Jicama Fries

We recently discovered a new yummy way to eat jicama... cooking it! I thought it would be gross since jicama seems like such a fresh, crunchy thing that I thought if you cooked it, it would be nasty. WRONG! It still retains some crunch and the cooking brings out the sweetness in it and makes it super yummy. I think I like it cooked better than fresh!

So... here's an easy-peasy recipe for jicama fries - great for snacking or as a side dish.

Ingredients:
1 jicama
Coconut oil, melted (enough to cover a skillet with about a ½ inch of oil)
Sea salt to taste

Instructions:
Peel the jicama. Cut in half, and then in slices. Cut the slices into strips (think french fries). Heat the coconut oil in a large heavy skillet until piping hot - when it starts to smoke a little bit and/or "pop." Put in enough of the jicama so that all the pieces can be submerged in the oil (be careful - the oil is HOT!). Let it fry until the jicama turns crispy and brown, stirring occasionally, around 5-10 minutes (depends on how thinly you sliced your jicama). When they are crisped to your satisfaction, fish them out with a slotted spoon or spatula and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Add more jicama to the oil and repeat the process till you're finished!

Creamy Spiced Squash Soup

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.

Pasta Fagioli

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

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!

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.

French Beans a la Ghee

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

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.