SCD Instant Pot Coconut Milk Yogurt - Dairy and Sugar Free

 Eating yogurt everyday is a part of my diet and essential for my health.  I can skip a day or two now and then, but generally speaking I need to eat it every single day.  Have you ever bought store bought dairy free yogurt? It is crazy expensive.  And of the 8 people in this house, 6 of us can not have dairy.  

So making my own yogurt definitely became a priority!  It can be very intimidating, but it is much easier than you think! 

And look at the beautiful and delicious yogurt you can have for a fraction of the price! 

SCD Instant Pot Coconut Milk Yogurt - Dairy and Sugar Free

INGREDIENTS: 

3 cartons of Aroy-D Coconut Cream* (see picture below) 

1 1/2 Tbsp. Raw Honey 

3/16 tsp. of GI Pro Health Yogurt Starter* (see picture below)  

DIRECTIONS: 

- Empty the 3 cartons of coconut cream into the instant pot.  Turn on the "sauté" function and boil until the cream reaches 180* F. (You can also use the yogurt function for this step, but I have difficulty reaching 180* with it. The "sauté" function always works.) 

- Once you reach 180* F remove the inner pot and set aside, in order to cool the cream down to 100-115* F.   I usually place it in the fridge, and keep a close eye on the temperature.  

- Once you reach 100-115* place the pot back into the Instant Pot.  Stir in the honey.  

- Remove 1/4 c or so and carefully whisk the starter into it, slowly, to avoid clumps.  Once smooth, gently whisk the removed 1/4 c. into the rest of the coconut cream.  

- Close the lid of the instant pot and close the vent.  Select "Yogt" and allow it to "cook" for 12 hours.  

- Remove from pot and gently stir to combine.  (It will have separated.) Pour into containers and chill.  Serve with honey, fruit, whatever you desire.  

YUM!!

**Notes: 

- You can use any coconut cream you choose, but this is the best, cleanest (no added gums or anything) brand I have found

- There is a TON of variation in all coconut products, and coconut cream/milk is no exception.  Sometimes your yogurt will be incredibly creamy, other times it will be more separated and oily. 

- Boiling to 180* is done to kill any germs or bacteria that may be in the cream.  

- Cooling the cream back down to 100 - 115* is so that the high heat doesn't kill the starter.  

- I fill out a 1/4 tsp. of starter and then carefully divide into 4 -1/16 section with a knife. Carefully scoop out 1/16  of it (back into jar) and use the remaining.

- I divide this into 20 containers (see below) which comes out around $0.70 per yogurt.  An INCREDIBLE steal compared to store prices for dairy free yogurt!! 

I mix my yogurt with bananas and frozen mixed berries (frozen is cheaper than fresh, but fresh is fantastic too!).  I top with honey and it is heaven! 

Butternut Muffins - Gluten, Grain, Nut, Sugar and Dairy Free

I know that bread is the staff of life but I would argue that that includes muffins because  . . .  because, well, I basically eat muffins every day!  I can't manage bread too easily on my diet, because it is very difficult to make bread in the traditional sense with my restrictions.  But muffins?  

Give me muffins every day.  Even when I couldn't eat eggs I still made muffins constantly.  Love muffins! 

Butternut Muffins - Gluten, Grain, Nut, Sugar and Dairy Free 

1 c. of butternut squash puree (pumpkin works, if tolerated - we can not have pumpkin) 

3/4 c. honey 

8 eggs 

1/2 tsp. baking soda 

1/2 tsp. salt 

1 heaping tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg  

1/2 tsp. cloves 

1/2 tsp. ginger 

3/4 c. coconut flour 

For the butternut (or pumpkin) puree:  Cut open squash, scoop out seeds and strings, and roast, cut side up in 400* oven, with oil and salt sprinkled on top, for 1 hour.  When cools scoop out the squash, and blend in food processor until smooth and pureed. 

For the muffins:  Combine all ingredients.  Stir till well combined.  Let batter sit while preparing muffin pan, so the  flour can absorb all the liquid. Bake at 350* for 35-40 mins, until slightly browned.  

These freeze well, if you want to make lots and eat as needed.  

Enjoy! 

Recipe adapted from Comfy Belly.  Her recipes save me!!

Crispy Pork and Veggies - Gluten, Grain, and Dairy Free

I feel like there is a lot of confusion over whether pork is good for you or not.  And I am not here to argue if you think pork is bad and want to stay away from it.  I only know one thing . . . 

It tastes dang good!  Ha!  

Ground pork, pork chops, bacon, ham . . .it's all super yummy, right? 

And if you believe it is bad for you, maybe combining it with all these veggies will make it seem healthier?  Well, worth a try! 

Crispy Pork and Veggies - Gluten, Grain, and Dairy Free 

~1 lb. of ground pork 

salt, to taste 

pepper, to taste 

2-3 large carrots, peeled and sliced  

1-2 cups of green beans 

In a large skillet, cook the ground pork, salt and pepper, until it is done.  Remove from pan.  In the same pan add carrots and cook until starting to become soft.  Add ground pork and green beans back to the pan, with the carrots. Cook until veggies are tender and pork is slightly crispy.   

Enjoy! 

SCD/AIP Quick Bread - Gluten, Grain, Nut, Dairy free

 After eating an extremely restricted diet for an incredibly long time there is not a lot of foods that I still crave.  

I don't crave sugar or candy.  I don't crave ice cream any more, even though me and ice cream have a long and happy history, ha!  I don't crave chips or popcorn or other junk food.  

I only crave one thing and I never could have anticipated it.  

Toast.  

I crave toast.  It's so odd. 

So, I've been on a long and dedicated journey of trying to make toast I can tolerate.  The only flour I can tolerate is coconut flour and it is very hard to make coconut flour crunchy . . .like nearly impossible.  

But this is what I have come up with and I am SO HAPPY!  They fill my need for bread and toast.  I make a huge batch and keep them in the freezer at all times.  When I am ready for one I pop it in the toaster, both defrosting it and giving it an extra crunch.  

I enjoy it dipped into my soup or with my homemade SCD/AIP jam.  It is heaven!  I have also made them more round and thick and then sliced in half for a chicken sandwich.  It's crazy how these taste SO GOOD to me.  You can also add a little honey and cinnamon to the batter, then top with berries and coconut cream, for an extra treat.

YUM! 

SCD/AIP Quick Bread - Gluten, Grain, Nut, Dairy Free 

1 cup coconut flour 

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 c. olive oil 

8 eggs 

dash of salt 

1 tsp. of honey (only if making for a dessert) 

1/2 tsp. cinnamon (only if making for a dessert) 

With a hand mixer, mix all ingredients until well combined.  Scoop large spoonfuls onto parchment lined cookie sheet.  With the back of the spoon spread the dough out into "bread" piece shape.  (See pic below.) If you want them thicker and rounder, like a biscuit, skip this step.  Cook at 350* for 20 mins, until slightly golden.  

YUMMY! 

"Pumpkin" Pie Bars - Gluten, Grain, and Dairy Free

 You may have heard me say before that we have serious issues with pumpkin in this house.  My boy is anaphylactic to pumpkin, and while I could certainly keep it away from him, I prefer to just keep pumpkin out of the house. Anaphylactic reactions are so scary!  I'm not taking any chances. 

For this reason, all "pumpkin" treats and foods in this house are made with either sweet potatoes or butternut squash.  The difference is completely unnoticeable to us!  

And thank heavens . . . I can't imagine going through life without "pumpkin" foods! 

These bars are practically a health food! No grains, no dairy, no refined sugar, no allergens!  You could should eat these for breakfast and feel no guilt! 

They taste like a piece of pumpkin pie, minus the crust.  YUM!

 

"Pumpkin" Pie Bars - Gluten,  Grain, and Dairy Free 

 3 eggs 

1 1/2 c. butternut squash puree (you could use real pumpkin, if tolerated)

2 tsp. vanilla 

1/3 c. honey 

2 Tbsp. olive oil (light in taste)

1/2 c. coconut flour 

1 Tbsp. cinnamon 

1/4 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. salt 

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1 1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. lemon juice 

For the butternut (or pumpkin) puree:  Cut open squash, scoop out seeds and strings, and roast, cut side up in 400* oven, with oil and salt sprinkled on top, for 1 hour.  When cools scoop out the squash, and blend in food processor until smooth and pureed. 

For the "Pumpkin" Pie Bars: Beat eggs with a mixer for 5 minutes, until pale and frothy.  In separate bowl mix all ingredients until well combined.  Fold eggs into squash/flour mixture and gently mix until well combined.  

Spread into parchment lined 9 X 9 pan.  Bake at 350* for 45-55 mins.  Cool completely.  

For a SUPER yummy treat, top these with this fantastic cream! 

Enjoy!  

Macaroons - Gluten, Dairy, Grain and Egg Free

While on this SCD/AIP diet I constantly crave cookies, treats, baked goods. I just love my goodies!

These macaroons are the perfect answer.  They are insanely yummy.  The texture is so good! Easy to make and safe for me too.  It's a SCD/AIP cookie dream come true!

Macaroons - Gluten, Dairy, Grain, and Egg Free 

1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

1 Tbsp coconut flour

1/8 tsp salt

2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup honey

1 Tbsp vanilla

In a food processor, mix everything until well combined. Scoop batter 1 level tablespoon at a time onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 350*F for 7-10 minutes, until slightly golden brown.  Cool for 1 hour.  Store in fridge.

Enjoy!

Recipe from Elana's Pantry.  Her recipes are fantastic and save me all the time! 

Homemade Sausage - Gluten, Dairy, and Yeast Free

You may have noticed some recipes appearing on this blog labeled SCD/AIP.  Those, dear reader, are for me.  Before now all the recipes on this blog have been for the rest of my family.  Because of my issues, I haven't been able to eat any of them.

Every night, I cook dinner for my family and then cook a separate meal for myself.  Alas, I have decided to start including some of my recipes on this blog.

I have Lymphocytic Microscopic Colitis.  Essentially, food hates me, ha.  After being insanely sick for almost two years, despite taking almost every food group out, I finally decided to start the SCD diet.  This diet literally saved my life.  After tweaking it to my needs  - basically eating a combination of SCD and AIP - I have found what works best for me.  I eat a nut free version of SCD, and AIP with eggs successfully reintroduced.  There are plenty of things in both diets that I absolutely can not tolerate (like cruciferous vegetables) but . . .they have given me such an amazing framework for better health.

The list of foods I CAN eat is much shorter than the list of foods I CAN'T eat, but I am eternally grateful for these diets for giving me back life and health.

With that . . . I give you another SCD/AIP recipe! I ate these sausages (with a sliced avocado) for breakfast every single day for literally 1 year straight.  I never got tired of them.  After a year I was able to add eggs successfully back into my diet . . . but I still eat these sausages frequently!  They are SO good! I make a whopping huge amount then I freeze them and reheat as needed.  They work super well this way. 

Homemade Sausage - Gluten, Dairy, and Yeast Free 

9 lbs. ground turkey (ground pork works great as well)
2-3 cups chopped spinach 

3/4 c raw honey

4 Tbsp salt

1 Tbsp pepper

2 Tbsp sage

4 1/2 tsp marjoram

Mix everything well (I use my hands). Chill for a few hours or overnight to let flavors meld. Form into patties, place on parchment paper on a baking sheet. Bake at 400* for 20 minutes, flip, then bake for 20 more minutes. 

Yum yum! 

Crock Pot Roast - Gluten, Grain, and Dairy Free

We have cooked roasts a lot of different ways over the years, but this is the current favorite.  It's super simple, basic and yummy.  Add some potatoes (cooked separately) and a salad on the side if you can tolerate them.  

A wonderful meal with very little effort! 

Crock Pot Roast - Gluten, Grain, and Dairy Free 

4-5 pound chuck roast

salt and pepper, to taste

garlic, to taste

1 tsp. thyme 

Carrots, as many as you can fit under and around the roast

2 cups of broth 

Peel and chop carrots into 2" chunks.  Layer in bottom of crockpot, as many as you can fit and still fit the roast.  Season the roast on both sides and lay across the carrots.  Add more carrots around the edges of the roast. Add broth.  Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 5-6 hours.  

Enjoy! 

(I like to use the leftovers, including the juices as a soup.  All those good meat juices, combined with the broth makes a nice, healthy soup. Hopefully there is some meat and carrots for it too!) 

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes - Grain free, Nut free

My 14 year old daughter, who is an actual saint, has been cooking and baking up a storm.  She knows and understands all the constraints in this family and is willing to attempt to make things that "We All Can Eat"!  It's incredible!  And then . . . and THEN . . . she is helping me to post them here.  A saint, I tell you! 

This is a super yummy cupcake recipe she made.  It is free of everything, including grains.  Easy to make and super yummy to eat.  Enjoy! 

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes - Grain Free, Nut Free

Cupcake: 

3/4 coconut flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt 

 5 eggs

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup honey

3 tbsp lemon juice

zest of 1 lemon

3/4 c fresh or frozen blueberries

Frosting:

1 - 14 oz can cream of coconut, refrigerated several hours

1 1/2 tsp coconut oil

zest 1 lemon

1 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp honey

Fresh blueberries (optional)

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 350*F.  Combine the dry cupcake ingredients (coconut flour, baking soda, salt, lemon zest). In another bowl, combine the eggs, oil, honey, and lemon juice. Stir wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  Gently fold in blueberries. Scoop the batter into the cupcake liner, about 2/3 of the way. Bake for 20-24 minutes until golden on top. Cool completely before frosting. 

Frosting:

Open coconut cream and pour out the liquid or save for something else.  Place the cream into a mixing bowl. Add the coconut oil to provide structure. whip for 2-3 minutes until well combined. If the coconut cream is chunky, smooth out the chunks with the back of a spoon. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and honey. Whip again to combine. Frost cooled cupcakes. If you have fresh blueberries,  you can put a few on top. 

Enjoy! 

Recipe adapted from: https://goodiegodmother.com/paleo-lemon-blueberry-cupcakes-nut-free/

Coconut Cream - Gluten and Dairy Free

 Coconut cream is an absolute necessity if you are dairy free.  

Really, it will save your life and remind you that everything is going to be ok. Not to be dramatic or anything . . . but you NEED this in your life.  Like now. 

For ultimate happiness serve on top of: 

pie

berries

cobblers

crisps

baked oatmeal

hot chocolate

a spoon  

Start with this:
(Trader Joes for SCD/AIP version)

(This brand is great if you aren't worried about added gums like we are) 

Full fat canned coconut milk. 

Place it in your fridge for at least a few hours.  I keep one in there all the time. This helps the cream to separate from the water.  

Next poke a hole or two in the BOTTOM of the can, like this:

Now, invert the can and let all the water drain out.  Now, you need to be a little OCD here.  Get every single drop of water out.  Trust me.  

Then flip your can over and take the top off and scoop all that good cream out.

Lastly, with a mixer blend all the cream with 

1 tsp. of vanilla 

1/4 c. of honey 

(or 1/2 c. of honey for two cans) 

Blend until it is nice and smooth and creamy. 

ENJOY!   

This little girl knows good coconut cream when she sees it.  She climbed up on the counter and helped herself! 

Broth - Instant Pot and Crock Pot

EDIT: Instant Pot version below

Broth. The darling of the foodie world.  

But the fact remains:  it is a real food, that has been cooked for hundreds of years.  It has real food benefits. It is supremely more healthy than anything you can buy in the store and it's extremely easy to make. 

Plus, my kids hate broth from powders, cans and cubes. But they LOVE this broth. 

I make it regularly and use it in many, many recipes. 

Broth: 

1.  Place your bones (any kind, though I normally use chicken or turkey bones) in the crock pot 

2.  Add 2-3 celery stalks, washed and roughly chopped

3.  Add 3-4 carrots, washed and roughly chopped

4. Cover bones and veggies with water, until about 1 inch from the top of crock pot

5.  Add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar 

6.  Cover the pot and set on low

7. Let cook at least 12 hours before using 

8.  Strain and use as needed 

9. Replace water after using it. Keep doing this until you are tired of it. 

*I often will keep this broth going for a week or so. I use it for dinners at night or just strain it all out and refill it and keep it going.  

*I divide it up into containers that I freeze and use as needed.  Just remember to keep space at the top of your containers for expanding in the freezer. 

*I use this broth for cooking soups, chili, or stews. I also use it for cooking rice or for sauces. 

EDIT: 

I have started making this broth in my instant pot.  I love it much more! It is simpler and produces a great broth.  I can get so much done in much less time.  It is the best! 

Instant Pot Broth 

1.  Place your bones (any kind, though I normally use chicken or turkey bones) in the Instant Pot

2.  Add 2-3 celery stalks, washed and roughly chopped

3.  Add 3-4 carrots, washed and roughly chopped

4. Cover bones and veggies with water to the maximum fill line

5.  Add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar 

6.  Cook on "manual" for 120 mins.
7. I do two batches with this method, using the same bones, twice.
8. Use a natural release on the IP, letting the pressure come down naturally.