Lard Cassava Pie Crust (Paleo, Nut-Free, AIP Reintroduction)

I’ve been on a bit of a pie spree lately. I blame rhubarb season and the fact that I’ve been more successful with my egg consumption since finding really amazing local soy-free eggs.  My Grandma Vein is famous (at least in my family) for her rhubarb custard pie. I’ve been on a mission to perfect a version of her recipe that I can eat. Unfortunately, my rhubarb supply has run out for the season, so I’ll have to wait until next year to share my paleo rhubarb custard pie. But I did manage to perfect a paleo version of her crust recipe. PS, if you need an AIP pie crust recipe, I’ve got one in my e-book Holiday Sweet Treats.

Grandma has made a lot of pies in her nearly 90 years of life, and she’s also tinkered with different pie crust recipes. I can remember making pies with her (like this peach pie) and sometimes we used shortening (usually butter flavored Crisco), and sometimes we used lard, and sometimes we used a combination of shortening and lard.

While Grandma’s original crust recipe used all lard, I’ve adjusted my version to use half lard and half shortening for a couple of reasons…. First of all, I’m passionate about using well-sourced ingredients, and pastured leaf lard (a higher quality lard) is a more expensive ingredient than I usually use in my recipes. Secondly, while leaf lard isn’t quite as pork-y in flavor as traditional lard, I still find it tastes better when mixed with a more neutral fat, like palm shortening.

This recipe does make a lot of pie dough—enough for three 9-inch single crusts, but thankfully, the dough also freezes well. Stay tuned to my next post for a 4th of July-themed pie utilizing this crust!

 **As with most of my recipes, I’ve only tested this recipe using the grams measurements included. I’ve figured out volume measurements with math, but have not personally tested them. I HIGHLY recommend using a kitchen scale + grams measurements to ensure the most successful end product.**

Lard Cassava Pie Crust (Paleo, Nut-Free, AIP Reintroduction) 
adapted from my Grandma Vein’s recipe collection
yields 3 single regular 9-inch crusts or two deep dish crusts (with some leftover scraps)  

168 grams (3/4 cup) pastured leaf lard (I use Fatworks)
144 grams (3/4 cup) palm shortening (I use Spectrum Naturals)
384 grams (3 cups) cassava flour (I use Otto’s), plus extra for sprinkling, if needed
60 grams (1/2 c) tapioca starch
30 grams (1/4 c) arrowroot
1 tablespoon maple sugar (or other granulated Paleo sweetener)
1 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup cold water
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 large egg (I use a soy-free pastured farm egg)

1. Scale the leaf lard and palm shortening and place into the freezer to chill for at least 20 minutes. I scale both onto individual pieces of plastic wrap, then wrap/flatten them into little packets before freezing. 
2. While the fats are chilling, scale the cassava flour, tapioca, arrow root, maple sugar, and sea salt into a large bowl. Stir to combine. 
3. Once the fats are solid, remove them from the freezer and cut them up into small pieces. Add the small pieces to the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. Use a pastry blender or two forks to work the cold fat into the dry ingredients. Continue mixing until the mixture looks like coarse sand. 
4. Measure the cold water into a liquid measuring cup. Add the apple cider vinegar and egg to the liquid measuring cup & whisk together using a small whisk or a fork. Add to the fat/flour mixture and mix, using a pastry blender and/or a wooden spoon, until the liquid is evenly distributed and a dough forms. Work as quickly as possible to ensure the fat doesn’t melt. The dough will be quite soft. 
5. For regular crusts, divide the dough into three equal pieces (approximately 322 grams each). For deep dish crusts, divide the dough into two equal pieces (approximately 483 grams each). Wrap individually in plastic wrap and flatten into a disc. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rolling out. Dough also may be frozen for use later—I usually place individually wrapped dough discs into freezer ziplocks. 
6. When ready to use, roll the dough out between two pieces of parchment paper. Sprinkle with a little extra cassava flour if the dough sticks to the parchment. Use the parchment paper to help transfer the rolled out dough to a pie pan (I use 9-inch glass Pyrex pie pans).  Crimp or trim the edges as desired. Save the scraps for later! 
7. Bake as directed in a pie recipe (or see my notes below). This dough does not brown like a traditional pie crust, so be careful not to over-bake it in hopes of a golden crust. 

Notes:

• I’ve only tested this recipe using the grams measurements included. I’ve figured out volume measurements with math, but have not personally tested them. 
• I haven’t tried making this dough in the food processor, but suspect it could be done that way too. 
• I do not recommend using regular lard in place of leaf lard, as the pie crust flavor will be *very* pork-y.
• To make this recipe more cost effective, I chose to use half leaf lard and half shortening. I have not tested it using all lard because I ran out of leaf lard… 
• I have not tried any flours, other than Otto's cassava flour, tapioca, and arrowroot. If you try this recipe with other flours and it turns out well, please let me know in the comments. 
• The egg helps with plasticity of the dough & I have not yet tried an AIP version of this recipe without the egg. If you need an AIP pie crust recipe, I’ve got one in my e-book Holiday Sweet Treats.
• If you live in a very dry climate, you may need a little extra cold water, if the dough doesn’t come together easily. More cold water can be added a tablespoon at a time. 
• Any dough scraps can be saved and re-rolled (or frozen and used later). 
• Some baking direction for a 9-inch glass Pyrex pan, if your intended pie recipe doesn’t include them.  Reduce the baking times for a metal pie pan. 
• For a double crust pie (not deep dish), I usually begin baking at 400 F for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 F for 30 to 40 additional minutes. 
• For a single crust pie (not deep dish), I begin baking at 400 F for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 F for 20 to 30 additional minutes. 
• For blind baking (not deep dish), line the pie shell with parchment paper and fill with dry rice or dry beans (note: these act as weights and are NOT eaten); bake for 15 minutes in a 357 F oven, then remove the parchment/rice/beans and bake for an additional 15 to 25 minutes.
• This dough does not brown like a traditional pie crust so it will not be golden when finished. Brush an egg wash on top (straight egg or egg mixed with water) to give it a little extra color and/or shine, if desired.

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after an Amazon link is clicked with no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support.

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The Paleo AIP Instant Pot® Cookbook e-book + IP “Chocolate” Cake (AIP)

In addition to the the big move I announced in my last post, I’ve been working on a couple secret projects. I’m so thrilled to FINALLY share about them today!

My good friend Eileen from Phoenix Helix had the brilliant idea to compile a community e-book of Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) Instant Pot® recipes called The Paleo AIP Instant Pot® Cookbook. I was thrilled to contribute recipes for applesauce, low FODMAP beef stew, pomegranate poached pears, and coconut yogurt to the e-book.

I also had the privilege to photograph a few of the recipes & design the interior pages (the amazing Chelsey Luther designed the gorgeous cover). Having early access to the recipes (because I was working on the interior design) means that I’ve been making many of the recipes for months already. I’ve even teased a few of them in Instagram posts (#sorrynotsorry). This e-book is a total game changer. Everything I’ve made is not only incredibly delicious, but it’s all crazy easy and very diverse! The BBQ Pulled Chicken alone might be worth the purchase of the book. I loved my Instant Pot® before, but I love it even more now.

top: BBQ Pulled Chicken, Smothered Okra, Caribbean Plantain Lamb Stew

middle: Pomegranate Poached Pears, Coconut Yogurt, Applesauce

bottom: Kalua Pig, Peach Cobbler, Cranberry Apple Chicken with Cabbage

Download your copy for $17.95! 

The book features recipes ranging from broths to sauces & condiments to vegetables to poultry to meat to seafood to offal to desserts and more! No major food group is left behind. 137 of the 140 recipes (excluding three recipes in the “Extras” section) are compliant with the elimination phase of the Autoimmune Protocol. And, there are charts in the back of the book for ways to modify recipes to fit additional special diet modifications, like low-FODMAP, GAPS/SCD and Coconut-free.

As if The Paleo AIP Instant Pot® Cookbook isn’t a big enough project, I also have created a 4-recipe mini e-book of additional AIP Instant Pot® dessert recipes called AIP Instant Pot® Sweet Treats. It includes AIP-friendly dessert recipes for blueberry cobbler cakes, pumpkin tapioca pudding, “roasted” pineapple, and zucchini cakes with lemon cream. I’ll be sending AIP Instant Pot® Sweet Treats as a FREE gift to everyone who purchases The Paleo AIP Instant Pot® Cookbook through me. (NOTE: Because I’m literally in the middle of moving across the United States right now, my e-book won’t be emailed until mid-October 2016). This giveaway is open to international entries.

But wait! There’s more! (insert informercial-speak, haha!) Purchasing The Paleo AIP Instant Pot® Cookbook through me during the month of October 2016 also enters you in a giveaway to win some sweet Instant Pot® accessories: 1) a stainless steel inner pot (having a second insert comes in *really* handy when making back-to-back recipes), 2) a silicone lid/cover for the stainless steel insert (to easily store cooled leftovers in the refrigerator), and 3) an extra sealing ring (always a good thing to have on hand in case your old ring breaks, or in case it smells too “savory” for making desserts). I’ll randomly choose a winner at the beginning of November 2016. Sorry, due to postage constraints, the accessory giveaway is open only to those in the United States.

If you’re *still* on the fence about purchasing this amazing e-book, head over to Eileen’s site to enter a giveaway to win a copy. Simply answer the rafflecopter question & 10 winners will be chosen October 8, 2016.

One recipe from The Paleo AIP Instant Pot® Cookbook that I’m excited to try once we get settled in our new home is this “Chocolate” Cake from my friend Samantha at Sweet Potatoes and Social Change. It might seem unusual to make cake in the Instant Pot®, but the Instant Pot® is a great way to “steam” a cake. And you don't even have to heat up the oven!

“Chocolate" Cake (AIP) 
from Samantha at Sweet Potatoes and Social Change
Yields 3 servings

1 green plantain
½ ripe banana
¼ cup mashed avocado
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil, plus additional for greasing pans
2 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons carob powder
½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
¾ teaspoon baking soda
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup water
Optional garnishes: coconut cream, coconut flakes or fruit

1. Add the plantain, banana, avocado, coconut oil, honey, carob, vinegar, baking soda, and cream of tartar to a food processor and blend until smooth. 
2. Lightly grease three mini fluted pans or ramekins with additional coconut oil. Pour the batter into prepared pans until they are about ¾ of the way full. 
3. Pour the water into the Instant Pot® and add the steaming rack. Place the pans onto the steaming rack. 
4. Close and lock the lid. Press “Manual” for high pressure. Set cooking time to 18 minutes. Once time is up, quick release the pressure (there are further instructions for pressure release on page 7 of the e-book. 
5. Garnish with coconut cream, coconut flakes, or fruit and serve warm. 

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after a link is clicked, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support.

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Paloma Cocktail & Mocktail (Paleo & AIP)

I’ve reached a point in my healing journey that I can have a *little* bit of alcohol from time-to-time. However, I still have to be rather choosy about what sort of alcohol I do consume. It’s a bit ironic, but even before going AIP, I have always done better with spirits than with wine (exception would be sparkling wine). However, my previous go-to spirits are often distilled from ingredients that I still choose not to consume. I decided instead to teach myself to like tequila, a more “Paleo-friendly” spirit, using these delicious grapefruit & lime “paloma" cocktails.

I do hold myself to 4 rules when it comes to personal alcohol consumption:

First, I only consume alcohol in conjunction with food, never on an empty stomach. Since I don’t have alcohol very often, I’m very much a “light-weight” and food helps slow down the effects of the alcohol. Also, alcohol and the things mixed into alcohol can affect a person’s blood sugar. Eating a meal—I personally prefer one containing protein and carbs—with the drink can moderate blood sugar spikes.

Secondly, I stick to one not-so-strong beverage per night only a couple of nights a month. I’ve been known to water down sparkling wine with bubbly water or to add some kombucha. Even with these paloma cocktails, I’ll often add extra LaCroix.

Third, I make any cocktails myself, where I can control the ingredients and ratios, instead of ordering them from a bartender in a restaurant. Many palomas, especially those ordered in Mexican restaurants, are made with grapefruit soda that almost assuredly contains non-AIP/Paleo ingredients.

Fourth, I consume beverages with alcohol in celebration, not as a way to combat stress or escape life. In fact, if life is extra stressful, it’s probably best for my health that I don’t consume any alcohol at all! If I’m having a bad day or feeling stressed, I lean on other coping mechanisms & ways to take care of myself rather than alcohol.

Finally, If you’re someone who is abstaining from alcohol, whether you’re following the elimination stage of AIP, or you don’t like the flavor of any alcohol, or you’re abstaining for other reasons, don’t despair! This paloma recipe makes a really great “mocktail” too. Simply omit the tequila & add a little extra LaCroix. Even though the mocktail version does not contain alcohol, it still is high in natural sugars, so still limit consumption & make it a beverage for a special occasion.

A few resources about AIP/Paleo and alcohol, for those who want further reading:

1. The WHYs behind the Autoimmune Protocol: Alcohol from “The Paleo Mom” 
2. How to Drink Alcohol without Ruining Your Paleo Diet or Getting a Hangover – 10 Simple Tips from “Paleo Flourish Magazine” 
3. Top 10 Paleo Party Rules from “Mark’s Daily Apple” 

Paloma Cocktail (Paleo) or Mocktail (AIP) 

yields 2 to 4 servings 

Simply omit the tequila to turn this cocktail into an equally delicious mocktail! 

Juice from 2 grapefruits (approximately 3/4 cup) 

Juice from 1 large lime (approximately 3 tablespoons)

2 fl oz blanco/white tequila (omit for AIP; replace with extra LaCroix)

8 fl oz pamplemousse/grapefruit LaCroix sparkling water, or more, if desired

Ice, as needed 

Grapefruit & lime slices for garnish, optional 

1. Juice the grapefruits, straining out any seeds. Juice the lime. Combine the juices together.  Stir in the tequila, if using.
2. Divide between 2 large or 4 small ice-filled glasses. Top off with the grapefruit LaCroix. Gently stir to combine. Garnish with grapefruit & lime slices, if desired. 

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after an Amazon link is clicked with no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support.

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Starch-free Gravy (AIP) & Thanksgiving Recap

Well, we not only survived our first AIP/Paleo Thanksgiving, but completely thrived on it too. I know it is sort of weird to write about Thanksgiving recipes after the fact, but I’m going to do it anyway in the hopes that maybe it can be inspiration for upcoming Christmas & holiday meals (or for next year’s Thanksgiving).

So much of AIP involves making other healing lifestyle choices, other than just changing the food a person eats. Reducing stress, getting adequate rest/sleep, and gentle exercise are all also key components in promoting healing. The holiday season can be stressful & I didn’t want that potential stress (and lack of sleep/exercise) to derail all the hard work I’ve already done. We decided to celebrate at our own home knowing that cooking for ourselves would give us the greatest control over our food ingredients (and reduce the risk of cross contamination.

Since this Thanksgiving was my first on AIP, or paleo, I wanted to make it seem as “normal” as possible, including items similar to our traditional Thanksgiving favorites. But I also knew the importance of keeping things as simple as possible & not overdoing it.  We planned to eat a hearty, late-morning Thanksgiving brunch & then an early dinner. Having the main meal later in the day didn’t require us to get up at the crack of dawn to start cooking & gave us more time to prepare things. Here’s what our menu looked like. Note: I have reintroduced green beans, eggs in small quantities, as well as a few nut varieties, like pecans. Other than those reintroductions, everything else is AIP.

Brunch Menu

• Squash Pancakes (Paleo, included whole eggs)
• Bacon (AIP, check ingredients) 
• Grapefruit (AIP) 

Thanksgiving Dinner

• Dry Brined, Butterflied Turkey with herbs (AIP)
• Starch-free Gravy (AIP) 
• Mashed White Sweet potatoes (could be topped either with gravy, or with a few chopped honey-candied pecans to mimic Paleo sweet potato casserole)
• Roasted Green Beans with fried shallots (AIP Reintroduction)
• Braised Collards (AIP)
• Cranberry Sauce (AIP) 
• Carrots & Pickles (AIP, check ingredients in pickles) 
• Pumpkin Pot de Creme with coconut whipped cream (Paleo, contained egg yolks)
• Pumpkin Pie (for Husband, not paleo or AIP, served on paper plates to reduce risk of gluten cross contamination) 

On Tuesday, I made the cranberry sauce, roasted the green beans, and roasted & mashed the sweet potatoes. All those items went into the fridge & could be reheated, where necessary, right before eating. Husband also butterflied the turkey on Tuesday, saving the turkey backbone, neck & giblets for homemade stock making. I then rubbed the butterflied with kosher salt and a mixture of thyme, rosemary & sage. We let the bird dry brine in the fridge until Thanksgiving. On Wednesday night, I started cooking the turkey stock & made husband’s pumpkin pie.

On Thursday, after brunch, we candied pecans for the mock sweet potato casserole, assembled & baked the pumpkin pot de cremes, fried the shallots for the green beans, roasted the turkey (which took only two hours for our 20lb + bird, because it was butterflied) with a basting liquid of bacon drippings/homemade turkey stock/white wine(the alcohol completely cooks off in the oven), braised the collards, reheated the beans & mashed sweet potatoes, whipped coconut cream, and made gravy. Yes, we still worked a good amount on actual Thanksgiving, but it wasn’t frantic work & we weren’t exhausted by the time we actually ate.

Having so much leftover food has been one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving! We’ve eaten either reheated actual leftovers or repurposed leftovers for many meals since Thursday! And I still have a few ideas for the leftover Turkey that has been frozen too. I’m starting to think of preparing Thanksgiving as the ultimate batch cooking session :) Knowing that we would be eating Thanksgiving leftovers for future meals helped us to restrain our portions on actual Thanksgiving & keep us from doing the traditional overeating. Though, everything was SO tasty that it was hard to keep from getting extra portions :)

The one dish I was very concerned about missing from our AIP/Paleo feast was mashed potatoes, which are usually my favorite side dish of any holiday meal. Once we topped our mashed sweet potatoes with the starch-free turkey gravy, they tasted SO good that I didn’t even miss the regular mashed potatoes. I do highly recommend mashing white sweet potatoes instead of the orange or purple ones because the white ones tend to be a little less sweet & a little more like regular potatoes. The gravy topping was also key. I’ve thickened gravy & fruit sauces with arrow root starch, but I had also never made gravy without any starch. Cooking onions & shallots with turkey drippings, homemade stock, a little white wine (don’t worry, the alcohol boils away), and herbs, then pureeing the whole mixture made for the most fantastic gravy.

I often find myself wishing that Thanksgiving didn’t come only once a year, not just for the food, though it is some of my very favorites, but also for the spirit of gratitude and thankfulness that permeates the season. I am thankful for the Autoimmune Protocol & Paleo. I am so very thankful for better health this year, especially when I compare it to how awful I felt at this time last year. I am thankful for a husband & family & friends who support me on this healing journey. And yes, I do want to repeat this exact menu for Christmas Eve dinner too :)


Starch Free Turkey Gravy

4 Tbl (80 g) Turkey Drippings (we basted our dry brined turkey with 2 oz bacon grease, plus 1 cup Sauvignon Blanc & 1 c homemade Turkey Stock)
1 large shallot, minced (approximately 1/2 c or 55 g)
1 small onion, minced (approximately 1 1/2 c or 195 g)
1/2 c Sauvignon Blanc
1 c Homemade Turkey Stock, unsalted
1 tsp fresh Thyme leaves
1/2 tsp Sage, minced
Sea salt, as needed

1. Saute the shallot & onion in the turkey drippings over medium heat until translucent.
2. Add the wine & turkey stock. Bring to a boil & cook until the liquid reduces by half.
3. Puree the liquid with an immersion blender (or in a high speed blender). Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary, adding additional sea salt if necessary.
4. Serve immediately or store cooled leftovers in the refrigerator.

Note: if you did not baste your turkey with bacon/wine/stock as I did, and your drippings are not as flavorful, you may wish to add some bacon grease and/or a little additional wine/herbs to the liquid before reducing the liquid.

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Traveling Essentials (Paleo & AIP)

I spent a good chunk of October & the beginning of November away from home. For the October portion, I was in Atlanta working on a cookbook photoshoot with some pretty amazing people, like photographer Greg Dupree, food stylist Tami Hardeman Boutte, prop stylist Ginny Branch, and photo assistant JR Ward. While I’m not yet allowed to give many details about the book, I can tell you it was all about baking, and that my role as baker/assistant food stylist involved me physically making & baking all the items to be photographed. The days were long, but so rewarding. This book is going to be absolutely beautiful!

Instagram images from the shoot. 

To be honest, before starting all my treatments & making the switch to AIP, I never would have had the strength nor stamina to participate in a project such as this one.... Though I did also learn that even while following AIP, I still have limits.... One of the most humbling experiences was having to call in a replacement for me one day when I hit a proverbial wall... Having that breakdown was my body reminding me that I needed to be more vigilant about my water intake (I hadn’t had enough the day before), and that even if my prep schedule was busy, I still needed to take time to eat whether I was hungry or not. It’s funny how working around food all day will curb your appetite--this use to happen to me all the time when I was working as a pastry chef instructor.

I wanted to share some of my traveling essentials, in hopes that perhaps my experiences may help fellow AIP people. Traveling while following AIP isn’t always easy, especially since I had recently been accidentally glutened and was still very leery of restaurants. Also, I traveled to Atlanta via airplane and all my food items either had to be TSA compliant to go in my carry-on, or they needed to be put into my checked suitcases.

Here are some of the staple, not-as-perishable staple items I brought along in either my carry-on or checked luggage. I have had successful reintroductions of a few things, so there are a few non-AIP items, which I will note.  Also, many of these links are affiliate links, so if you purchase any of the items through the links I provide, I receive a small commission. Thanks for supporting Sweet Treats.

Wild Caught Albacore Tuna Packets (AIP) 

Just to be safe, I did put the packets I brought along in my checked luggage. I love these because they make for an easy, nutrient dense protein option. They are completely shelf-stable until opened & don’t require a can opener. I dressed them with olive oil & a little vinegar or lemon juice + salt & pepper. 

Proscuitto (AIP--check ingredients) 

Proscuitto is one of my main go-to snacks these days. I was a big fan of cured meats in my pre AIP days (especially after going gluten-free), but since I’ve discovered that nightshades & nightshade-derived spices don’t agree with me (paprika, I’m looking at you!), I stick mostly with proscuitto. To transport several packs of proscuitto for this trip, I previously froze the packages solid, then put them into a thermal container with a couple of frozen solid ice packs (if they’ve melted at all, chances are TSA won’t let them through security).

Chicken Breakfast Sausages (AIP--check ingredients; not pictured)
Chicken Breakfast Sausages are my favorite breakfast protein. I still have a hard time eating savory things for breakfast, but I have trained myself to eat these. I brought multiple packages of sausages in my cary-on, also by freezing them solid prior to the trip & packing them in a thermal container with frozen solid ice packs. Then, throughout the food shoot, I would defrost a package of sausages overnight in the fridge & cook them in the morning (saving any leftovers for future days). Especially on such a rigorous work schedule, getting adequate protein first thing in the morning was key for me.

Plantain Chips (AIP)
I’m not a person who does well on an extremely low carb diet. These plantain chips help with my carb intake and are a great snack option, either on their own or dipped in something (like simple guacamole). They taste a bit like potato sticks (those tiny french-fry things) & I just love them! We buy them buy the case these days, if that gives you an idea how high of a volume I consume. Ironically, these eating these chips while flying helps keep me from getting as motion sick? I’m not sure the science behind that fact, but it works for me :)

Apples (AIP)
Apples are one of my easiest snacks. They don’t require any utensils nor refrigeration nor special equipment to make them portable. And they’re easy to eat on the go. In addition to snacking on them, I also could turn them into a quick stovetop applesauce “dessert” option for me. To make the applesauce, just core, slice, & cook the apples with a little water until soft, then sweeten with a little honey to taste.

Clementines (AIP)
Last year, I had to adhere to a low acid diet & thus couldn’t eat citrus. This year, after experiencing so much improvement following treatments at my doctors office & by following AIP, I am able to eat citrus again! And I’m eating enough clementines to make up for not eating any last year. Clementines were not originally among my packed food, but I blame Ginny Branch for bringing a bag of them to the set & getting me re-hooked on them.

Dried Plums (AIP--check ingredients) 

Dried plums, er prunes, serve a couple different purposes in my diet. As a dried fruit, they have a bit more concentrated sweetness & can really help when I’m experiencing a dessert craving (or everyone else is having dessert at the end of a meal & I don’t want to feel as left out). They also help keep my digestion going (sorry if that’s TMI). And I find them delicious! Just make sure to find ones that don’t contain added sugar, nor any vegetable oils. (p.s. they are a little more expensive on amazon than I usually find in stores…)

Smoked Sea Salt, or other finishing salt (AIP)

One of the biggest bummer things about AIP is the number of spices that are off limits. I have to be vigilant in reading labels on foods & also in grilling restaurant servers about the spices used in dishes. Most often, I have to find things that are as plain as possible, just to be safe. Nightshade spices (i.e. paprika, red pepper, etc....) and I really are not friends. So, to take certain foods from a little boring to more exciting, I’ve started carrying my own salt with me in a little container. My current favorite is smoked salt, which is delicious sprinkled on most everything, but especially meats. 

Tea: Earl Grey, Raspberry Leaf Tea , Throat Coat (AIP--check ingredients)

While I have been able to successfully reintroduce coffee, that reintroduction does not mean that I can drink copious amounts of coffee. Coffee does come from a bean/seed & so there are times (especially during stress) that my body still does not tolerate it well. So, for most of the shoot, I drank tea instead of coffee--Earl Grey with coconut milk was my daily go-to.  I also have had very good success with raspberry leaf tea making my monthly “shark week” (as I affectionately refer to it, ha!) much more manageable. Drinking a couple cups of it a day during that time really lessens my horrendous cramps. Sorry if that’s more TMI ;) Lastly, I brought along Throat Coat tea, just in case any sickness or colds arose. But I am pleased to say that I didn’t need to use it! Note: if you suffer from an autoimmune condition, do be careful around the Throat Coat + Echinacea variation, as echinacea can cause flares of autoimmunity! I use the variation without the echinacea.

Fruit & Nut Bars: Berry Almond Kit's Organic Bars & select Larabars (Paleo, not AIP)
I’ve also successfully reintroduced certain nuts, like almonds, walnuts, pecans & hazelnuts, which opened up the world of fruit and nut bars. However, my attempted reintroduction of cashews did NOT go well (hello increased widespread body pain), so the varieties of fruit & nut bars that I can safely consume is slightly limited. Like the coffee, I do try to monitor the amount of nuts, even “safe” ones, that I consume in a day. If given the option, I prefer the Kit’s Organic berry almond bars (I’ve only seen them at Whole Foods & on Amazon), just because they’re a little less sweet & feel a bit more substantial. As far as Larabars go, my favorite flavors are Pecan Pie, Apple Pie & Carrot Cake. Any of these also make a pretty good dessert, if you’re feeling left out of the dessert loop.

Justin's Almond Butter Squeeze Packets (Paleo, not AIP) 
Since I can tolerate some almonds, these almond butter packets work well as an on-the-go snack item (though, I do limit myself to one packet a day, especially if I've also had a fruit & nut bar that day too). I even carried a few packets in my quart sized bag as I went through security at the airport. Sometimes I eat the almond butter by itself, but often my preference is to have it with an apple. Buying the larger containers of Justin’s Almond Butter is more cost effective than the packets are, but I like the convenience factor of the packets (and my checked luggage was dangerously close to being overweight).

A Good Glass Water bottle (mine came from here) 
A water bottle isn’t exactly a food item, but I think having one is just as important as having good food. I’m preferring glass to plastic more and more these days, but I also worried about breaking a glass water bottle. So far, so good with this one! The silicone cover helps make it extra resilient (and pretty). A lot of my supplements these days need to be mixed in water & consumed over time throughout the day--this bottle is perfect for that! And staying hydrated is very important. My body can tell me very quickly if I have not consumed adequate amounts of water.

These are a few of my favorite traveling essentials. If you’re interested, Grazed & Enthused (another AIP blog) has also just posted a list of 10 AIP travel snacks.

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Swedish Meatballs & Gravy with Cranberry Jam (Paleo with AIP adaptation)

NOTE OF SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION: I have an Instagram picture in the November issue of Martha Stewart Living. It’s on page 4 & features one of the gluten-free pumpkin pies I made last Thanksgiving. If you’re interested in the recipe, the GF crust can be found here, and the recipe for my great-grandma Irene’s pumpkin pie filling can be found here. Just wanted to let you know while the issue is still on newsstands.

As someone who grew up in the Midwest & is of Scandinavian descent (well, technically I’ve got more than 10 different nationalities in my heritage), I did not grow up eating Swedish meatballs. Instead, my memories of Swedish meatballs (and gravy & mashed potatoes & lingonberry jam) all stem from the cafe at IKEA. 

These days, we end up eating quite a bit of grassfed ground beef. I can find it in our local grocery store (most of the rest of the meat I have to get several hours away or I have to order online). And grassfed ground beef is a much more budget-friendly protein, especially when compared with other pastured & grassfed options.

This summer we grilled a lot of burgers, but now, as we move into fall and winter, I’ve been trying to expand my ground beef recipe repertoire & cook some new things. Case in point, these meatballs, which are my Paleo (and AIP, if you omit the egg) version of the meatballs I remember from IKEA. Instead of serving them with the traditional mashed white potatoes & lingonberry jam, I serve them with either white sweet potatoes mashed with a little coconut oil, or with a cauliflower puree, AIP-friendly cranberry “jam” (which also might be a recipe to file away for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday), and, of course, gravy.

Swedish Meatballs 

1lb Grassfed Ground Beef (I used 85% lean)

65 g Shallot, finely chopped 

1 large Pastured Egg (omit if AIP)

10 g / 1 Tbl Organic Coconut Flour

3/4 tsp Italian Seasoning

1/2 tsp Mace

3/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Pepper (omit if AIP) 

Solid Fat, for greasing the pan 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.  
2. In a medium bowl, use your hands to mix all the ingredients (minus the fat for greasing the pan) until well combined. 
3. Lightly grease a large cast iron skillet (or other large stainless skillet). Use a 1 Tbl scoop to portion the meat mixture into individual meatballs. Roll the mixture into balls & place into the greased pan. 
4. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until golden & cooked through--they should reach an internal temp of 160 F. Start cooking the jam, if desired, while the meatballs are baking. Follow by making the gravy after the meatballs have baked.

Gravy

Meatball Pan with drippings from the baking process

1 Tbl solid fat of choice (I used bacon grease)

8 fl oz / 1 cup Stock, (homemade if possible) 

2 Tbl Arrowroot powder 

2 Tbl filtered water 

1. Once the meatballs are baked, remove the pan from the oven. Don't forget the pan is hot! I speak from experience… Use a pair of tongs or a spatula to transfer the meatballs to separate plate or bowl. 
2. Melt the additional fat in the skillet over medium heat. Add the stock & whisk well to incorporate the two & to loosen any browned bits from the pan. Heat until simmering then reduce the heat to low.  
3. Make a slurry with arrowroot powder and a little filtered water.  Whisk the slurry into the skillet. Continue to cook, on low heat, until thickened. 
4. Add the meatballs into the gravy & cook for a minute or two, making sure the gravy coats the meatballs. 
5. Serve with cranberry “jam” and mashed sweet potatoes.  

Cranberry “Jam” 

130 g (1 c) Frozen Cranberries (sub fresh, if available) 

2 Tbl Water

2 Tbl Pure Maple Syrup (organic Grade B, if possible) 

Pinch of Mace or Cinnamon, optional 

1. Simmer the cranberries, water & maple syrup in a small skillet over medium heat until the cranberries “pop” 8 to 10 minutes. Mash with a fork. Add optional mace or cinnamon. 
2. Transfer to a jar or small bowl & serve alongside the meatballs. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator. 

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