Place the green onions, tomatoes, cucumber, chickpeas, parsley, and mint, in a large flat dish to marinate. In a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Pour the dressing over the salad, tossing gently to coat Add avocado last or before serving. You may make it a day before serving it’s actually it’s better! Then add avocado before serving. You may add goat or feta cheese if you wish. Or use it as a filling in a pita with with humus.
Remember sherbet pops? Now you can make them at home without artificial colors, flavors and fillers. For easy preparation, pour the creamy orange mixture into Popsicle molds and freeze. For a fluffy texture, churn mixture in an ice cream maker, as instructed.
MAKES 8
⅓ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin or ¾ teaspoon agar agar powder (not flakes)
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar, more to taste ⅛ teaspoon salt
¾ cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
3 cups unsweetened coconut milk (not lite)
Zest of 1 medium orange, finely grated
1 teaspoon natural orange flavoring or orange extract, optional
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons orange liqueur, optional
Instructions
Place ⅓ cup juice in a small saucepan. Slowly sprinkle with gelatin or agar powder. Let stand for 2 minutes until gelatin softens and dry spots disappear. Warm over medium-low heat without stirring until dissolved. Scrape the mixture into a food processor and blend until smooth.
Add honey or agave and salt. Blend. Add orange juice concentrate and coconut milk. Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape sides with a spatula. Add orange zest and orange flavoring, if desired. For a sweeter taste, add additional honey, 1 tablespoon at a time, to taste.
Pour mixture into wide-mouth jars. Cover and chill for at least 6 hours before churning or cool more quickly using an ice bath.
Scrape the chilled custard into the canister of an ice cream maker. Add optional orange liqueur. Churn according to manufacturer’s instructions. Serve immediately or spoon into several freezer- safe containers. Cover and freeze for 3 hours or more. Soften solidly frozen dessert by placing it in the refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes or on the counter for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.
TIP For lower sugar content, use ¼ cup honey or agave nectar with ¼ to ½ teaspoon pure stevia extract powder or ½ to 1 teaspoon clear stevia liquid.
Here’s a perfect winter dessert that also makes a special breakfast treat on cold mornings.
SERVES 6 TO 8
½ recipe Filo Pastry
3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced into
½ cup apple juice concentrate
¼ cup apricot spread (100 percent fruit)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons dried cranberries, cherries or blueberries
¼-inch cubes
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Grape seed oil or walnut oil
Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium nonstick skillet, combine apples, apple juice, apricot spread, lemon juice and dried cranberries. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes until liquid is absorbed and apples are tender.
Remove from heat.
If walnuts are used, place them in a small food processor and pulse until finely ground. Reserve.
Mix together sugar and cinnamon until blended. Reserve.
Roll out the filo pastry between two sheets of plastic wrap until it forms a thin rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. Remove the top sheet. Turn the dough so the short end faces you. Spritz or brush the dough with oil. Sprinkle nuts, if used, over surface. Spread apple filling over the short end of the pastry closest to you, leaving a 2-inch border at the bottom and a 1-inch border on the sides. Fold the bottom border over the filling and roll up the pastry like a jelly roll.
Place strudel, seam down, on prepared baking sheet. Spritz or brush with oil and top with cinnamon mixture.
Bake strudel in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake an additional 15 minutes or until nicely browned.
Remove from oven and cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Dust lightly with powdered sugar and serve.
Filo Pastry
ENOUGH FOR 2 STRUDELS
1¼ cups super-fine white rice flour
¼ cup sweet rice flour
¼ cup sorghum flour
4 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 teaspoon agar powder or gelatin
1 egg
¼-½ cup warm milk of choice (rice, hemp, soy), divided
Mix rice flour, sweet rice flour, sorghum flour, xanthan gum and agar together. In a separate bowl, combine egg, milk, butter and honey. Meister flour can be used as a blend instead of mixing your own.
Make a well in the dry mixture and add the liquids. Mix together using a fork, gradually incorporating the dry ingredients into the wet. The dough should be soft but not sticky. If dough is too dry, add more milk.
Gather dough into a flat cake. Wrap in plastic wrap until ready to use. Dough may be refrigerated for later use but should return to room temperature before it is rolled out.
Experiment with different kinds of sugar and salt. Coarser grinds of both will provide a rougher scrub for hands and feet. Finer grinds work better for the body.
Makes 2 containers, 4 oz each
1 cup salt
50 drops essential oils, a single scent or a blend of your choice
½ cup olive or coconut oil
Instructions
Stir together the salt or sugar, oil and essential oils
Scoop mixture into decorative jars or containers. Make sure you have a tight seal without any sugar on the rim – body scrubs are notorious for leaking.
Resalable container or heavy sealable plastic bag.
1 roll of good quality paper towels such as Bounty Select a Size
2 cups boiling water
1 tbsp Castile soup (some are scented i.e. Dr. Bronner’s peppermint of almond)
1 – ½ tsp oil such as canola, almond or olive oil
Instructions
Cut roll of paper towels in half cross- wise with a serrated knife. Remove the cardboard center from the middle – OR separate all towels and put in pile.
Place your paper towels in a resealable container or in a bowl if it will be stored into a plastic bag.
Mix water, Castile soap and oil. Stir well
Pour the mixture over the paper towels in the container. If wish to keep in a plastic bag, pour hot liquid over towels in a bowl and put in plastic bag when cooled.
This good-for-you appetizer comes straight from the garden. A drizzle of white balsamic vinegar wakes up the taste so even those who are veggie-reluctant will ask for more.
SERVES 6 TO 8
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling and brushing grate
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 red onions, cut into ½-inch slices
3 sprigs rosemary, leaves chopped
12 asparagus spears, root ends trimmed Kosher salt, to taste
3 Italian frying peppers Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 bulb fennel, cut into quarters ¼ cup sundried tomatoes
1 lemon, cut into ½-inch slices 2 zucchini squash, cut into ½-inch slices lengthwise
1 jar marinated artichokes, drained 2 yellow squash, cut into ½-inch slices lengthwise
1 cup Kalamata olives 1 medium eggplant, cut into ½-inch slices
6 fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips
2 large Portobello mushrooms, stems removed
White balsamic vinegar, to taste
Instructions
In a small saucepan over low heat, whisk together oil, garlic, rosemary and a dash of salt and pepper. Heat for 5 minutes and set aside to cool.
Cover sun-dried tomatoes with hot water and soak for 10 minutes. Drain.
Heat the grill and brush grates with olive oil.
Brush zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, mushrooms, onions, asparagus, frying peppers, fennel and lemon slices with herbed garlic oil. Place vegetables and lemon slices on preheated grill and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side until slightly charred on edges and tender.
Remove vegetables and lemon slices from grill. De-stem and de-seed peppers and cut into strips.
Arrange vegetables on a serving platter, along with sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes and olives. Sprinkle with basil and season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.
Garnish with grilled lemon slices and drizzle with additional olive oil and white balsamic vinegar.
1 (14 oz) can pure, unsweetened coconut milk or real milk
1/2 cup very strong brewed decaf coffee or decaf espresso
5 drops liquid stevia extract (more or less to taste)*
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
optional – 1 organic free range egg yolk
1 cup crushed ice cubes
Instructions
Place everything in a blender, blend well, pour into a tall glass, over more ice cubes if you like, and serve with a straw.
*Omit the stevia if you prefer your drink unsweetened.
Orange Julius – Qualifies as a HCG Recipe
1 orange
5-10 drops vanilla creme liquid stevia (to taste)
Ice
Water (as needed)
Instructions
Peel orange and place orange sections in blender.
Add about a handful of ice.
Blend.
Add vanilla creme stevia.
Blend to desired consistency. Add water as needed.
TIP: Place this in the freezer for about 1 hr after preparing and have an on protocol version of orange sherbet! Yummy.
Munch and Crunch Trail Mix
MAKES 12 CUPS
Kids love this recipe. Ideal for after-school munching, it’s likely to disappear quickly.
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups gluten-free Gorilla Munch cereal
2 tablespoons gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
3 cups gluten-free Rice Crunch Ems cereal
½ teaspoon garlic powder
3 cups gluten-free Perky-O’s cereal
½ teaspoon onion powder
2 cups gluten-free pretzels
1-2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 ½ cups whole blanched almonds or seeds
Instructions
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Put olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder and salt into a roasting pan. Mix until blended. Place in oven for 5 minutes.
Toss all remaining ingredients together in a large bowl.
Remove roasting pan from oven and gently stir in cereal mixture until coated with warm seasoned oil.
Return to oven and bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
Baked Ham with Gluten-Free Clementine Marmalade Glaze
Serves About 20
Many store-bought hams come with gluten-containing glazes. Here’s a glaze that’s safe to consume — and tasty! — if you’re gluten intolerant. (Read labels carefully when selecting your ham to ensure it’s gluten free.)
Pressed for time? You can substitute commercially prepared gluten-free orange-marmalade for the clementine glaze. Wait until the end of the baking time to brush on the glaze, as its high sugar content will cause the ham to burn if it’s added at the beginning.
1 lean bone-in ham (7 to 9 pounds)
¼ teaspoon ground mustard
¼ cup homemade Clementine Marmalade (recipe below) or orange marmalade
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Prepare the ham by scoring the fat ¼-inch deep every two inches in a cross-hatch fashion. Place the ham on a rack in a pan that has been coated with cooking spray. Add water as needed to maintain ¼-inch depth.
Bake 1 to 2 hours or until an instant-read thermometer registers 110 degrees when inserted into the center of the ham.
Combine the marmalade, brown sugar, mustard and cloves in a saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring well, until melted.
Increase the oven heat to 375 degrees. Brush the glaze on the ham, replenish the water to a depth of ¼-inch, and return the ham to the oven to bake 10 to 15 minutes more or until the glaze begins to darken. The internal temperature of the ham should read 140 degrees. Let the ham stand covered 10 minutes before carving.
Makes About 1½ Cups
Marmalade
Clementines make a marvelous marmalade – a bit sweeter than oranges and with less bitterness from the pulp. This easy version uses the microwave and doesn’t need pectin or other additives to make it gel.
3 clementines, washed but unpeeled
¾ cup sugar
Instructions
Cut the clementines into quarters, removing any seeds or white pithy centers. Place the quartered clementines in a blender or food processor and pulse until the peel reaches the desired size (⅛- inch to ¼-inch pieces are best). Place the mixture in a microwave-safe glass dish or bowl and add the sugar.
Microwave on high 1 minute. Stir and then heat again for 30 seconds. Repeat in 30-second increments on high until the mixture thickens slightly. Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to one week.
