Yeast Free Living

Archive for the ‘Candida Diet Recipes’ Category

I don’t really like olives but my oldest daughter loves them.  When she was diagnosed with food allergies and I had to really start reading food labels I noticed that many commercially available olives contained a lot of extra stuff in them.  I was not sure what any of this stuff was but I was beginning to adopt the less is more mentality and wanted to find a product that just contained olives and water.  The additive that I noticed the most was in olives was Ferrous Gluconate.  Ferrous Gluconate is an iron derivative which is used to retain the color of the olives.  Although most sources that I consulted were in agreement that Ferrous Gluconate is a safe food additive I really wanted to see if I could find a brand without it.  I was delighted to find that 365 brand olives at Whole Foods did not contain Ferrous Gluconate.  The ingredients in this product are listed as Olives, Water and Salt and there is actually a note on the back of the can that states “These olives are not treated with ferrous gluconate and retain their natural color.”  I wanted to mention these olives because they are almost Candida Diet friendly.  They do contain regular salt (most regular salt contains small amounts of dextrose) which may be a problem for some candida dieters.  I was really hoping that I could find olives with sea salt or better yet no salt but I guess these are going to have to do for now.  If you love olives as my Cheyenne does and you are following the candida diet 365 brand olives may be a good fit for you.

I can never get my hummus smooth and creamy and it is irritating.  The am just never able to puree the beans without un-appetizing chunks being leftover.  My absolute favorite hummus comes from George’s Cafe and Grill in Ridgefield Park NJ.  This is the best hummus I have ever tasted and it makes it hard to choke down my mediocre attempts at this wonderful dip.  Generally speaking most hummus recipes are made with candida diet friendly ingredients.  The varieties of hummus in the store are not candida diet friendly because they contain citric acid to preserve freshness. 

I recently bought Bob’s Red Mill Garbanzo Bean Flour (Chickpea Flour) to make a Gluten/Yeast Free Pizza crust and noticed a recipe for hummus on the back of the bag.  This recipe inspired me to take another stab at making my own hummus again.  I was hoping that since I was using flour instead of trying to puree the actual chickpeas that this may help my consistency problem.  I did omit the tabasco sauce one because I didn’t have any and two because I don’t think that tabasco sauce is a candida diet friendly ingredient.  The result was really tasty.  This hummus is still not George’s but it is candida diet friendly hummus that even my kids like.  It also came out smooth and creamy just the way I like it.   

Hummus Ingredients – Candida Diet Recipe
3/4 cup Garbanzo Bean Flour (Chickpea Flour)
2 1/2 cups water
2 – 3 cloves Garlic Cloves, finely minced about 1 Tbsp (The amount depends on your taste.  I love garlic so always opt for more)
1/4 cup unsweetened chicken broth
1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste)
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil

Hummus Directions – Candida Diet Recipe

In medium saucepan bring 2 1/2 cups water to boil.  Add garbanzo bean flour to boiling water using whisk.  Continue to stir mixture constantly.  Reduce heat and cook for additional 1 – 2 minutes while mixture becomes thick.  Let the mixture cool! 
 

Add the garbanzo flour mixture (Once it has cooled!), garlic, chicken broth, sesame paste and lemon juice to the blender jar or food processor bowl and puree until smooth.  Now add cumin, sea salt, pepper and continue to puree.  Using the feed tube or the little hole in the cover or the blender top SLOWLY drip the olive oil into the mixture while it is continue to puree.  This will help think the mixture to give it a good consistency.

Recipe from Bob’s Red Mill Garbanzo Bean Flour (Back of Package)

This is my first gluten free yeast free pizza.  This was not something I planned for the menu this week but when I picked my oldest daughter from school yesterday her teacher informed me that they would be having a pizza party tomorrow.  She let me know that I can send Chey in with a special lunch and she would be glad to heat it up.  I typically would send chicken nuggets and french fries but I did not want her to feel like an outsider.  It has been a difficult transition for her with all of these food allergies.  A few of the kids in her class have been making fun of her because she cannot eat the same things as everyone else.  I did send in a bag of allergy friendly snacks and that has helped with the pressure of birthday parties at school.  If there is a party she gets to pick a snack from her bag.  Although her teacher has said that this has helped I am still sure that she feels a little bit like an outsider. 

This is why I felt the pressure to make Chey her very own pizza for today.  I stayed up to about 11:00PM trying to get this right and even stopped by a pizzeria to purchase a pizza box to make it even more special.   The guy of course did not charge me for the box.  Thank you so much for your kindness Taste of Tuscany Restaurant at 500 South River Street Hackensack, NJ.  If we could eat regular pizza I would definitely go back there.  So the pizza turned out pretty good.  I used garbanzo flour and it gave it a weird taste but it was mixed with other flours so it was not too overwhelming.  I will have to play around with the flours a little more for a good better combination. The crust is gluten and yeast free so it is okay for the candida diet.  I also used Trader Joe’s Marinara Sauce and Target Brand Mozzarella Cheese.  The sauce has regular salt so this may not work for everyone but you can easily substitute another sauce.  I have read that Mozzarella Cheese in small amounts is okay for most candida sufferers but this is another one of those confusing topics and many encourage people to omit all kinds of cheese.  Again this is something that should be considered on an individual basis.  Mozzarella cheese often has additives like vinegar and cornstarch so read labels carefully.  You can also use your imagination and go cheeseless by just topping the pizza with any candida friendly toppings such as veggies or meat. 

Gluten Free Yeast Free Pizza Crust Ingredients
2 cups gluten free flour mix (3 Cups Brown Rice Flour, 3 Cups Potato Starch Flour, 2 Cups Garbanzo Flour, 1 Cup Sourghum Flour) 
2 tsp Xanthum gum (Use guar gum for corn allergy/sensitivity)
2 tsp baking powder (Use featherweight baking powder if corn allergy/sensitivity)
1/2 packet stevia
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1.5 cups sparkling water

Gluten Free Yeast Free Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Mix dry ingredients, add wet and combine.
The dough is really sticky and hard to manipulate
Use the back of a spoon to spread it onto an oiled pizza pan or preheated pizza stone
Bake for in pre-heated oven for 20 minutes

For Pizza:
Add candida friendly pasta sauce and toppings to preheated crust
Bake approx 15 minutes or until toppings are ready

Recipe from Mamachrissy at Group Recipes Gluten Free Yeast Free Pizza Crust
Gluten Free Flour Mix adapted from Gluten Free Cooking School (I changed it only due to a corn allergy)

Salsa is one of my favorite condiments probably because I am a huge fan of Mexican food.  I used to reserve using salsa only when I was making tacos or fajitas but I can honestly say that I now eat it weekly despite whether or not anything Mexican is on the menu.  I often use it to add moisture to a quick turkey and rice cake sandwich. It adds such good flavor and then there is no need for tomatoes.  My Brown Rice Tortilla Chips and Sage Valley Corn Tortilla Chips would not be nearly as satisfying without salsa. 

When I first went on the candida diet it was very frustrating to discover that most commercially available brands of salsa contained vinegar, citric acid and/or sugar.  I was certain I would just have to learn how to make salsa on my own.  I would always by the ingredients for salsa with the intention on making it right away but this never happened.  I would always put it off and let all the produce designated for this task go to waste.   Although I never found an appropriate brand in regular supermarkets I did however discover 365 Organic Salsa in Whole Foods and it almost candida diet friendly.  I say almost because it does contain regular salt which is not allowed on the candida diet.  Regular salt contains trace amounts of dextrose which can cause problems for candida sufferers.  Fortunately, I have used 365 Organic Salsa with no adverse effects and felt that this little cheat was okay for me.  This may not work for everyone though.  If you are going to purchase this brand choose the smaller size because the larger one does contain citric acid.  As always read labels to make sure as things do change from time to time. 

Although I do buy the 365 Organic Salsa often I wanted to learn how to make my own salsa.  Fortunately I found a very easy recipe that had been right under my nose for over a year now.  On the back of the Sage Valley Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips bag is a recipe for Garden Fresh Salsa.  If my family hadn’t been devouring these so quickly maybe I would have noticed sooner.  These are good chips and they are candida diet friendly. I tried the recipe and I have to say that homemade salsa is really good.  It felt like I was in a authentic Mexican restaurant enjoying.  I am really going to try to make the effort to make this weekly.  For all those candida dieters out there that love salsa I hope this recipe helps. 

Garden Fresh Salsa Ingredients
3 medium tomatoes, quartered
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno pepper seeded and cored
1 handful cilantro, stems trimmed
1 Tbsp lime or lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 pack stevia
dash cumin, paprika and chili powder to taste

Garden Fresh Salsa Directions
Process garlic, chili, onion, cilantro, and lemon or lime juice in food processor for 10 – 20 seconds.  Add tomatoes and process until chunky consistency, stopping occasionally to scrape sides and rearrange any large tomato chunks.  Add salt, cumin, stevia, paprika, and chili powder to taste.  Refrigerate at least one hour to allow flavors to blend. 

Recipe from Sage Valley (Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips Back of the Bag) St. Augustine, FL 1800-223-2910

So I attempted to make homemade yeast free Hamburger Helper for my candida diet menu.  I am happy to report that it rocked.  My only regret is that I did not make enough for leftovers.  Having eaten Hamburger Helper for so many years and never really bothering to find out what I was eating I began to think about it frequently over the last few weeks.  Today I decided to take a look at the ingredients and I was appalled to find out what was actually in Hamburger Helper.  I do not want to re-live my disgust so I will just share that it is nowhere close to being candida diet friendly.  I really wanted to try to create a candida diet version of Hamburger Helper, so I bought one pound of ground turkey (we use ground turkey because my youngest has a beef allergy you may prefer lean ground beef if you do not have this issue) and crossed my fingers that I would be able to create one of my favorite processed foods.  I am sure that those of you who are recovering from eating out of box and/or cans will be happy to try this recipe.  It is one of my best yeast free recipes to date and was regarded very highly by the non-candida dieters in my house.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. 

Homemade Yeast Free Hamburger Helper Ingredients – Candida Diet Recipe
1 Pound Ground Meat (I used turkey because of a beef allergy but ground beef or even ground chicken may be desired)
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon arrowroot powder (probably could use cornstarch, potato starch or gluten free flour to help thicken up the sauce a bit if you don’t have arrowroot powder)
1/2 cup unsweetened vegetable broth (I used a Trader Joe’s brand that is safe for the candida diet)
1 cup unsweetened soy milk ( I used unsweetened rice milk because of a soy allergy)
2 cups water  
16 ounces brown rice pasta fusilli (I use the Trader Joe’s brand)

Homemade Yeast Free Hamburger Helper Directions – Candida Diet Recipe
Spray Large Skillet with non-stick cooking spray

Brown ground meat until no longer pink
Drain to remove fat and excess oil

Mix together seasonings and arrowroot powder

Return meat to pan and add water, milk, vegetable broth
Add seasoning mix and stir thoroughly
Add pasta to the pot
Cook on covered on medium heat for about 20 – 30 minutes, or until noodles are cooked

I have such good news to share with you.  I have stumbled across a commercially available vinegar free salad dressing.  I am still in disbelief that this actually exists.  I had completely given up my search for such a product, as reading the labels on the salad dressings in the supermarket proved to be in vain.  Most of the commercially available brands have vinegar, citric acid and/or added sugars that make them off limits on the candida diet.  

I was very disappointed that I could not find a candida friendly salad dressing as salads are one of the first meals that you think of when dieting.  Salads are such a good way to enjoy a variety of raw vegetables which is encouraged on the candida diet.  Many resources suggest just using a little bit of lemon juice and olive oil but this did not really appeal to me and I pretty much gave up salad for a while.  When I found a recipe for several yeast free salad dressing recipes in the Candida Control Cookbook by Gail Burton I was thrilled.  I find that her Creamy Herb Salad Dressing is the best and goes well with most types of salads.  Although I was very thankful for these recipes there are times that I would still avoid salad because I just did not feel like taking the extra steps to prepare these dressings.  I actually became so frustrated last week at the thought of making yet another bottle of Creamy Herb Salad Dressing that I just omitted salad from the menu for the night. 

It seems like such good timing that I discovered this dressing.  I belong to a Yeast Free Recipes group on Facebook and in one of the comments someone mentioned this dressing.  My first thought was “This is too good to be true, there has to be at least one ingredient that is not allowed on the candida diet.”    I quickly Googled it and found the ingredient label.  The Ingredient in Annie’s Naturals Lemon & Chive Dressing are as follows: Expeller-pressed Canola Oil, Water, Lemon Juice, Garlic, Sea Salt, Shallots, Mustard Flour, Black Pepper
Chives and Xanthan Gum.  So I was wrong this dressing is okay for the candida diet.   I looked for it in the special dietary needs aisle at Stop & Shop and although they had other Annie’s Naturals dressings they did not have the Lemon & Chive one.  I did not have time to get to Whole Foods but I did call to see if they carried it and they informed me that they did.  I was finally able to pick up a bottle today and taste it.  I actually put a little bit on my cucumber for snack and it pretty good.  It is very lemony but has a good mix of flavors and it is very creamy.  It reminds me of ranch a bit.  I do prefer the Creamy Herb Salad Dressing that I make to this one but when I am time starved like so many people are I will make sure to have this around.  The only negative about this dressing is that it has xanthan gum.  It is okay for the candida diet but my oldest daughter cannot have it because of her corn allergy.  I still believe that this is worth having around even if I use it exclusively for my lunch salads.  It cost me $3.49 at Whole Foods.

I do miss cheese from time to time on the candida diet so I really didn’t know how I would do with a cheeseless lasagna.  The only time I really craved cheese was when I was pregnant.  My favorite pregnancy food was pizza and I always needed extra cheese.  Prior to that I never really thought about it much, I could always just do without.  There are however some things that you just get used to having cheese on like baked ziti and lasagna.  When I start to adapt a recipe I always wonder if I am tampering with an ingredient that should not be tampered with.  “Will if even remotely resemble the original food,” I continuously think to myself.  It doesn’t always work out but I am happy to say that this cheeseless lasagna worked out well in my house.  I did buy slices of mozzarella cheese for my oldest daughter to melt on top a there is no reason that she cannot eat cheese.  With her many allergies I do not want to eliminate anything else from her diet.  I used vegetables and ground turkey meat between the the layers.  The lasagna noodles are made byTinkyadaand contain brown rice, rice bran and water.  I did have to brown the turkey meat before I put it in the crockpot so there is an extra step required. 

Crockpot Cheeseless Lasagna Ingredients
1 box brown rice lasagna noodles
1/2 pound ground turkey meat
1 zucchini chopped
5 oz of baby spinach leaves 
1/2 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
2 containers Pomi strained tomatoes
1 can (12 oz) tomato paste
2 Tablespoons Fresh Basil
2 Tablespoons Fresh Oregano
4 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley 
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Crockpot Cheeseless Lasagna Directions
In a large skillet brown turkey meat. 
Add onions and garlic.
Cook until meat is know longer pink and drain off grease.
In large bowl add mix tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, parsley, sea salt and pepper. 
Cover bottom of crockpot a thin layer of sauce.
Add a layer of lasagna noodles.  (About 1/3)
Add a layer of sauce. (About 1/5)
Add a layer of turkey meat. (About 1/2)
Add a layer of zucchini and spinach. (About 1/2)
Add a layer of sauce (About 1/5)
Add a layer of lasagna noodles. (About 1/3)  
Add a layer of sauce. (About 1/5)
Add a layer of turkey meat. (Remaining 1/2)
Add a layer of spinach and zucchini. (Remaining 1/2)
Add a layer of sauce. (About 1/5)
Add a layer of lasagna noodles. (Remaining 1/3)
Cover the last layer of noodles with the remaining sauce. (Remaining 1/5) 
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

 I am huge soup fan and indulge it whenever I can.  It is such a comfort food and always makes me feel warm and cozy.  This is especially the case today as it has been snowing here in New Jersey for atleast 10 hours.  I used to indulge in the the canned varieties but nowadays I know better.  Canned soups are filled with all kinds of additives which are not allowed on the candida diet.  Autolyzed yeast extract, monsodium glutamate (MSG) and citric acid are 3 of these additives that are extremely common. 

At first I was a little intimidated making my own soup but then I found some good chicken broths/stocks that were okay for the candida diet and have been experimenting ever since.  I have found that soup is something that is very easy to adapt to the candida diet.  Although I have made soup before and there are other soup recipes on this site this is my first time making it in the crockpot.  It was very easy and I plan on doing it more often.  I hope that you enjoy the recipe.    

Crockpot Chicken and Vegetable Soup Ingredients
1/2 Pound of Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast 
4 cups (32 oz) Unsweetened Chicken Broth/Stock
4 cups water  
3 stalks celery sliced 
3 carrots sliced
1 zucchini chopped
1 medium onion chopped  
2 cloves garlic chopped
Sea salt and pepper to Taste

Crockpot Chicken and Vegetable Soup Directions
Combine all ingredients in Crockpot. 
Cook on low for 5 – 7 hours. 
When done use a fork to shred the chicken (Should fall apart very easily)

Corn Tortilla Chips are one of my favorite candida friendly snacks and although I know I have to eat them in limited quantities I am so glad that these were not off limits.  What else would I eat my hummus and salsa.  Many of the snacks you find in the supermarket have preservatives and additives that are prohibited on the candida diet.  When I first started the diet I had to find a new corn tortilla chip that was appropriate.  The first one I came across was the Garden of Eatin Organic Corn Tortilla Chips and was thrilled that they contained all candida safe ingredients but I did not like the price.  They were over $3.00 a bag and they never seemed to go on sale.  This is very hard to swallow for someone with very little brand loyalty and who had previously been eating according to what was on sale.  I bought them anyway so that I could surround myself with candida diet friendly snacks and not be tempted. 

One day I ran into the store to buy a new bag of tortilla chips and came accross Sage Valley Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips.  They were in the organic chip section of Shoprite and were marked with a sale sign for $1.99. “Surely at that price they have to have something that I can’t eat in them,” I thought to myself.  I picked up the bag anyway to take a look at the ingredients and I was so excited.  These were okay and so much cheaper.  I have been buying them ever since.  They have stayed at the price of $1.99 since they first appeared on the supermarket shelves a year ago.  If you are a fan of corn tortilla chips give these a try. 

Product Name:
Sage Valley Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips

Who Makes It?
Sage Valley (Tree of Life a Kehe company)
St. Augustine, FL
32085-9000
1-800-223-2910

What are the ingredients?
Organic Yellow Corn
Expeller Pressed Safflower and/or Sunflower and/or Canola Oil
Sea Salt

Where can I find it?
Shoprite

 Special Features
100% Natural
No Artificial Colors or Additives
No Artificial Preservatives
No Hydrogenated Oils
0 grams Trans Fat Per Serving

Price
$1.99

I am not allowed to cook chicken this week so I am experimenting with fish and other types of meat.  Yesterday we enjoyed lamb and today it was tilapia.  This was my first time cooking tilapia in the crockpot and it really did came out delicious.  Cooking it in the tomatoes makes it flavorful and gives you a great broth for the rice.  I really did not no what kind of fish to use so I must confess I went with what was the most economical.  Fish is very expensive and tilapia is usually one of the most reasonably priced fish at the supermarket.  It was even on sale at Shoprite today for $4.99 a pound (it is usually $5.99) so I happy to save even more.  As many of you know trying to eat candida diet and allergy friendly on a tight budget can be a daunting task but today I feel like I won.  I hope that you enjoy the recipe.  Everyone seemed to like it in my house, kids included.  Have a great night! 

Crockpot Tilapia with Tomatoes
Approximately 4 6 oz tilapia fillets (a little more would be fine) 
1 box 26.4 oz of Pomi Chopped Tomatoes (Contains no preservatives they are usually at Shoprite so should not be hard to find)
1/2 green pepper chopped
4 cloves of garlic chopped
1/2 medium onion chopped
sea salt to taste
black pepper to taste

Crockpot Tilapia with Tomatoes Directions
Put tomatoes, green pepper, garlic, onion in crockpot. 
Top with tilapia.   Season with sea salt and black pepper.
Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. 
Serve over brown rice.