Really easy gluten-free gravy

Oliver loves gravy ("sauce" as he calls it) on everything possible. He generally resists eating meat without it. And though he doesn't know this of course, this policy is a good one: not only is authentic gravy delicious, but it also enhances digestion by supplying concentrated gelatin from reduced bone broth, plus enzymes from raw dairy -- not to mention healthy fats from the pan drippings.

All you need to do is cook a cut of meat (steak or meatballs are usually the chosen candidates in our house for gravy) in a hot skillet with plenty of fat melted in the bottom. I've been using lard (a great source of vitamin D) for a few years now, but recently decided to branch out and try beef tallow again (and I've been delighted with the results!). Beef tallow is a rich source of CLA (a fatty acid with known cancer-fighting properties) and also omega-3s. Move over, wild salmon! Other healthy fats for cooking include any pure rendered fat from pastured animals, such as lamb, chickens, or goats. (Butter is also great, but only for very light cooking, like scrambled eggs or Hollandaise sauce, and while coconut oil is another good "fat," I generally save that for baking and making chocolates and mayonnaise. I also save bacon fat of course and consider that my preferred fat for cooking pancakes. The best thing in my opinion is to mix it up a bit so you get a range of fats, with all their varying benefits, on a regular basis.)

To make the gravy:

1. First cook the meat in the hot fat, then remove it from the pan (but don't pour off the fat!).

2. Next, add in 1 cup bone broth of choice (generally I just use chicken for everything but tonight I opted for some beef tongue broth I had in the freezer and it worked beautifully).

3. Turn the heat up to high and let the broth boil away and reduce until thickened, while you scrape the brown bits that are stuck to the bottom of the skillet. Let everything get nice and thick (the liquid will go from 1+ cup to just a few tablespoons), then pour it into a little pitcher and whisk in a giant heaping spoonful of raw creme fraiche or sour cream. Mix thoroughly and serve over the meat. This makes an incredibly luscious gravy -- you would have a hard time finding better! My guess is that this only makes about 1/4 cup of gravy, though, which isn't much, so if you want more just use twice as much broth so that when it's reduced there is about 1/2 cup remaining.

One thing I did notice about the beef tallow: the gravy started to congeal on our plates more quickly than usual this time. But maybe that was because we had the kitchen window open to catch the springlike evening air.

Two favorite muffin recipes

Gluten-avoiders, rejoice! Here are two delicious muffin recipes for you to enjoy, and you don't even have to be self-conscious about serving them to the wheat-eaters among us because they are really quite good.

I put one every day in Hugo's breakfast that he takes to work, which he eats cold, but they're of course even better warmed up and filled with butter, with a cup of herbal tea alongside.

So far I have only used Let's Do Organic coconut flour and have been very happy with it. I have heard Bob's Red Mill coconut floor recommended as well. One tip about using coconut oil in these recipes: it makes things easier if you first mix in the coconut oil and then add the eggs, especially in the winter. Otherwise the coldness of the eggs can make the coconut oil harden, which makes it difficult to blend.

 
Lemon Poppy Muffins
(makes 12)
From the Comfy Belly blog, adapted slightly.

First blend the dry ingredients:
3/4 cup of coconut flour
1/4 t of sea salt
1/2 t baking soda* (omit if following the GAPS diet)

Then add the following:
6 eggs
1/2 cup coconut oil
6 T of honey*

Mix in the rest:
1-2 T of vanilla
1.5 T of poppy seeds
Fresh-grated zest of 2 organic lemons (do NOT use conventional lemon zest--citrus is sprayed with neurotoxic pesticides)

Spoon into buttered (or oiled) muffin cups and bake at 350 degrees until the tops are done (no longer soft or mushy).

*Note added 3/26/12: was recently reminded that baking soda is not allowed on GAPS, and since I'm trying to do the diet correctly now I decided to make these without any. They were indeed flatter and smaller, but quite delicious and rather scone-like! I also reduced the honey to just 4 tbsp. per 12 muffins (which comes out to 1 tsp. per muffin). They are great straight from the fridge, or warmed and served with butter.

 
Carrot Raisin Muffins
(makes 12)
Adapted from the Well-Fed Homestead blog.

Blend the dry ingredients:
1/4 t salt
1/2 t baking soda (omit if doing the GAPS diet)
1/2 cup coconut flour
2 t cinnamon
Generous dashes nutmeg cloves ginger

Add the following:
6 eggs
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
1-2 T vanilla

Mix in:
2 cups shredded or grated organic carrots
1/2 cup raisins

Spoon into buttered (or oiled) muffin cups and bake at 350 degrees until the tops are done.

For both recipes, allow the muffins to cool completely, then store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for one week (we have kept them longer and they've been fine).

Enjoy!

Cashew bread, I love you!

Last Saturday was quite thrilling.

I ate BREAD!

Gluten-free, grain-free, starch-free bread...but still the most bread-like thing I have eaten in a VERY long time. I'm still loving all the benefits of my regular-bread-free life (like clear skin and a stronger immune system), so no regrets there, but I've missed a few things...like poached eggs on toast, and grilled cheese!

 But on Saturday I had BOTH, thanks to this cashew bread recipe from Comfy Belly.

Ollie was super excited about the "bread," too! He had his slice with lots of raw butter and raw honey.

I followed the recipe exactly, except I left out the apple juice (which was optional anyway), and used raw creme fraiche (homemade) in place of yogurt. My Cuisinart food processor made lovely flour out of the soaked and dehydrated cashews, which I always buy from Wilderness Family Naturals. I also used my tiny metal loaf pans, lined with parchment paper, rather than full-size pans. Tonight I made a double batch and have grass-fed goat cheese ready and waiting to go on top!

I should mention that even the tiny loaves took an incredibly long time to cook in my oven at 300 degrees, somewhere around 2 hours I believe. I have found that when baking with nut flours the cooking time can be extremely long in order to get the inside done. A steak knife or paring knife is my instrument of choice for testing the bread for doneness. You can easily see any wetness on the knife's blade.

Sunday update: this is what Oliver and I had for breakfast today as a treat. (Yes, that is cashew bread under all that egg and bacon!)