Yeast Free Living

Archive for November, 2009

I had given up on finding a commercially prepared salsa that may be okay on the candida diet.  To my delight I stumbled across Whole Foods 365 Organic Salsa and was pleasantly surprised to find the ingredients were candida diet friendly.  Most salsa offered in the supermarket have vinegar and/or citric acid in them.    The ingredients in 365 Organic Salsa (Mild) are Organic Tomato Puree, Organic Tomatoes, Organic Onions, Organic Red Bell Peppers, Salt, Organic Jalapeno Chilies, Organic Garlic, Organic Cilantro and Organic Lime Concentrate.   Enjoy it in with your Mexican recipes or just as a quick snack with a few tortilla chips.

This quick and easy chicken and pasta recipe is great great when you are pressed for time.  

Chicken Penne Ingredients
1 package penne brown rice pasta
1 yellow pepper
1 onion
1 garlic clove chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 jar pasta sauce (no citric acid)
3 grilled boneless skinless chicken breasts sliced
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

Chicken Penne Directions
Cook penne according to package directions.
In large skillet heat oil
Add pepper, onion and garlic and saute in oil until tender
Stir in pasta sauce, chicken and parsley
Simmer 2 – 3 minutes
Serve sauce over penne
Saute pepper, onion and garlic

Adapted from Ronzoni Health Harvest Easy-to-Prepare Recipes 

To succeed at the Candida Diet I believe that we must have convenient Candida Diet snacks on hand.  Let’s be honest we do not always prepare and we end up out somewhere hungry and frustrated and often end up cheating.  After carefully reading many labels I believe that there are some commercially prepared snack that you can keep on hand so you are not tempted to cheat. 

I do enjoy making my own popcorn in the air popper but when I am pressed for time I may not have enough time to stop and do this.  I started to wonder if any of the brands of popcorn  in the store would be okay for the candida diet and fortunately I did come across a few.  Sage Valley Lite Organic Popcorn has very few ingredients and does not appear to include any that will sabotage the candida diet.  It is 100% natural containing only organic popcorn, organic canola oil and sea salt.  

Product Name:
Sage Valley Popcorn

Who Makes It?
Sage Valley

What are the ingredients?
Organic Popcorn
Organic Canola Oil
Sea Salt

Where can I find it?
Shoprite

 Special Features
100% Natural
Air Popped
Low Sodium
No Artificial Colors
No Artificial Preservatives
0 grams Trans Fat Per Serving

Price
$1.19

Beans are a terrific source of protein and fiber but we do not always have the time necessary to cook beans.  Many dried beans require hours of soaking and even after soaking usually still have very long cook times.  Preparing dried beans is something that I choose to do on the weekend.   I know that canned foods are not really recommended on the Candida Diet but after some thorough label reading I did uncover some canned beans that may be helpful and still adhere to the diet in a crunch.

Nature’s Promise Organic Black Beans are delicious over rice, in dips and can be used in a variety of recipes.  Nature’s Promise Organic is a Stop & Shop brand.  I am not typically a Stop and Shop customer but I was there one night getting a movie from the Redbox and needed to run in.  I was delighted to find this organic line of products and even more excited at the price.   This can of beans was actually cheaper that the ones I had found at Trader’s Joes.   The ingredients in Nature’s Promise Organic Black Beans include Prepared Organic Black Beans, Water and Sea Salt.  Based on the label it appears that they are Candida Diet friendly.

This creamy spinach soup will be sure to warm you up on a cold day.  You will delight in the fact that it is all yeast free.  This quick and easy recipe will certainly be one of your favorites! 

Creamy Spinach Soup Ingredients
1 large carrot
1/2 medium onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons brown rice flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
14 1/2 ounces unsweetened chicken broth
10 ounces frozen chopped spinach
2 1/2 cups soy milk (I use unsweetened rice milk because of my children’s allergy to soy)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice  

Creamy Spinach Soup Directions
Slice carrot, onion
In medium saucepan heat olive oil on low heat
Add brown rice flour, salt and dry mustard
Cook 2 minutes stirring constantly
Stir in chicken broth
Bring to boil over medium heat stirring constantly
Add spinach, carrot and onion
Reduce heat to low and simmer about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender
Stir in milk and cook 3 additional minutes
Add lemon juice

Homemade beef stew can be such a healthy comfort food.  Provided that all the potatoes and carrots don’t end up in your bowl at one sitting it can also be a great candida diet .  There are as many beef stew recipes as there are people who cook it so creating a yeast free version of beef stew becomes  more a matter of taste than anything else.  I adapted the following recipe from my Salad Master Cookbook.  This is actually the first beef stew recipe that I ever tried and it has been quite a success in my house.  It is more of a tomato based version of beef stew so if this is not the taste you are going for you may not want to use this recipe.   If you do try this yeast free beef stew it will be sure to satisfy your hunger.  This recipe yields 10 servings so freeze leftovers in small portions and reheat later for convenient yeast free meals. 

Yeast Free Beef Stew Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 medium potatoes peeled and sliced
3 medium carrots sliced
2 pound ground beef cubed
8 cups water
2 cups tomato sauce (I use Pomi Strained Tomatoes which do not contain citric acid)
3 ribs celery sliced
1 large onion Chopped
2/3 cups tomato paste
6 cloves garlic minced
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh basil chopped
1 1/2  teaspoons fresh oregano chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme

Yeast Free Beef Stew Directions
Heat olive oil in large pot
Add beef and brown on all sides
Stir in medium onion
Cook while continuously stirring about 3 minutes
Add water, scraping browned meat particles from the pan
Stir in tomato sauce
Cover and cook over low heat for 1 hour
Stir in celery, onion, potatoes, carrots, tomato paste, garlic, basil, oregano and thyme
Cover and keep on low heat for about 1 hour or until vegetables are tender

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Let’s be honest.  It is hard to find tasty snacks on the Candida Diet.  So what are we to do?  Must we give up snacking?  While I do not think that we need to give up snacking we do need to reevaluate what we snack on.  Most snacks that have we have chosen prior to starting the candida diet are characteristic of the other processed, sugar/salt laden,  and carbohydrate heavy foods that we once ate.  It may be difficult to resist that box of cookies, box of cheese crackers and potato chips.  There are some delicious snacks that you can still enjoy while following the candida diet.  The following are 10 of my favorites: 

Air Popped Popcorn
Invest in an air popper and you can continue to enjoy this terrific snack in a much healthier way.  Add a small amount of clarified butter and sea salt and I promise that you will enjoy this more than the microwave varieties.  Ready-to-eat Air Popped Popcorn can also be found in various stores such as Whole Foods or CVS, just make sure to read the label carefully to avoid any prohibited ingredients.  Some  microwave varieties may be okay but again just make sure to read lables carefully.  Popcorn is high in carbohydrates, so be sure not to consume too much in one sitting. 
 

Brown Rice Crackers
There are many different varieties of brown rice crackers and not all are good.  There will be a little trial and error to find the ones that you like. I like the Hol Grain variety and often eat these with a can a tuna, egg salad and chicken mixed with homemade mayonnaise.

Hummus
I love hummus!  I eat it with raw veggies, tortilla chips or a sliced warm brown rice tortilla.  A lot of the varieties in the store are preserved with citric acid so you may not find a candida friendly commercial brand in your supermarket.  I buy Trader Joe’s garlic hummus.  It has all candida diet approved ingredients.  Alternatively, you can find a recipe and make it from scratch.  Hummus is actually very easy to make.   

Nuts
Both of my daughters are allergic to several different types of nuts so for a while I did not keep them around much.  Now that they are old enough to know why they can’t eat them I do keep some around.  Nuts are a “superfood” of sorts.  They are packed with monounsaturated fats, protein, fiber, vitamin, nutrients and antioxidants.  Additionally, they have cholesterol lowering effects. 

Rice Cakes
Even before I went on the candida diet I enjoyed rice cakes only I loved the sugary apple cinnamon or caramel ones.  I am actually pretty shocked that I have come to really enjoy the plain no salt type.   This make a great bread substitute for a quick sandwich.  Another idea is to spread them with nut butters.  They also taste pretty good plain. 

Salsa
There are many varieties of salsa in the supermarket.  Unfortunately many of them are not compatible with the candida diet.  There are some like Whole Foods 365 brand salsa.  The most common ingredients that trip us up here are vinegar and citric acid.  If you are having trouble finding a brand that works find a simple salsa recipe and substitute any troubling ingredients.  I usually enjoy my salsa with store bought or homemade tortilla chips. 

Tortilla Chips
These are high in carbohydrates so you must limit your intake but if you have the willpower a few of these make a tasty snack.  Garden or Eatin, the brand featured in the picture are one of my favorite varieties, although a little pricey.  I buy them because they are all natural.  There is a new brand, Sage Valley that I have been purchasing lately at Shoprite.  They too are all natural and not as expensive.  You can also make your own with this homemade Tortilla Chip Recipe.  Enjoy them with salsa, hummus or plain. 

Vegetables
 Vegetables have become such an important part of the candida diet for me.  I was accustomed to cooking everything or rather overcooking everything.  To actually eat a vegetable in its raw form is not only healthy but suprisingly tasty.   

 It took me a little while to be able to enjoy yogurt plain.  I used to really enjoy the once with the fruit at the bottom.  Blueberry was actually my favorite.  Plain yogurt however is a very good candida snack.  Yogurt contains live and active cultures that help to restore the balance to you digestive tract.

Yogurt

I never realized how much I used soy sauce until I was no longer allowed to consume it.  At one point in my life soy sauce was a condiment that I reserved exclusively for consumption with my Chinese food.  In more recent years I have ventured out a bit and become aware of its power to marinate all types of meat, poultry and fish, on salads and of course in various Asian dishes. 

Although soy sauce is a prohibited ingredient on the Candida Diet there is a very good substitute.  Bragg’s Liquid Aminos can be substituted anywhere that you need soy sauce.  I have used it in various recipes including homemade beef and broccoli, homemade brown beef fried rice and in a chicken marinade.  Ingredients in Bragg’s Liquid Aminos are vegetable protein from soybeans and purified water.

Yeast Free Indian Pea Soup Ingredients
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 potatoes diced
1 large onion chopped
2 garlic cloves chopped
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cumin
3 3/4 cups vegetable stock
1 red chili pepper chopped
4 ounces frozen sweet peas
1 Tbs unsweetened plain yogurt
sea salt
ground black pepper

Yeast Free Indian Pea Soup Directions
In a large pan heat vegetable oil
Add potatoes, onion and garlic
Saute for about 5 minutes
Add spices and cook for 1 additional minute
Stir in the vegetable stock and chili pepper
Bring to boil
Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until potatoes are soft
Add frozen peas
Stir in the yogurt
Add sea salt and black pepper to taste

I really enjoy experimenting with Indian dishes.  The aroma of turmeric, garam masala and cumin are very appealing to me.  I usually enjoy my Indian food at a local Indian restaurant but occasionally I will attempt to make an authentic Indian dish all by myself.  The first Indian dish I mastered was chicken tikka masala.  My chicken tikka masala is adored by my family, even my mother who hates trying new foods. 

This Yeast Free Dal Soup is the first authentic Indian Soup that I have ever attempted.  The ingredients were pretty common and I just happened to have all the spices and such in the cabinet so I decided to go for it and I am so glad I did.  This soup is a great blend of tastes and textures.  The  coconut milk makes it a bit sweet which I didn’t know if I would like at first but it seems to mesh nicely with the Indian spices.  This soup can be eaten alone but is typically served over rice. 

Dal Soup Ingredients
2 tablespoons clarified butter
2 garlic cloves chopped
1 onion choppped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
26  ounces chopped tomatoes drained (I use 1 container Pomi chopped tomatoes)
1 cup red lentils
2 tsp lemon juice
2 1/2 cups unsweetened vegetable stock (I use the Trader Joe’s variety)
1 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk (Iuse Trader Joe’s light Cocunut milk)
sea salt to taste
black ground pepper to taste

Dal Soup Directions
Melt the clarified butter in large pan
Saute the garlic and onion for 2 minutes
Mix the spices in and cook for 1 additional minute
Stir in the tomatoes, red lentils, lemon juice, vegetable stock and coconut milk
Bring to boil
Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes or until lentils and tender