways I get Garlic Infused Olive Oil.

Of course,  you can buy Olive Oil already infused with different flavors, such as garlic, but it can be pretty pricy.  I do usually keep a purchased bottle on hand in case I run out of my own, or simply don’t feel like making it.  I normally use Annie’s Naturals Roasted Garlic Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  I’ve been lucky and have found this on sale a few times.

In a Pan.

You can easily infuse small amounts of olive oil with garlic by simply adding some olive oil and garlic cloves to a pan, heat…but do not let the oil or garlic scorch.  (The temperature you use will depend on the amount you are doing and how hot your stove gets….just be careful not to burn it.)   I like to keep moving the garlic around in the oil for a few minutes…the longer you cook it the more infused the olive oil will be.   This method is good if you just need a little bit for a recipe you are making.  Personally, I’ve never gotten a really rich garlic flavor like this…I think I try to rush it way too much.

In a Slow Cooker

My favorite way to infuse olive oil with garlic is with a slow cooker.   I have a mini-slow cooker so I use it.  If you don’t have a small slow cooker, simply put a Pyrex dish in your cooker the size you need, and it will work.   Even in my small cooker, if I only have one small head of garlic I will use a small Pyrex dish in it.

Today I made some using 3 heads of garlic, in my small slow cooker.

First I cut the top of the heads off, exposing the cloves.

Head of garlic with top cut off to expose cloves

Then I simply put them in the cooker and cover them completely with olive oil.   Use plenty of oil.  I buy a big container of Olive Oil when it’s on sale to save even more money.   If you are using a smaller dish in your slow cooker, you will want to cover it with foil.  This will keep the steam and flavors close to the oil.

Garlic in cooker covered well with Olive Oil

I cooked the oil I made today on low for 3-4 hours.  It kept boiling, so I finally turned it off and just let it sit until it cooled down.  (I think I may use the Pyrex dish again next time anyway, I don’t recall it boiling so much in the dish.)   The garlic heads looked delicious.

What the garlic looked like after cooking in oil.

If you have anyone in your family who can eat garlic and likes roasted garlic, you can use some of the cloves.  Remember though that they are soaked in oil.  However, just squeeze them onto bread and you have instant garlic bread.  Remember though, if you have fructose malabsorption, Do Not Eat the Garlic.   After the garlic oil has cooled, strain the oil into a glass jar.  Be sure to label the jar with the date you made it.

Garlic Infused Olive Oil
(this jar was put in the refrigerator before I got a photo, so it looks a bit cloudy. It’s not really.)

This oil will keep well in the refrigerator for over a week.   If you are using it to cook with you can use it longer….2 weeks is good.   If you are using it on salads and such I would use it in a week.   Once you put this oil in the refrigerator it will congeal.  So if you need to pour it out you will need to wait for it to warm up a bit, this does not take long.   If you I’m using it on meats, or vegetables before cooking, I often just brush the congealed oil on.

I hope this helps you make some wonderfully Garlic Infused Olive Oil.   I’ve found the oil I make in the slow cooker has the most intense flavor.

WARNING….garlic in oil can cause botulism if not prepared correctly.

From my understanding, roasting the garlic in oil as I do takes away the threat as long as it is refrigerated and used in a timely manner.

The biggest danger comes when people just drop raw garlic in olive oil and wait for it to get strong enough.  The water in the garlic is then sealed in and can grow botulism.  To avoid this, you can preserve the garlic first in vinegar or a brine.  But I think that would take away the flavor, and I still wouldn’t risk it.

Chicken Stock – easy and Fructose Friendly

I always make my own Chicken Stock.  Not only do I prefer it, but in a pinch recently I looked for some and couldn’t find any that did not have onion in the ingredients.

***please not***  when you are looking at labels, often when it says spices that includes onion and/or garlic.  Plus most are full of sodium!  I suggest calling or emailing any company that just list spices in their ingredients before eating.  I recently wrote to Bell & Evans – they make the best GF breaded chicken strips.  I like to have something like this in the freezer for emergencies, for those times when it gets late and I’m exhausted and there’s no time to cook, or I’m not feeling well and hubby has to come up with food ideas and he’s exhausted….well you get the idea.  I was so disappointed when they wrote back and told me ALL of their products have onion.  If you need emergency type things.  Ian’s GF chicken patties and nuggets do not have onion or garlic (at the time of this writing.)   I also keep Annie’s Deluxe Macaroni and Cheese on hand for those days.  I do not eat this kind of thing as a rule.  Too much sodium!  and just empty calories…not enough nutrition for the calories taken in.  But in a pinch, it works.  (also note, I can eat lactose, I do not know if Annie’s Deluxe Mac and Cheese is NOT Lactose Free.)

Back to the Chicken Stock.  I have posted a previous recipe, but it’s more detailed and has onions.  This is very easy.

Easy Chicken Stock

• Save chicken parts from chicken you have been using in freezer.  This means, I buy Split Breast and cut it off the bone.  I leave some meat on the bones, and the skin, I put this in a freezer bag and save.  If I cup up a whole chicken, I throw the liver, gizzard and such in the bag, we normally don’t eat the wings so they go in the bag.  I keep adding to the bag until I have enough for stock.
• Save limp vegetables, or vegetable pieces in the freezer.  If I have some veggies get a bit too wilted for us to eat, I throw them in a freezer bag and save for stock.  I also save the tops of carrots, broccoli stalks…ect.  they go in the veggie bag until I have enough for stock.   I do not add any onion or garlic, or any vegetables I can’t eat.
• On the day I make stock I use my 6 quart crock pot.
• Add contents of the Chicken and Vegetable bags.  They can still be frozen.
• Add water to cover completely.
• Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar (this pulls the calcium from the bones and makes your stock more nutritious)
• Add any seasoning you want.  (I usually add a couple of Bay Leaves, but that’s about it.)
• Cook on low for hours and hours.  The longer you cook it, the richer your stock will be.  (Sometimes I let it cook over night, sometimes all day long.  Normally at least 10 hours)
• Strain stock in a large bowl or two.
• Let cool, put in the refrigerator to cool completely and have the fat congeal on top.  Spoon off fat..

Chicken Stock Frozen in Muffin Tins

I freeze my stock in muffin tins, each holds 3 1/2 ounces, so I leave some room at the top and know each one is about 3 oz.  If you want to be exact you can use a measuring cup to dip the stock in the tins.  Once frozen I pop them out and put them in a freezer bag, ready to use.  I often pop out a few cubes, warm them on the stove and have a cup of broth to soothe my stomach.  Or add some cellophane noodles, left over chicken and veggies…a great lunch.  Quick easy, and healthier than the other emergency meals.

Isn’t that easy??

Baked Trimmed Boneless Pork Ribs (or other cut of pork)

I have so many recipes to post…at least 6 or 7 I think.  Unfortunately, I don’t have pictures of most, or possibly any.

As I posted before, I’ve been struggling with my health so I haven’t been able to cook much.  Some of the recipes I’m going to post were made by friends, some by hubby, and some I did help with, but I didn’t feel like taking photos.  However, this the whole purpose of this blog is to document recipes that I can eat successfully….and share them with those of you who are having the same problems.  So photos or not…we shall have a few new recipes listed!

When you hear ribs you usually think, smothered in sauce and very fattening.  These were light, and delicious.   Some friends were visiting and our friend, Chris, cooked for us a few times.  This is one of the dishes he prepared.  My husband later made the same dish but with a different cut of pork, it was equally delicious.

Unfortunately, Chris cooks a lot like I do, he just tosses in amounts that look and smell right.  The actually measurements are unknown.  When I do this I have some idea, but I can’t tell you what he did.  I think this would be pretty hard to completely ruin, don’t be afraid.

Trimmed Boneless Ribs

• garlic oil – tsp – tbsp (yes that’s what he wrote down, I do know he put a little in the bottom of the glass Pyrex dish he was baking in and rubbed the pork around in it…so enough to lightly coat the pork)
• carrots
• celery
• green onions or chives (green parts only)
• salt and pepper  (he does salt things more than I do, I’m on a low salt diet so I don’t salt while cooking, I just add a little at the table if needed)
• Pot Herbs and extra Sage (I found an herb mixture called Pot Herbs that I just love.  It contains chives, chervil, parsley, thyme, marjoram, and bay leaves.  I buy mine at http://www.myspicesage.com. )  Chris found he really liked this blend of spices too.  You can substitute other herbs if you like.  This is a French herb mixture.
• 1/4 cup water

Rub pork in oil.  Season to taste.  Put Veggies on top.  Bake covered on 350F for 1 1/2 hours.

Really, this was extremely tender and amazingly good.

The Boneless Pork Rib cut was delicious…frankly I thought it better than the tenderloin my husband made just like this.  It’s a much less expensive cut of meat, so much easier to watch your budget.  The veggies are cooked at the same time as the meat.  You could add another veggie if you wanted.   Chris served this with wilted greens and mashed potatoes (very lightly mashed without much stuff added….did not need the extra calories.)

*all vegetables listed are on the well tolerated list in Food Intolerance Management Plan by Sue Shepherd and Peter Gibson, but always trust your own tolerance levels.

 

I do hate I don’t have a photo, but this was such an easy meal, and it was so delicious.   I admit I was hesitant at first, but this taste surprised us both and we will make it again and again.

 

Meatballs – with no onion or garlic

My husband loves spaghetti and meatballs, unfortunately I’ve always hated making meatballs.  They’ve always been time-consuming, and messy.  You have to mix them up then form the balls, then bake them, and finally you can add them to your sauce.  How long did that take, and how many dishes did we dirty?  I’d make them occasionally because he loves them so, but not very often.  After finding a slow cooker recipe and changing it to fit a low FODMAPS diet, I may be making meatballs much more often!

Once again, I found the original recipe on Stephanie O’Dea’s site, A Year of Slow Cooking.  Her recipe is called Not Your Mother’s Meatballs, it sounded easy and with just a few minor adjustments I made gluten-free, fructose friendly meatballs!

Slow Cooker Meatballs with Spaghetti Sauce

Meatballs 

Here’s the original recipe Not Your Mother’s Meatballs in blue, my adjustments are noted:

1/4 cup chopped Italian Parsley    I used Italian Seasoning, 

1.5 pounds lean ground beef  

4 slices smoked bacon, diced (raw; don’t cook it)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup Panko-style breadcrumbs (I used Kinnikinnick Gluten Free Bread Crumbs)

2 eggs  (I only used one large egg)

2 tablespoons dried minced onion flakes

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt  (I don’t salt anything while cooking, if salt is needed we add it at the table)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 good tablespoon garlic infused olive oil

(you could add some asafoetida powder if you wanted, but I didn’t this time)

additional ingredients:

1 cup flour (I used rice flour)  I used potato flour, just what I had on hand)

2 cups chicken broth (can use beef)

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

1 can Tomato Puree  (it’s the large can, I think it’s 22oz)or 

2 tablespoons Italian Seasoning

(as is this was very tasty, but I think next time I’ll add a little asafoetida powder or spring onion to the sauce, I missed the onion flavor, but everyone else said they loved it just the way it was!)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. (I used a 4.5 qt slow cooker, this cooker is oval so it held more meatballs in a single layer) Spray the inside of your cooker with cooking spray, or rub it down with a bit of olive oil (don’t go crazy, just a little glisten)  *we simply forgot to oil the cooker, but had no sticking*  and set aside.

In a good-sized mixing bowl, combine the chopped parsley Italian Seasoning, ground beef, and diced bacon. Add in Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, eggs, and the dried spices black pepper. Combine well— I’d use your hands (remove rings, wash appropriately, and all that good stuff that if I had a legal team they’d tell me to include).

After the meat is mixed, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or non-stick foil. Pour 1 cup of flour (I used rice potato flour) into a shallow dish (pie pan works great).

Roll meat into golfball-sized balls and then lightly dust each meat ball with flour before placing  onto the lined cookie sheet. When all the meat is gone, put the whole cookie sheet into the freezer for 1 hour, or until completely frozen. It’s okay to freeze overnight, if you’d like to break this into two days (put in sealed dish/Tupperware if freezing for longer).  

Once your meatballs are frozen, place them one-by-one (this means don’t dump!) into your lightly greased slow cooker. It’s okay to stack them. In a  small mixing bowl, whisk together the broth and tomato paste to create a gravy. Pour this evenly over the meatballs. Cover, and cook on low for 5 hours, or until the meatballs have browned and are fully cooked. I cooked the meatballs pictured above on low for 5 hours, then let them sit on warm for another 3 1/2 hours before dinner was served.  I made the meatballs at night, and put them in a container and froze over night.  In the morning my husband simply added them to the cooker, and added the tomato puree, and Italian Seasoning.  Cooked on High for 4 hours, they smelled so good and looked done, so I tested and they were cooked through.  We weren’t going to be having dinner for a couple of hours and the cooker we used doesn’t have a warm setting, so I turned it off and about 15 mins before serving I turned it on High again.  Note: we did carefully stir these a few times because it was getting too done around the sides.  I suggest not to stir them for the first hour or so to make sure they stay intact.

Serve alongside pasta or rice, or all on their own. These are filling!

We served them with Tinkyada’s Spinach Spaghetti Pasta, and extra Parmesan cheese.

The verdict at my house?  Please make these again!!   Meatballs often fall apart in the slow cooker, the freezing is the key to this recipe!

The only things I might change, not add as much bacon and dice it up smaller than I did this time (possibly leave it out all together).  Add some asafoetida powder or the green parts of spring onions to the sauce.

 

Sticky Pork Chops

Sticky Pork Chops, brown and wild rice with carrots, and roasted green beans.

I found the original recipe for this on Food.com. I found a great cookbook there, created by a member, that is filled with recipes that do not use onion or garlic.  This is from that cookbook, there were some small adaptations to make it Fructose Friendly, but it was a pretty easy recipe.

The original recipe can be found at http://chinese.food.com/recipe/sticky-pork-chops-54715

Here’s the original recipe with my changes:

By KitchenManiac on February 24, 2003

• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Total Time: 15 mins
• Servings: 2

About This Recipe

“A mouth watering yummy pork chop Asian style. Double the recipe, you’ll want more. “

Ingredients

• 4 pork cutlets, of chops trimmed  (I used 2 boneless pork chops)
• 1/3 cup Chinese wine or 1/3 cup sherry wine  (I used Aji-Mirin Sauce)
• 1 tablespoon soya sauce  (I used GF low sodium Tamari)
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons chili sauce or 2 tablespoons chili flakes  (I used about 1 tablespoon of chili flakes.)
• 2 tablespoons honey  (I used Maple Syrup)

Directions

1. Heat frying pan over medium heat.
2. Cook meat for 2 minutes each side, or until meat is well browned.  (suggest you cook until done throughout, and just warm through when you add back to pan)
3. Remove meat, set aside – Keep warm -
4. Add cooking wine, soy sauce, ginger, chili sauce/flakes and honey to the same pan without washing the pan.
5. Cook for 3 minutes.
6. Return the meat to pan and cook on each side for 1 minute.
7. Simmer until the sauce thickens, and pork is cooked through.
8. Serve with rice and greens.

To make this super fast and easy, I served this with Steam Fresh Brown Rice with broccoli and carrots  (I picked most of the broccoli out of mine since I’ve been having tummy issues lately), and roasted green beans (simply broil or bake fresh green beans that have been sprayed with a little olive oil, and sprinkled with sea salt).

We both agreed, we will make this meal again!

Italian Sausage without onion or garlic – and a meal to go with it.

We bought some plain ground pork so I could make some sausage I could eat.  I simply cannot find any that doesn’t have onion or garlic.

I looked up a few recipes, but decided to just wing it.  I’ve made Sage Sausage before, but this is the first time I’ve made Italian Sausage.

Italian Sausage with NO onion or garlic

• 1 pound ground pork
• 1/4 – 1/3 cup Italian Seasoning.  (I put in about 3 tablespoons but decided it needed more, so added even more…I think this is a good guesstimate on how much you should use.)
• 2 tablespoons garlic infused olive oil  (yes I know I said, no garlic, and you can leave this out, but if you infuse the olive oil with garlic but DO NOT EAT THE GARLIC, it is low in FODMAPS)
• 1-2 tablespoons black pepper (to taste)
• 2 tablespoons paprika

I mixed everything together in my Kitchen Aid mixer. So much easier than mixing by hand.

Just cook and eat.  I normally add Italian Sausage it to recipes.

Of course, this sausage does not have a casing, you can buy casing if you’d like and stuff them yourself.  I think it’s too much trouble, and kind of gross.  Plus, I normally remove the casing to use this type of sausage.

The night after I made the sausage I made Sautéed Kale and Potatoes with Italian Sausage.

simply brown crumbled sausage in a pan, remove sausage and drain most of the grease.

Chop and add potatoes.  Cook until tender.

Add the sausage back in.

Chop and Add the Kale, splash with Aji-Mirin Sauce (by Kikoman, this is the only brand I can find that does not have fructose. It has glucose as the first ingredient.  This sauce will not only add a little sweetness to your Kale, which is often a little bitter, it will also make them easier to digest.

Cook until Kale is wilted.   (you can add some herbs or spices if you like.  I think the sausage added enough flavor to this dish.)

If you would like further directions for this recipe, please see a previous recipe Sautéed Kale with Potatoes.

Low FODMAPS Spaghetti

I took a lot of liberties with this spaghetti to call it Low FODMAPS.  I will tell you how I made it, and how you can change things if you are more sensitive.

We have a little garden this year.  We haven’t gotten much out of it, but we had a bunch of Roma Tomatoes, and some shallots.  (Shallots are not a low FODMAPS food, some people can tolerate a small amount…I’m one of those.)

For this recipe, I really didn’t measure anything, and my husband helped a lot.

I had enough tomatoes to fit in a 2qt. slow cooker.  (It’s easy to see how many diced tomatoes will fit in your crock, just put them in whole all the way to the top, and that’s how many it will hold diced.)

I just cut off the stems, and diced up the tomatoes, a few shallots (they were pretty small, I think I used 4), and 2 cloves of garlic (again, some people cannot tolerate garlic, so avoid it if you need to.)

If you cannot have shallots or garlic, I suggest using Asafoetida powder.  From what I understand, you can only get the powdered form of Asafoetida in the U.S.  It is often mixed with wheat flour, so if you cannot eat gluten…Beware!  I found some at http://www.myspicesage.com/ that is mixed with rice flour, and how found it very digestible.

Spaghetti Sauce – an approximate recipe

• fresh tomatoes
• Asafoetida Powder to taste….this is a very strong spice, so I add a little, let it cook for a little while, taste then add more if  needed.  **Please note, this spice is often cut with wheat flour, if you are gluten intolerant be careful.  I found mine at myspicesage.com…I called the company and they assured me that only rice flour is used and it is made in a gluten free facility.)
• Italian seasoning. (about 2 tablespoons)
• Dextrose Powder (I used 2-3 tablespoons)

1. Cut off the stems of the tomatoes (I grew organic roma tomatoes, so there was no need to peel, but you can peel your tomatoes if you wish).
2. Dice tomatoes, shallots, and garlic – add to slow cooker.
3. Cook for about 6 hours.  (if you are making 4 or 6 quarts you may want to cook it for more time.)
4. Allow to cool.
5. Puree in food processor with Italian Seasoning and some Dextrose .  (I had planned to use fresh herbs, but I wasn’t feeling well so my hubby finished this recipe.  He used dried Italian seasoning.)  About 1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons.
6. Brown ground beef (we used about 3/4 of a pound).  Drain if you need.  I use low-fat, locally grown beef, so we didn’t have to drain it.
7. Add the sauce to the ground beef.
8. Heat thoroughly.   Ours was a little watery so we cooked it down for a while.

Serve over gluten-free noodles.  We used Quinoa noodles this time, but I prefer Tynkiada.  (Tynkiada is a brown rice pasta, I have no problems with it, but if you can’t tolerate brown rice, the quinoa pasta is a good alternative.)

Or you could serve over julienned zucchini or yellow squash.

I even like it over a baked potato.

I added grated Parmesan Cheese to mine.  I have no problems with lactose.  If you can’t eat cheese, you could use a substitute, or omit.

My husband RAVED about this sauce.  He keeps saying he just can’t get over how much better this sauce was than my usual sauce.  (This is the first time I’ve made sauce with fresh tomatoes…and we used more meat to sauce ratio…I don’t know, but I’m glad he liked it!)

I usually used Pureed Tomatoes, with no salt added, no ingredients except tomatoes.  This is a very good substitute if you don’t have fresh tomatoes.  (we didn’t grow enough, so I’ll be using this through the winter.)

I was really craving spaghetti, and this really hit the spot!  It was delicious. About the  Asafoetida powder.  I’ve used it in other recipes, and found it very good.  But I cannot stress enough to use small amounts, and add to tasted.  This is a VERY STRONG spice.  (beware, if you’ve never used it, it really stinks, but it doesn’t taste like it smells after cooking.)

sorry I haven’t been posting much lately.  I haven’t been cooking much for over a month now.  I’m having a lot of trouble with the Meniere’s Disease, so I don’t feel I can safely cook.  (My balance is very off.)

Hope to be posting more soon.

Slow Cooker Lemon-Ginger Chicken

Lemon-Ginger Chicken

As most of you probably know, Onion and Garlic were my favorite things to cook with before my Fructose Malabsorption diagnosis.  Now I’m learning a whole new way to cook, and I’m finding some pretty tasty flavors.

I’ve used lemon and ginger to season a dish before, but I normally also added my staples, onion and garlic.  Well, I have to admit, I did add some onion to this dish.  However, I cut it into very large pieces, and left them all in the pot.  Only the flavor was left behind.  Onion adds moisture when cooking in a slow cooker, if I had made this on the grill, I would probably have left it out.  Or I could have marinated it with the onion and not cooked it.

This was a very easy dish, that I over cooked.  Oops.  We left to run to the store and I forgot to turn the slow cooker to low before we left.  I usually use a timer for my cooker, but since I thought I was going to be home…well, you get the picture.  I must say though that I was pleased with this meal, even though it was cooked a little longer than planned.  It made the outside nice and crispy.  The meat wasn’t as juicy as normal, but it was far from dry.  (I cooked this on High, for over 5 hours….yes, too long for just a couple of breast.)

Lemon-Ginger Chicken (made in the Slow Cooker)

• 2 Split Chicken Breast
• 1 lemon
• about 2 inches of ginger root
• 1/2 large onion

Peel and Cut up the onion into very large pieces, place in the bottom of an oiled cooker.

Cut the lemon in half and rub all over the Chicken.

Place the Chicken in the cooker.

Juice the lemon with a reamer and pour all over the Chicken.

Add the zest from the lemon.

Cut up the ginger into thin slices and place all over the chicken.  (you could mince the ginger, but I was feeling a bit lazy.)

I used a 4 Qt cooker.  Normally I would cook on High for 3-4 hours, but I goofed and cooked this a bit long.

Or you could cook it on low for 6-8 hours.  (the more chicken you add, the longer you need to cook it.)

After a couple of hours the chicken was getting a lot of juice in the pan, and I wanted the outside to brown, so I sucked some of it out with a turkey baster.

I have made this on the grill, without marinating it, and without the onion.  (I used skinless, boneless chicken then.)  It turned out very well.  But it didn’t have a lot of lemon flavor.  I think if I had marinated it then it would have been tastier.

My husband really liked this dish and said it had a lot of flavor.  I didn’t think it had as much, but I don’t eat the skin.  Next time, I will take the skin off before cooking.

Now that my herbs are coming in, I think I’ll add basil or tarragon to the next batch, and be sure to marinate it.

I’ll let you know how that turns out!

I served this with the Sautéed Kale and Potatoes.  I’m surprised at how often I eat this and still am not tired of it.

What is your new favorite herb or spice since you can’t eat onion or garlic any more?  (I know some say we can have small amounts of garlic, but I’m not to the stage where I want to try yet.)

So how did I do with S.O.L.E. ingredients?  The chicken, and Kale were Sustainable, Organic, Local, and Ethical.  The lemon, Ginger, leek and potatoes were Organic (I don’t know about the rest.).  I cooked the Kale and Potatoes in Butter this time, it was local and organic.  And the rosemary I used in the Kale and Potatoes came from my garden and was Sustainable, Organic, Local and Ethical.

How did I do budget wise?  The chicken cost about $7.00.  The Kale was $2.49 per pound, but I only used about 3 large leaves….so about $.50.  The potatoes were $1.69 per pound, I probably used 1/2 a pound ($.85), the leeks, I’m afraid I don’t remember.  I think they were about $2.00 a pound and I would have used about $.75 worth.  The butter was $4.19 per pound, (I’m not going to figure out how much a tablespoon would be.)  The ginger….hummm…I really don’t remember.

I’m going to guess, about $5.00 per person.

If you like this post please let me know.  And don’t forget to subscribe to my blog so you won’t miss anything!

Potato and Mushroom Hash

Potato and Mushroom Hash

Lately I’ve been getting a bit tired of the strict fructose elimination diet.  However, last night’s dinner was pretty good, so I thought I’d share it.

I looked in the refrigerator to see what I could find.  A few Baby Portobellos, a shallot, half a russet potato, a small red potato, some fresh basil…now that sounds pretty good.  Here’s the recipe that followed.

Potato and Mushroom Hash

• 1 medium potato (or two small) – cut into small cubes
• about 5-6 Baby Portobello mushrooms – cut into small cubes  (I’ve read that some people with fructose problems don’t digest mushrooms very well.  I found that I can eat baby bellas, but the white button type of mushroom bothers me.)
• about 2 tablespoons of shallots chopped  (Sue Sheppard says that Leeks are FODMAPS friendly, so I suggest substituting leeks for shallots, but use more.)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (if using dried, I’d only use about 2-3 teaspoons, and add to recipe when you first put on the potatoes.)
• olive oil spray

1. Spray pan with olive oil, heat on medium.
2. Add shallots and cook until almost transparent. (I think some people with fructose absorption problems can’t have shallots, but in small quantities I don’t seem to have a problem.  Also, it’s on my approved list from my nutritionist.)  If you can’t have shallots, I’d add big pieces of onion, cook them with the hash, then take them out before eating.)
3. Add potatoes, cook until potatoes are brown on one side – flip
4. add mushrooms and basil, turn heat down to low.
5. cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are soft and mushrooms are brown.

Makes 4 small servings.

This was very tasty with our meal, and it was great warmed up the next morning with an egg for breakfast.  The fresh basil, from my herb garden, really made this dish.  However, you can use dried basil if you don’t have fresh.  I would add the dried basil sooner so the oils will come out and more flavor is released.

To make this a meal we added grilled hamburgers (made from local ground beef and seasoned with just a little salt and pepper), and grilled yellow squash (sprayed with olive oil and seasoned with dried basil).

What S.O.L.E. (Sustainable, Organic, Local, and Ethical) ingredients did I use today?  Everything was Sustainable, Organic, and Ethical.  The beef and basil were Local.  (not including the salt and pepper)

Today, I’m going to try to make Banana Bread.  I haven’t had any fruit in almost 3 weeks, most list say that a little bit of ripe bananas are safe.  Wish me luck.

Grilled Ginger Pork Chops with Summer Squash

Grilled Ginger Pork Chops with Summer Squash and Rice

I wasn’t able to think about dinner until we were hungry and needed food fast.  So I came up with this very easy and fast recipe.  It’s also friendly for people with Gluten Intolerance, and Fructose Intolerance.

Grilled Ginger Pork Chops with Summer Squash

Ingredients for Grilled Ginger Pork Chops

• Boneless or Sirloin Cut Pork Chops – use the amount you need.
• Ginger – about 1/4 teaspoon per chop - minced and shredded - (I used a micro grater.)
• Toasted Sesame Seed Oil – enough to lightly coat chops
• Soy Sauce – enough to just sprinkle over chops

Ingredients for the Grilled Summer Squash

• Summer Squash – Yellow and Zucchini – amount you need, I had one of each.
• Spray Olive Oil – I use the Kitchen Spritzer from Pampered Chef, no more canned spray oils.
• Italian Seasoning

Instructions for

1. Brush Chops with Toasted Sesame Seed Oil.
2. Cover with Ginger. (The Ginger really made this dish, so be sure to use enough to lightly cover one side.)
3. Sprinkle with Soy Sauce.
4. I would recommend getting the grill hot, then put the chops on to get those nice grill marks.  Then turn it down to medium, or put them on indirect heat.  Cook for about 10 minutes on each side, however, cook time will depend on the thickness of your chops.

Instructions for Grilled Summer Squash

1. Cut Squash – I prefer to cut them long ways, so they don’t fall in the grill.
2. Spray with Olive Oil (or you could just brush them with olive oil if you want.)
3. Sprinkle with Italian Seasoning.
4. Place on grill with Pork Chops.  These will not take as long as the chops, you may want to put them on when you turn the chops, or perhaps a couple of minutes before hand.  I usually don’t turn the squash.

I added a little rice on the side.  I made a big pot of rice the day before and we just warm it up for other dished during the week.  That makes things so much easier and faster!

We were very pleased with these chops.  I’m so thrilled that I’ve shown my husband that Pork Chops don’t have to be fried, or tough, so he really likes them now.  This really expands our meal plans.

How did I do with S.O.L.E. ingredients.  The Pork Chops were Sustainable, Organic, Local, and Ethically raised.  The Squash were Organic, but I’m not sure about the rest.  The rice was organic, and sustainable.

Do you have a favorite Pork recipe?

This post is part of Fresh Bites Friday on Real Food Whole Health.