One of the questions I get asked, almost universally, after telling someone I’m grain, starch, refined sugar and (mostly) dairy free is “What in the world do you eat?”  I usually reply something like “Well, a lot of veggies and meat”, which is true but definitely only part of the story!  My SCD story would have lasted oh about, 2 weeks if it was only veggies and meat. 

Today I had a typical, all-american lunch: sandwich, salad and sweet.  The only difference is in the substitutions: three nut bread for wheat bread, homemade basil and apple cider vinigairette instead of store bought and a delicious strawberry shortcake cupcake instead of one made with wheat. 

Hello gorgeous…

I’ve got Danielle from againstallgrains.com to thank for the three nut bread and strawberry shortcake cupcake recipe.  The basil cider vinigairette is my own.  Both the strawberry shortcake and the bread are fairly time intensive but made on different nights, very do-able.  I had my sandwich with Harvati cheese, turkey and mustard.  Love that it’s not in a lettuce wrap!

like biting into a cloud!

I can’t wait to serve the strawberry shortcake cupcakes again.  I loved the strawberry merringue frosting– my favorite SCD frosting so far!  Cheers to “normal” lunches!  🙂

Sundays are busy days for us, even more so since we just got back from a fantastic vacation with our dear friends!  I decided to pull out the crock-pot to prepare the thick, juicy pork chops that I bought from the Logan Square Farmer’s Market last week.

The second part of the meal was a lucky find when I was digging around the internet for a good recipe for Golden Beets.  I can’t believe I have waited 25 years to taste golden beets!  They are so delicious and satisfying with their full, sweet and earthy flavor.  We paired the pork chops with a spicy golden beet recipe and sweet melon.  It was a wonderful end to a great weekend.

The golden beets I made courtesy of a great recipe from Sonnet at For the Love of Food.  I decided to peel them and chop to look like house potatoes.  After mixing the spices and tossing with coconut oil, I roasted them at 400 for about 35 minutes. They tasted better than french fries!  Ok, that’s a lie, but fantastic all the same and so much healthier.

The apple pork chops were my own recipe and a launching point for more!

Apple Pork Chops

1 gala apple, sliced

1 sweet onion, sliced

3 small carrots, sliced

1/2 cup of raisins

1 cup fruit juice (I used natural black cherry but apple would be great too!)

1 TBLS apple cider vinegar

1 cup water

1/4 cup honey

Salt and pepper to taste

Slice apple, carrot and onion and layer bottom.  Put chops on top of veggies and put another layer on top.  Combine juice, vinegar, water and honey.  Mix and pour over chops.  Salt and pepper.  Sprinkle with raisins.  Slow cook on low for 8 hours.

At the Logan Square Farmer’s market, I bought the most adorable eggplant!  A comely lavender, speckled with white, diminutive in size,  they are appropriately named “Fairy Tale Egg Plant”.  I was so delighted I bought three!  The only problem was trying to figure out what to pair it with.

I decided on spaghetti squash and basil pesto.  I figured if I breaded it, it would taste like chicken.  The pesto, I had on hand.  I made a huge batch earlier this month and froze it in plastic bags.  I grabbed a bag after work and put it in a bowl of water to defrost.  I cut the spaghetti squash open, Mike seeded it and cooked it at 350 for about 30 minutes until tender.  Then drag a fork through the squash and put in a large serving bowl.  Mix in pesto.

Meanwhile, I cut the eggplant into bite size pieces and breaded it.

Coconut Flour Breading

1/2 cup Coconut Flour

1 tsp minced onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

Beat egg and put into a bowl.  Combine all dry ingredients in a separate bowl.  Dip the eggplant in the egg and then in the breading.  Sauté in a TBLS of olive oil for 15 minutes until toasted on each side. Sauté 1/2 sweet onion and add to serving bowl.  Serve with grated parmesan.