All-American Apple Pie

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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.