Easter Menu Planner (gluten-free, dairy-free, GAPS-friendly)

Happy Easter!  I’m excited about the menu planner I just created for Easter and wanted to share it here.  Here is the run-down for you:

Breakfast:

• Almond Flour Pancakes
• Hard Boiled Eggs
• Pineapple Papaya and Mango Fruit Salad

Entrees and Sides:

• Lemon and Herb Slow Cooked Lamb and Green Bean Casserole
• Honey Citrus Glazed Ham, Coconut Flour Muffins and Roasted Asparagus
• Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie and Creamed Spinach
• Cabbage and Ham Soup and Deviled Eggs

Desserts:

• Egg-free Devil’s Food Cake and Chocolate Coconut Icing
• Fruit and Nut Cake

The Easter Menu Planner will be available starting this Friday, March 29th, 2013 on the membership site.  All recipes are free of the following foods:

• gluten
• dairy
• soy
• grains
• sugar
• starches
• processed foods

Here is one recipe to get you started.  Enjoy!

Traditional (but healthy) Green Bean Casserole:
This is my version of traditional Green Bean Casserole that I adapted from www.eatingwell.com.  It calls for all whole foods rather than anything canned or processed.

2 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil, divided
1/2-1 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup almond flour or almond meal
2 cups water
2/3 cup raw cashews, soaked for 4 hours and drained
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1/2-1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 pound mushroom, trimmed and sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2-1 teaspoons sea salt, to taste
1/4- 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, to taste
1 pound green beans, frozen or fresh, trimmed

Steps:

1. To make onion topping: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over low heat. Add sliced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender and golden, about 20-30 minutes. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread almond meal/flour on a baking sheet and toast, stirring once, until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Set aside.

3. To make sauce: Combine water, drained cashews, and nutmeg in a blender and process until very smooth. Poor into a medium saucepan and bring to a low boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Once it starts to boil, reduce heat immediately to low and continue stirring until the sauce is thick. Remove from heat.

4. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook, stirring often, until golden, 8-10 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook, stirring, until tender, 5-6 minutes. When veggies are cooked, add the thickened cashew sauce and stir into the veggies. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5.  If you are using fresh green beans, bring a pot of water to a boil.  Then blanch the green beans for about 1 minute.  Drain.

6. To assemble and bake casserole: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spread green beans evenly over the bottom of 9 x 13 Pyrex baking dish and pour the sauce over the top. Toss together the reserved onions and almond flour in a small bowl and spread over the beans. Bake until bubbling, 18 to 25 minutes.

Substitutions:  Cashews: I used cashews in this recipe as both a dairy substitute and a thickening agent. If you can’t eat cashews, you can use another non-dairy milk as well as a thickening agent like arrowroot powder (not GAPS-legal). Use a tsp to start.  Add more if needed.

Soaking the cashews makes them more digestible.  But cooking them also helps with this.  You can skip soaking the nuts if you are in a hurry.

Happy Easter!

The Easter menu planner will be available starting this Friday, March 29th, 2013 on the membership site.

 

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