Category Archives: Tips

Glossary Starches Tips

The Truth About Chicken Broth

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Chicken Broth is too acidic for many human digestive system. If you are needing to watch your acidic food intake there are some great mock chicken broths which can be found in health food stores and most grocery stores. Check the bulk food section for powdered broth. Make sure to read the ingredients list as some have awful things like dextrose, etc. If you live in an area that has a Whole Foods Market(formerly Mrs. Gooches) they have a wonderful powdered mock chicken broth and Imagine Soups has a Creamy “Chicken” soup that is THE BEST.

Keep your pantry stocked with several delicious chicken flavored broths & soups and you’ll have the makings for turning almost anything into a delicious meal.

 

Basic Information Living Food Neutral Recipes Tips Vegetarian

Raw Mashed “Potatoes”

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This is a living foods version of the popular cauliflower-based mashed “potato” recipe. Scroll to the end of the recipe for a version that those in your family who aren’t interested in eating raw foods will enjoy.

Process 1 small head cauliflower, chopped in a food processor until it looks grainy.
Place cauliflower in a pot, slow cooker, or electric skillet set to the lowest temperature possible. Stir in 1/4 c extra virgin olive oil. Season to taste with sea salt, black pepper & powdered broth. Stir until warmed. If you have a thermometer, this dish should be warmed to 105 degrees but if you don’t have a thermometer, just stir until cauliflower is hot. Remove from heat immediately.

If the rest of your family isn’t into living foods you can set aside a portion for yourself and then continue cooking the cauliflower until it’s soft. If desired you can then use a potato masher or fork to make the “potatoes” creamier.

 

 

 

Basic Information Living Food Neutral Recipes Tips Vegetarian

Extend Your Living Foods Menu with Dehydrated Foods

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A good food dehydrator will allow you to mimic many cooked foods and yet still keep your intake raw. Set the temperature to 115 degrees or lower to preserve the living enzymes. Make sure to scroll to the bottom of the page for family friendly ideas.

 

recipes for your food dehydrator

Zucchini Chips

Slice zucchini into 1/4 inch thick rounds.
Dry the chips in a food dehydrator set to 105 degrees.
The chips are good as is; used as a dipper for guacamole, salsa or hummus; or used in place of a cracker in a Living Foods menu or a Protein Power menu; salad or soup garnish.

If you like, before placing in the dehydrator you can season the zucchini with your choice of seasonings such as:

  • sea salt
  • black pepper
  • cayenne pepper
  • taco seasoning
  • fajita seasoning
  • chili powder
  • garlic powder or garlic salt

Stuffed Mushrooms

Pulse in a food processor several times:

  • 1/3 cup pine nuts
  • 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 C fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/3 C fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Stop to scrape down the sides and repeat. Add 1 cup tomato, chopped or 1/2 cup dried tomato*, rehydrated and chopped. Continue to pulse until the ingredients hold together but are not pureed. Remove stems from mushrooms and spoon the filling into the cap of each mushroom. Place filled mushrooms on a dehydrator tray and dehydrate at 105 degrees for 2-4 hours.

If you don’t want to subject your family to your raw food adventure you can cook half of your stuffed mushrooms to serve along with your raw version. Place them on a lightly oiled baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.

* I prefer using dried tomato as the flavor is much richer. If you use dried tomato you may need to add broth to the filling to get it to hold together.

Flax Crackers

Soak 4 cups whole flax seed for 4 to 6 hours in just enough water to cover seeds. Check after 2 hours and add water if the mixture is looking dry. Stir in 1/3 to 1/2 cup Bragg’s Liquid Aminos and juice from 2-3 lemons.

Spread this mixture as thin as possible on dehydrator trays with a Teflex sheet on top. Keep your hands wet as this will help to keep the mixture from sticking to your hands. Alternately, you may find that a spatula works better.

Dehydrate at 105 degrees for 5-6 hours. Flip the mixture and remove the Teflex sheet. Continue dehydrating for 5-6 hours until the mixture is dry.

You can make flavored crackers by adding any of the following to the mixture before spreading on dehydrator tray:

  • carrot, tomato or apple juice
  • finely grated veggies such as: carrot, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper,
  • Anaheim chili, onion, or garlic
  • finely grated apple
  • taco, fajita or Italian seasoning
  • chili powder
  • ground cumin
  • cayenne pepper

  

serve a family friendly raw menu

Whenever you serve any of these “strange” foods serve them up with foods your family is more familiar with. For instance you can serve up a “deli dinner” with a food bar they can pick and choose from. Try:

  • crackers
  • cheese
  • pickles
  • hard-boiled eggs
  • sliced fruit
  • selection of raw veggies
  • chicken, turkey, crab, egg or ham salad
  • marinated veggies
  • whatever else you have in your fridge that would work as finger food
Tips

Eating Out – Italian

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It’s a bit difficult to eat at an Italian restaurant and stick to your UnDiet. The reason that most of us go to an Italian restaurant is for the pasta and very few Italian restaurants offer whole grain pasta. Don’t despair though, it is possible to enjoy Italian delicacies on the UnDiet.

Basic Tips for Eating Out

Set aside half your meal to eat the next day or if it won’t keep for the next day, save it for a snack later.

Starch

Skip the bread, pizza and pasta (all made with white flour), or bring your own whole grain pasta and ask the chef to cook it for you. I’ve never run into a restaurant that won’t accommodate a request like this.

If you must have pizza, don’t eat the crust. Either use a fork to eat just the cheese and toppings or order a plain green salad and scrape the pizza toppings, cheese and all, onto your salad.

Bruschetta on whole wheat bread.

Caesar Salad – set the croutons aside.

Ask for spaghetti squash or another vegetable in place of the pasta. Top with your favorite sauce from the menu.

Protein

Antipasto is a good Protein Meal.

If you’re ordering a Caprese Salad skip the olive oil. Good mozzarella and tomato only needs a drizzle of balsamic olive oil and basil leaves.

There are generally good seafood dishes on the menu although you should skip breaded seafood dishes.

If you must have a cream sauce look for cream sauces with non-dairy additions. For instance a Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce is going to be about 250 calories less than an Alfredo Sauce.

Stuffed mushrooms are wonderful if they are not deep fried.

Chicken or Eggplant Parmigiana.

Meatballs – order grilled vegetables on the side, then give the pasta to someone else at your table and eat your meatballs with the vegetables.

Spinach dip with vegetables instead of bread.

Caesar Salad with chicken.

Broth based soups are good choices. A cream soup would be your next best choice and if you can get a cup of plain broth on the side to add to your cream soup, even better. Adding the broth doesn’t cut any fat or calories from your cream soup but it will be more filling.  If you want to cut the calories ask for an empty cup along with your cup of broth. Scoop out some of the cream soup and add the broth to your soup bowl.

Order your favorite pasta sauce served over grilled or steamed vegetables instead of pasta.

If you’ve had a Protein Meal, the gelato isn’t a bad choice for dessert, or have a glass of wine while everyone else eats dessert.

Tips

Eating Out – Indian

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Basic Tips for Eating Out

Set aside half your meal to eat the next day or if it won’t keep for the next day, save it for a snack later.

Basics at an Indian Restaurant

Many curries are great Protein, Veggie or Starch Meals. Just avoid the white rice and any sweet and sour dishes. Ask to substitute veggies, tofu or beans for the rice in a Veggie or Starch Meal.

Soups are good choices, just check the ingredients to make sure there is no white rice.

If you love chutneys (again avoid sweet and sour ones) you can have them with anything.

Starch

Skip the bread and naan as it’s all made with white flour unless the menu indicates “whole wheat” and I’ve yet to find whole wheat naan in a restaurant.

Some chapatis are made with whole wheat flour. If in doubt, ask your wait-person.

Pakora is something dipped in a chick-pea batter and deep-fried. I’m not a fan of deep-frying but if it’s your best choice just make sure that it’s a vegetable pakora rather than meat.

Curries are good choices if they can be made with brown rice and there is no meat in the dish.

Lentil Soup or Dahl are good choices.

Papadum is a crisp lentil wafer and is a good choice to sub for naan or chipati.

Protein

There are lots of wonderful protein dishes in a typical Indian restaurant. Go at it!

Raita – spiced yogurt with vegetables.

Many of the vegetarian dishes are made with cheese and are good choices.

Vegetarian or Neutral

Many of the vegetarian dishes are good choices. Ask for brown rice or tofu in place of white rice.

Glossary Tips

Chestnut Flour

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chestnut

Chestnut flour is made from chestnuts and is a Starch. It has a lighter flavor and color than whole wheat flour and since soy flour has a bitter taste if not fully cooked chestnut flour is a good substitute for soy flour in dishes that won’t be fully cooked. The bad news is that it’s expensive. Oh well, you can’t have everything.

Chestnut flour is also gluten free, good for those on a Paleo diet but should be avoided by those with nut allergies.

 

Chestnut Flour Crepes

2 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup chestnut flour
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 stick (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted, plus more melted butter for the pan

Mix all ingredients in a blender or medium bowl with a whisk. I like to do it in a blender though as it’s easier to pour into the crepe pan.

Chill the batter for at least 1 hour before using although it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Heat an 8-inch nonstick pan over medium heat. Coat the bottom and sides of the pan with a bit of melted butter.

Give the chilled batter a quick buzz in the blender or with your whisk. Pour about 2 tablespoons of batter into the pan, swirling it to evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Let the crêpe cook for about 30 seconds or until it gets lightly golden. Tuck in the sides of the crepe with a rubber spatula to make it easier to flip. Using the spatula, quickly flip the crêpe over to finish cooking for about ten seconds. Transfer it to a plate and repeat with the rest of the batter. Stacking the crêpes on the plate. They shouldn’t stick together.

Once all the crêpes are cooked you can fill them with anything you like or freeze them, stacked and tightly wrapped, for up to 1 month.

 

Chestnut Cake

1/2 cup coconut or nut oil
1 cup chestnut flour, plus additional for dusting
3/4 cup hazelnuts
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup mild honey
1/4 – 1/2 cup coconut, maple or other unrefined sugar

Put your oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F.

Toast hazelnuts in a springform pan until fragrant, about 10 to 12 minutes. Dump nuts onto a kitchen towel and use the towel to rub which removes any loose skins Some skins may not come off, that’s okay, just leave them be. Cool nuts to room temperature and chop well.

Oil the springform pan and dust with chestnut flour, knocking out excess flour into the sink.
Sift together chestnut flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl, then stir in nuts.

Beat together egg yolks, oil, honey, and 2 tablespoons sugar with an electric mixer at high speed until thick and pale, about 5 minutes in a stand mixer or 8 minutes with a handheld. Add flour mixture and mix at low speed just until flour is blended in.

Beat egg whites with a small pinch of salt in another medium bowl with clean beaters at medium-high speed until they form soft peaks. Add remaining sugar a little at a time, beating until whites just hold a stiff peak.

Fold one third of whites into batter, then gently fold in remaining whites. Spread batter in pan and rap pan hard on a hard surface once to release any air bubbles.

Bake for 30 minutes, then place a sheet of foil loosely on top of pan and continue baking until a tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 10 to 15 minutes more.

Transfer cake pan to a rack and cool 30 minutes, then remove side of pan and allow to cool completely on the rack.

Remove cake from bottom of pan to serve if desired.

Cake can be served as is, dusted with cocoa powder or served with a dollop of refined sugar-free whipped cream or vanilla yogurt.

 

Chocolate Cake

10 ounces grain-sweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
15 ounces chestnut puree or cream
4 ounces unsalted butter
6 eggs, seperated
pinch of salt
1/4 – 1/2 cup coconut, maple or unrefined sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 ounces grain-sweetened chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream, nondairy milk or brewed coffee

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line the bottom of a springform pan with a circle of baking parchment.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or (my favorite method) in a small bowl in the microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between.

Use a whisk or an electric mixer to blend the chestnut cream with the butter. Blend in vanilla, egg yolks and melted chocolate.

In a seperate bowl, with clean dry beaters, whip the egg whites with the salt just to break them up and until they are slightly foamy. Increase mixer speed and gradually add sugar until stiff glossy peaks form.

Fold 1/3 of egg whites into chestnut mixture and blend well. Gently fold in another 1/3 of the egg whites and then the last 1/3, blending well but being careful not to deflate the batter.

Spoon batter into springform pan and bake until done, about 35 to 45 minutes. The cake will look dry and slightly cracked on top when done while the middle will be soft but firm.

Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack set on top of a cookie sheet for 20 minutes. Then remove sides of pan and place back on wire to finish cooling.

While the cake is cooling you can make the glaze.

Bring the whipping cream, nondairy milk or coffee to a boil and add the chocolate. Or heat liquid in a microwave until hot and add chocolate.

Remove from heat and stir until all of the chocolate melts.

Pour glaze over cooled cake, using a spatula to spread evenly over top of cake.

Serve with a dollop of vanilla yogurt, or pureed berries or both.

 

Fruit Glossary Tips

The Truth About Banana Chips

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Horror of horrors, I’ve discovered the most dastardly trick. Banana chips are not DRIED, they are DEEP-FRIED! Needless to say I’m taking them off the recommended foods list. 2 banana chips = 140 calories! 2 chips! 140 calories! I know that we don’t count calories here at the UnDiet, but that’s just too outrageous for 2 little chips!

Thankfully there are some great substitutes for one of my favorite snacks. Banana Crisps are lightly sweetened (sigh) and baked. Roasted Plantain Chips are roasted with a little oil and no sugar. Dried Bananas are simply sliced bananas, dried with nothing added. Nothing But Bananas Flattened are dried whole bananas. All of these can be found at Trader Joes and the Dried Bananas can be found at most health food stores.

I don’t make a meal of any of these, but they are great for a little snack or on the side with a sandwich or soup.

Tips

Eating Out – Asian

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Asian menus offer many exciting choices for all of the UnDiet plans. Many restaurants now offer steamed brown rice in place of white rice.

Basic Tips for Eating Out

Set aside half your meal to eat the next day or if it won’t keep for the next day, save it for a snack later.

Starch

If you want a Starch Meal, soba noodles are made with buckwheat flour, just 86 any Protein additions to the dish, or ask to substitute tofu for the meat.
Most soups are good choices, and with the new UnDiet research it’s now okay to have a beef or chicken broth soup with a Starch meal.

Vegetarian

There are always lots of good vegetarian choices on any Asian menu. Ask for soba noodles in place of white rice, udon noodles or rice noodles.

Protein

Any Asian menu will have many choices for a Protein Meals, just ask for vegetables or tofu as a substitute for any rice or noodles.

Most soups are good choices, just ask for tofu, extra meat or vegetables in place of any noodles or rice.

Order Egg Drop Soup instead of Wonton Soup and save from 50 to 100 calories.

$$$avers Tips

Dollar Saver – Clif Bars at Amazon.com

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Clif Bar Nutrition Bars are all natural, organic, high in protein, and include no trans fats. Each bar contains 23 vitamins and minerals, and is made with 70 percent organic ingredients.

UnDiet Tip: Fight off a snack attack by stashing a few bars in your bag before heading out the door. A Clif bar will fill you up and make you feel like you had dessert instead of a nutritious meal.