Candida Cooking | Conquering Candida... The Tasty Way

Candida vs. Gluten-Free: What's the Difference?

2011-10-05T17:14:00.000-05:00

A lot of people may wonder what the difference is between cooking for candida and cooking gluten-free. IS there a difference?

Stock photo from stock.xchng

The answer is emphatically YES! Though all candida-safe foods are gluten-free, foods labeled "gluten-free" are not always safe for those with candida - in fact, most of the time they probably are not. Why not? Let's do a little comparison:

• Gluten-Free foods are just that - foods that have no gluten in them. This is all fine and dandy; but someone who is gluten-free can still have dairy, sugar, yeast, and any gluten-free starches (potato starch, corn starch, rice flour, etc.). This is why there are so many gluten-free baking mixes out there - they can still make a relatively "normal" loaf of bread or batch of cookies, by simply substituting out the wheat flour (containing gluten) for one or a mixture of gluten free flours (I am oversimplifying that statement a little - some flours will require some significant ingredient modifications to get it to taste right). Gluten-free also allows for all fruits and veggies, and has no meat restrictions.

• Candida-Safe foods have a lot more limitations. I know. It's annoying. Candida is basically an overgrowth of yeast in the body and so you want to eliminate or avoid foods that will feed that overgrowth. These include gluten, dairy, sugar, yeast, fungi (like mushrooms - except shitake) and most starches. Later on in your candida diet you may be able to add in some starches like rice flour and potato starch, but it's not a recommended food and you certainly shouldn't eat it if you are just starting out. With candida, fruits and starchy vegetables (such as squash and potatoes) are off limits, though you can treat yourself to some berries once in a while. Where gluten-free doesn't have anything to say about meats, if you have candida you should stay away from pork, as well as shrimp and other "scavenger" fish.

I hope this helps clear up any confusion you had regarding the differences between candida-safe and gluten-free... and I hope you didn't get too depressed by reading everything you can't have. Check out the recipes on this blog - you can still eat good food!

*P.S. I am tired of apologizing for not posting... so... I now apologize for all times when I leave this blog hanging in the future. :-) Which I warn you, and you have probably figured out by now, is more often than not! :-/

Italian Salad Dressing

2011-03-02T21:05:00.000-06:00

One of the most difficult things about having candida is the limitations in salad dressing. Your most natural thought is that salad is a safe option for candida, but if you dig deeper, you'll see that most dressings are full of no-no's like sugar, vinegar and dairy.

But be comforted! Your salads don't have to be plain lettuce. This is a fast and easy Italian style salad dressing with a zippy, vinaigrette-like flavor - without the sneaky ingredients.

RECIPE NOTES
The only thing to watch out for in this recipe is to make sure your dried spices are under 6 months old to avoid mold growth!

Ingredients:
¼ cup lemon juice
2 tsp. sea salt
2-3 cloves fresh garlic, pressed/minced
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
¾ cup olive oil

Instructions:
Mix lemon juice, sea salt, garlic, oregano and basil. Gradually whisk in olive oil, until emulsified. If spices settle to the bottom, stir before serving.

Creamy Spiced Squash Soup

2011-02-09T14:02:00.005-06:00

Here's a delicious recipe for you on a chilly autumn or winter day. I've been very negligent about updating this blog, and I apologize. I promise to try to be better about it... the key word there being try. :-)

This is a completely original recipe created by my sister and me. We love squash soups, but usually they use all kinds of ingredients that are incompatible with candida, like brown sugar and heavy cream. So we set to work to create a squash soup that would be safe for the candida-afflicted! It has coconut milk to give it a creamy taste, and spices and yacon syrup to give it a subtle sweetness. We'd love it if you try the recipe and come back and comment on how you liked it!

RECIPE NOTES:
The only limit ingredient is the coconut milk (milk - not cream!). Make sure you read your labels and that it has no sweeteners added. Just don't eat this soup more than once or twice a week and you'll be set!
Make sure all your spices are less than 6 months old to avoid mold growth.
Read your labels on chicken broth!

Ingredients:
1 large spaghetti squash (approx. 5-6 cups cooked)
3 Tbsp. ghee or coconut oil
1 medium sweet yellow onion, chopped
½ tsp. salt or to taste
5 cups chicken broth
1 (13 oz) can unsweetened coconut milk
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. salt or to taste
1 Tbsp. yacon syrup

Instructions:
Prick spaghetti squash all over with a fork. Boil in a large pot of water for around 20 minutes to a half hour. Cut open and remove seeds. Using a fork, shred the flesh of the squash into "noodles."

While the squash is cooking, melt butter in a deep skillet or large saucepan and saute onion with about ½ teaspoon salt over medium heat. When onions are tender and translucent, add chicken broth and coconut milk and stir.

Place about 2 cups of the shredded squash into a blender. Strain out the onions using a slotted spoon and add the onions to the blender. Put in some of the broth/coconut milk mixture to make it easier to blend. Blend on medium to high for one to two minutes, until smooth and creamy. Pour into a separate pot, and repeat until you have pureed all the squash. Add any remaining broth to the pot and stir.

Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, 1 tsp. salt, and the yacon syrup. Whisk until combined; taste and adjust spices if needed. Ladle into bowls and garnish with a dusting of cinnamon if desired. Enjoy!

Variations:
• Make this a vegetarian soup by substituting the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
• Make this more of a main dish soup by adding some cooked chicken.

Kitchen Gadget Giveaway!

2011-01-26T17:31:00.001-06:00

Erica of Cooking for Seven is hosting a great giveaway for a $30 coupon to Frigidaire Accessories! If you want a chance to win some nice kitchen gadgets, hop on over there!

*Note: Erica's blog is not a candida recipe blog. I would not advise those with candida to make recipes from her blog until they have checked that all ingredients are safe. :-)

Oriental Tilapia with Creamy Ginger Sauce

2010-12-01T17:40:00.005-06:00

RECIPE NOTES:
Homemade mustard can be made by purchasing mustard powder which is mixed with an equal amount of water. Do not use out-of-the-bottle mustard which contains vinegar and sometimes sugar.
Bragg's Amino Acids take the place of soy sauce. They sound strange, but really, it tastes fine. :-)

Ingredients:
6 tilapia filets
Sea salt
3 cloves garlic, peeled
¼ cup peeled and coarsely chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons homemade mustard
¼ cup Bragg's Amino Acids
1 tablespoon yacon syrup or liquid stevia (use less stevia)
½ cup lemon or lime juice
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/3 cup extra-virgin coconut oil
1 bunch green onions, chopped
3 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

Instructions:
Sprinkle filets with salt. Bake at 400ºF for about 15 minutes, until the fish flakes with a fork. Transfer to a heated platter and keep warm until ready to serve. Meanwhile, place garlic, ginger, mustard, and amino acids in food processor or blender; process until blended. Add yacon syrup (or stevia) and lemon (or lime) juice and process again. With motor running, add sesame and coconut oils gradually, blending until sauce thickens and emulsifies. Place tilapia on warmed plates. Spoon sauce over and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Tip: The sauce in this recipe can also be refrigerated and used as a delicious salad dressing.

P.S. I apologize for the not-so-great photo... unfortunately they can only get so good when you are taking pictures at night! (you can take my apologies of the same kind for a lot of the other photos on this blog! :-).

This recipe was modified from a recipe in The Maker's Diet.

Pasta Fagioli

2010-10-29T14:48:00.004-05:00

My sister made this amazing soup the other day for lunch. Since Dad is the only candida-afflicted one in our house, for lunch we don't always eat candida foods. After we tried this soup recipe, though, I checked to see if it would work, and lucky for you, it does! Wait! Pasta? Yep! If you use brown rice pasta, this dish is suitable for those with candida (and it would still be good even without it too!).

RECIPE NOTES: Note that tomatoes, cooked carrots and bell peppers are semi-limit foods, therefore you should not eat this soup every day. :-)
Also this contains dried oregano - make sure all your dried spices are less than 6 months old to avoid mold growth.
Check the labels on your chicken broth or make your own.
We recommend Tinkyada brand rice pasta, as we have found it is the most similar to real pasta, though we suggest you cut out a little bit of cooking time if you like firmer pasta. Rice pasta is also a limit food, so if you want to reduce the number of limit foods in the soup, you can omit the pasta entirely.

Ingredients:
2-3 cups cooked beans (a good combination is red kidney, great northern and Garbanzo)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, grated (optional - cooked carrots are limited for candida)
½ stalk celery, sliced
2 Tbsp. olive oil or ghee
¾ cups tomato puree or crushed tomato
¼ tsp. oregano
½ tsp. salt
Dash of pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
6 cups chicken broth
¼ cup chopped bell pepper
1 cup grated zucchini
Approx. 2 cups uncooked Tinkyada brown rice pasta (shape of your choice)

Instructions:
Sauté onion, garlic, carrot and celery in oil. Add beans, tomato puree, seasonings and liquid. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add pepper and zucchini. Simmer 10 minutes longer. Add pasta and cook for slightly less time than required on package.
(If freezing this for later use, omit the pasta until serving the meal)

Original recipe modified from Cross Country Bakers

New Poll!

2010-09-10T09:16:00.000-05:00

Apologies for the lack of posting... occasionally life gets in the way of posting consistently, and if you're like me, you don't post super consistently even when life is NOT in the way... What can I say? I've put up a new poll - please vote and/or comment. :-)

What foods do you miss most (for those with candida)?

All-American Apple Pie

2010-07-03T14:45:00.005-05:00

Apple pie is probably one of the icons of America. :-) And it's also my dad's all time favorite dessert (well, that and a good ol' Dairy Queen Blizzard). Since the DQ Blizzard is totally out of the question on the candida diet, that leaves the more probable option of the two. Since tomorrow is Independence Day, you might want to try this one out!

RECIPE NOTES: This is a limit food. Do not eat this all the time. :-) I will admit that when I made this I cheated and used regular butter. However, you can use ghee or coconut oil (ghee has a more savory flavor so since this is a dessert you might want to try the coconut oil).
Xanthan Gum is a candida-safe elasticizer. Because you'll be using a gluten-free flour, it will tend to want to crumble. Xanthan Gum is used to help hold it together.
Stevia has a strong aftertaste, so use less and then add more if needed.

Ingredients:
Filling
4 cups or more sliced Granny Smith apples
2 Tbsp. to scant ¼ cup powdered stevia
½ tsp. xanthan gum
¼ tsp. salt
Juice of ½ a lemon (or 2-3 Tbsp.)
Cinnamon, to taste

Crust
¼ cup cool water
2 cups buckwheat flour
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1 cup coconut oil or ghee
¼ tsp. salt

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450°F. Combine stevia, xanthan gum and salt in a small bowl. Peel and slice apples, tossing as you go with a spoonful of the stevia mixture and a squeeze of lemon juice, until you have used it all. Add cinnamon.

For the crust, remove 1/3 cup flour from the 2 cups and mix the 1/3 cup in a bowl with the ¼ cup cool water, until it forms a paste. In a large bowl, cut the coconut oil (or ghee) into the remaining flour and salt with a pastry blender or fork. Mixture should be crumbly. Mix in xanthan gum. Add the paste to the flour/oil mixture and stir using the back of a fork (or a dough hook on a kitchen mixer) until dough forms a ball.

Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Heavily flour rolling surface and rolling pin. Roll out bottom crust to 1/8 inch thick; place in a 9-inch pie plate (if you find that your crust is crumbling, you can adjust the amount of xanthan gum and/or add a touch of water until it sticks together). Fill with apple filling. Roll out top crust, place on top and crimp edge with a fork. Pierce the top of the pie a dozen times.

Bake at 450°F for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350° and bake another 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting.

As you see, I made my top crust a lattice crust. Either way works!

Cilantro Lime Jicama Salad

2010-06-21T17:07:00.007-05:00

Jicama is a fresh, crunchy vegetable. It's very light and great for summer. You can add it to green salads to add an apple-like crunch, cut into matchsticks for a veggie tray, or eat it as a side dish in itself, like in the recipe below!

This is an easy, basic salad and easy to embellish. I've made it with tahini for a creamier dressing - or try it with hummus for a milder taste (tahini has somewhat bitter flavor).

Ingredients:

1 jicama

Approx. 2 Tbsp. lime juice, or to taste

3 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

sea salt to taste

Instructions:

Cut jicama into cubes or julienne. Toss with the lime juice and add the cilantro and salt. Mix together.

Variation: Add about 1 cup of cooked black beans for another option!

Breakfast Quinoa

2010-04-21T10:58:00.005-05:00

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is a delicious, versatile dish - you can use it pretty much a hundred different ways. One of my personal favorite ways to eat quinoa is for breakfast. You serve it similar to how you would serve oatmeal. There isn't a real "recipe" to this because it's really driven by your personal preference. Quinoa is a seed, not a grain, which makes it good for candida. You should still use it in moderation, but it's a better choice than a lot of other gluten free grains out there.

How to cook quinoa:

Use 2 parts water to one part dry quinoa (to serve 2-3 people for breakfast, I would use 2 cups water and 1 cup quinoa). Rinse the quinoa prior to cooking. Combine the water and quinoa in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn to low heat, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until it is tender and you see little squiggly "tendrils" attached to each seed and water is cooked off. Fluff with a fork.

From here, it's up to you what you want to add. Quinoa does have more of a rice consistency rather than being thick like oatmeal, so I like mine a little more creamy. You can use coconut milk to cream it up a bit (make sure you READ the labels - coconut milks often have sugar added), or melt some coconut butter in if you want an even sweeter, thicker coconut flavor. You can top with strawberries, blueberries or raspberries - these are limited, so don't do it all the time, but as a treat, go ahead. :-) You can try adding cinnamon or another spice you like. Sweeten with stevia (warning - don't add to much or you will get an unpleasant aftertaste) or yacon syrup. Play around and see what you like!

New Poll

2010-04-05T12:19:00.003-05:00

Please vote on our new poll in the sidebar - what type of recipes would you most like to see posted on Candida Cooking? Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, desserts, or all of the above? Vote and/or leave a comment!

What recipes would you most like to see?

Guacamole!

2010-03-31T12:01:00.005-05:00

Guacamole is one of my all-time favorite things. It's just so... yummy. And it is so very easy to make! "But," you ask, "What can I eat guacamole with?" Well, you are a little limited on the normal guac accompaniments; but think outside the box. You can put it on salads, or as a dip for fresh veggies! We have actually tried some corn tortilla chips once in a while (this should NOT be an every-day thing by a long shot) with success; you will have to see if you react and check the ingredient list before you buy. I wouldn't advise that you try chips if you are early on in the diet. I'm going to see if maybe I can come up with a cracker recipe for buckwheat... stay tuned for that! :-)

RECIPE NOTES
I like to put tomatoes in my guacamole, but since tomatoes can be allergenic, you can leave them out if desired. It still tastes great!

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados

1 large garlic clove, pressed or finely minced

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

1-2 large cherry tomatoes, finely chopped (optional)

1-2 tsp. lime juice

1 tsp. sea salt or to taste

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Instructions:

Cut avocados in half and remove the pit. Scoop out the flesh into a medium sized bowl. Mash with a fork. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings to taste. Enjoy!

Fresh Cucumber Tomato Salad

2010-03-18T09:01:00.007-05:00

This is a delicious recipe for a fresh side dish! Lots of people who don't have candida make this using white vinegar; candida doesn't allow that so sprinkle on the salt and spices! (Let me tell you, spices and herbs are your best friends when you have candida!).

RECIPE NOTES:
Tomatoes are included in this recipe; these are semi limited.
Fresh herbs are always better than dried for candida; if you use dried, try to make sure it is under 6 months old (less chance of mold)

Ingredients:

Approx. 12 cherry tomatoes

1 large cucumber

1 tsp. fresh or dried oregano

sea salt to taste

Instructions:

Rinse tomatoes and cut into quarters. Peel cucumber; cut in half crosswise and cut each of those halves in half longwise. Remove seeds using an apple corer, spoon, or cut out with a knife. Slice cucumber crosswise and cut slices into bite sized pieces. Toss with tomatoes, oregano and salt. Refrigerate at least half an hour before serving.

Chinese Vegetable Beef Soup

2010-03-03T00:00:00.004-06:00

*** Updated Photo! ***
My dad (the one with the candida in our house) is Chinese and he loves it when we cook Asian food. This soup is one of our favorites and it's very easy to make!

Ingredients:
2 lbs. ground beef
6 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
2 Tbsp. peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger

10 cups chicken broth (homemade is best)
1 (3 oz) package fresh shitake mushrooms
1 small head napa cabbage
1 (8 oz.) can bamboo shoots, drained
3 Tbsp. Bragg's Amino Acids
2 tsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. sea salt (or to taste)

Instructions:
Brown ground beef with garlic in a large soup pot. Drain fat and discard. Add ginger to beef and stir fry till fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth. Wash mushrooms and remove stems. Slice into strips and add to the soup. Cut napa cabbage crosswise into "ribbons," discarding the lower stalk area. Wash and drain (you can spin it in a lettuce spinner if desired). Add to soup along with remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until cabbage is cooked, about 15 minutes or more. Taste and adjust seasonings. Enjoy!

Want to eat it with those fun Chinese spoons? Click here to purchase a pack of 12 on Amazon.

French Beans a la Ghee

2010-02-27T09:00:00.002-06:00

When I am planning out side dishes for the week, somehow I always seem to forget about green beans. When I make them, I really like them! We've been buying French beans - they are thinner than normal green beans, and I personally like the flavor better. They are really simple to make too!

Ingredients:

1 lb. French beans

3 to 4 Tbsp. ghee

sea salt to taste

Instructions:

Wash beans and snap off ends. Melt ghee in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add beans and saute until crisp-tender, about 5 to 10 minutes (you can cover the pan and let them cook and stir occasionally). Toss in the salt and serve!

Creamed Cauliflower

2010-02-25T20:59:00.002-06:00

People used to say this was "just like mashed potatoes." Well, I'm not going to lie to you. It's not just like mashed potatoes. That's why I am calling it creamed cauliflower instead of "fake mashed potatoes."

Ingredients:

2 small heads cauliflower

4 Tbsp. ghee

1 tsp. sea salt or to taste

ground pepper (if desired)

Instructions:

Wash cauliflower and remove leaves and stalk. Steam for about 15 minutes or until soft. Break in pieces with a spoon and place in blender with the ghee and salt. Blend for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until it is creamy. Garnish with pepper if desired.

Hearty Sausage Minestrone

2010-02-24T15:07:00.015-06:00

This is one of our favorite soups ever! It's filling, and tastes great.

RECIPE NOTES:
Limited foods included in this recipe. Limited ingredients are marked; you can make this an unlimited dish by removing the limit foods.

This recipe contains broth, obviously. Homemade broth is best because you can be sure of no sneaky ingredients, but if you are going to buy broth, make sure you read the label. One good brand of chicken broth we have found is Health Valley.

It also has canned tomatoes - citric acid is often in canned tomatoes. If you can't find any without citric acid, you can cut up fresh tomatoes or omit them entirely.

Dried herbs are used; dried herbs should be used within 6 months to reduce the risk of mold.

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 c. chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced
8 c. chicken or beef broth (homemade is best)
1 can diced tomatoes (watch out for citric acid or use fresh - semi-limited)
2 carrots, coined (optional - limited)
2 c. cooked black beans (or use canned but watch for sugar)
1 lb. frozen green beans
1 c. uncooked quinoa (limited)
4 t. Italian seasonings
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. dried sage
1/2 t. dried parsley
1 t. fennel seed
sea salt and pepper

Instructions:
Brown beef, onion, and garlic in a large pot. Add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer half an hour, or until quinoa is done (you can simmer all day if you want to!).

Beer Can Chicken - Without the Beer

2010-02-23T15:29:00.005-06:00

Have you heard of beer can chicken? Even though the candida diet doesn't allow alcohol, you can still make chicken with this easy and tasty method! Here's how!

Ingredients:

1 fresh whole chicken

5 Tbsp. ghee

water

garlic salt to taste

empty beer or soda can (yes, you'll have to dump it out - don't drink it!!)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400ºF or preheat grill. Melt ghee in a saucepan. Fill the can about halfway full of water. Pour in about 3 Tbsp. of the melted ghee. Brush chicken with the remaining ghee and sprinkle evenly with garlic salt. Now comes the fun part: Place the can right side up in a baking pan or cookie sheet with sides. Now fit the cavity of the chicken - also right side up - over the top of the can so that the chicken sits or stands upright. Now you can either resist or cave in to the urge to take a picture. *grin*

Bake or grill until browned and crispy and till no longer pink in the center, about 45 to 60 minutes. Carefully remove chicken off the can (after taking another picture). Cut as usual and enjoy!

Our first post!

2010-02-22T11:22:00.003-06:00

This is post #1 here at Candida Cooking! The candida diet is very limited on what can be eaten, and many recipes out there are just plain blah. We want to change that for recipes that taste great, despite the limitations. Even if you are not on the candida diet, you will enjoy the healthy alternatives posted on this blog.

We guarantee a photo with every recipe, so that you can actually see what you are eating. Some recipes will actually be "regular" recipes that we have modified to be candida-safe.

Check back soon for some yummy recipes! If you try one, please comment and let us know how you liked it!