Pomegranate Sauce

When cranberries came back as a reaction on my blood tests earlier this year I was sad. I love cranberries and always looked forward to seeing them in the stores in the Fall. I always made my own cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving and was my favorite thing to make next to the turkey and the mashed potatoes.

I had all year to think of how to do cranberry sauce without it being cranberry sauce, but I have been busy.

Earlier this week it hit me. Pomegranate.

Two of the big, red, round fruits were in my fruit bin begging me to use them up before they turned. Pomegranate seeds and cranberries couldn’t be that far off of each other could they? Sure the seeds have seeds inside them, but it did not deter me. I like a variety of textures when I eat.

No, I did not blend and strain this to make it less crunchy. I was going to after I tried it. However, after eating it with the chicken I made, I found I didn’t mind the seediness of it. If you are affronted by this, by all means, blend and strain. I cannot guarantee your results though.

Cross one side off my Thanksgiving day list!

Pomegranate Sauce

Seeds of two pomegranates

Zest and juice of one orange

1 cinnamon stick

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (grade B)

water

Add seeds, zest, juice, cinnamon stick, and maple syrup to a saucepan. Add just enough water to come to the top of the seeds. Bring to a boil over medium. Lower heat to keep it at a low boil and cover, leaving a crack to let steam escape. Let the sauce simmer for an hour. Serve warm or cold. Allow to cool before storing in the refrigerator.

This post is linked to Whole Food Fridays at Allergy-Free Alaska and Wellness Weekend at Ricki Heller.

Portuguese Bean Soup

I do not like cold weather. I do not like being cold. I do not like my hands feeling like blocks of ice. I do not like Old Man Winter.

It snowed the other day and not all the leaves here have turned and fallen off the trees/bushes. It was an odd sight to see snow blanketing red and green leaves on the trees. A much different sight from snow on pine needles. I could not tell what season it was. The temperature told me one thing while my eyes were just confused.

The only upside to cold weather is being in the mood for foods that really warm me from the inside, which I need in order to stay warm. Layers of clothes do not help much when my hands are still exposed. Wearing gloves while working around the house is not feasible. I even tried getting a pair of cheap gloves and cutting the fingertips off. Just my fingertips being exposed kept my hands and the rest of me cold.

Portuguese Bean Soup is a comfort food from back home. I had some Portuguese sausage in the freezer and I was trying to figure out what to make to use it up. Soup! Duh!

I realize Portuguese sausage may not be available in your area. I was thrilled to find it in Jungle Jim’s, but they do not always have it in stock. You can use chorizo or andouille in its place. I also use dried beans and I do not soak them. Boil them for about an hour before using them in the soup and they will be done by the time the soup is done. If you want to use canned beans, you can.

This filled up my dutch oven and I had lots of leftovers.

Portuguese Bean Soup

20-24 ounces Portuguese Sausage (or chorizo or andouille), sliced (or halved/quartered and sliced)

1 onion, chopped

1 head cabbage, chopped

1 cup dried kidney beans, boiled for 1 and drained

28 ounce can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes

water

chili flakes

salt

Heat a large dutch oven or soup pot on medium. Add sausage and onion. Cook until both are sweating. Add cabbage, kidney beans, canned tomatoes, and salt and chili flakes to taste. Stir well then add water just until ingredients are covered. Lower the heat then cover and simmer for at least an hour.

Kitchen Sink Pasta

I met with my rheumatologist on Tuesday for my six month follow-up. I went in with a new symptom, stiff hands and feet in the morning. My feet are feeling like plantar fasciitis returned, especially after four hours on them for the Butch Walker concert Sunday. I have a bit of difficulty with my hands first thing in the morning, mostly with fine motor skills. Normally, I don’t do a lot upon waking so my fingers have time to loosen up. Trying to write with a pen first thing, not happening. We don’t know if it is weather related or not. She did feel the difference in my knuckles when she held my hands. I’m in tune with my body enough to pinpoint possible triggers to symptoms that come up. This one had me stumped. It was like when the Sjogren’s first became active. It was subtle, not in my face. It’s possible this is cold weather related. It’s possible it’s food related (I have been eating grains more than usual with all the pancake experiments and porridge trials). 

Realizing it could be grains made me think that maybe it’s time to try the Autoimmune Paleo Protocol (AIP) again. Or maybe I just need to go grain-free. Whichever I choose to do it means it’s time to put on my thinking-outside-the-box cap again. Wait, no. It’s still on my head. Living with multiple food allergies/sensitivities requires that you keep it on. I have to be able to change my dinner plans on the days I have allergy treatments in case I’m treated for something I planned. No oil tonight? Use bacon fat! No water? Use distilled water for soup! No grains? Use veggies! No yeast? Use citrus instead of vinegar for dressings. No sunflower seeds? Use pumpkin seeds! No citrus? Pineapple! By the way, I find it funny that I thought I was reacting to citrus earlier this year before my IgG and IgA results came back and it was really pineapple.

There is always another way to make something. Always. I’m not that great with coming up with my own baked goods recipes, but I have become great at figuring out main dishes, sides, dressings, and sauces without the star ingredient. This is out of necessity and it isn’t always easy.

If you are new to removing a particular food or food group(s) out of your diet, play. Get in the kitchen and play with your food. Find a blogger or bloggers who are more experienced and ask them questions. Most of us are more than happy to answer them because we were once in your shoes and we remember how it felt to flounder around not knowing which end was up. If you come across a blogger who won’t answer your question, move on to another one.

Dishes I like that might surprise you with what is missing:

Winter Hash – no eggs, no potatoes, no grains

Port Wine Cheese – no dairy

Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip – no dairy

Creamy Coriander Dressing – no eggs, no dairy, no yeast

Grain-Free Mediterranean “Bulgar” Salad – no grains, no yeast

Lola Kale Salad – no yeast

Sweet Beet Salad – no yeast

Eggless Egg Salad – no eggs, no dairy, no yeast

Steak Salad with Orange Fennel Dressing – no yeast

Flourless Almond Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies – no grains, no eggs, no dairy, no yeast, no soy

Meyer Lemon Lavender Bars – no grains, no eggs, no soy, no dairy, no yeast

Raw Lavender Blueberry Bars – no grains, no dairy, no eggs, no soy, no yeast

Raw Peppermint Mocha Truffle Cake – no grains, no dairy, no eggs, no soy, no yeast

While this recipe isn’t about my crazy diet of multiple foods I can’t have, it is about using up things you have open in your pantry or fridge and produce that you need to use up. I did this before going on the AIP. I wanted to use up some open pasta, olives, and bacon while also using up some tomatoes and kale that needed to be used quickly. Most of the time I have leftovers for lunch. This particular day there were no leftovers in the fridge and I had too much writing going on to leave and have lunch out. I was so in love with this, I made it several more times over a few weeks always using what I had on hand. This original is pretty awesome though. I fix my bacon in the oven at 375° until it is done to my liking. Usually 15 – 20 minutes. Bacon is not required, but certainly adds to the awesomeness of this dish.

Kitchen Sink Pasta – serves 1

3 slices of bacon, cooked, rendered fat reserved

2 handfuls gluten-free pasta (I use Tinkyada)

1 handful grape tomatoes (or cherry, or handful of chopped tomato)

1 handful olives (I used black and kalamata)

4 kale leaves, stems removed, sliced (I used Lacinto kale)

pinch (or more) chili flakes

salt to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. It will take less time with so little being cooked, so keep an eye on it. Heat a large skillet over medium heat then add 2 teaspoons of the rendered bacon fat and coat the pan. Add olives, tomatoes, chili flakes, and salt. Add kale right before you add the pasta so you don’t over cook it. Spoon in some of the pasta water to the skillet to deglaze. Drain pasta and add to the skillet. Crumble bacon over the mixture and stir well. Remove from the heat and serve hot.