Yeast Free Living

Archive for the ‘Vegetables’ Category

The picture to the left may look like spaghetti but it is not, it is spaghetti squash and it is a great choice for the candida diet.  I first discovered spaghetti squash back in 2006 when I was trying to navigate through what I could actually eat on the candida diet.  I decided to give up pasta during the early stages of the diet because I did not know about the non-glutinous pasta alternatives at the time. Giving up pasta was not a huge deal but I found that I missed the taste of marinara sauce a lot more than I actually missed pasta.  I knew that I could make a yeast free marinara sauce, but what would I eat it with?  My main yeast free reference at the time was Overcoming Candida: The Ultimate Cookery Guide by Xandria Williams.  I have since misplaced this book but this is where I believe I first heard about spaghetti squash.  I did not even know what a spaghetti squash looked like so I Googled it to find a picture and then headed to the farmer’s market to find one.  My first experience with spaghetti squash was a positive but I stopped eating it when I discovered the non-glutinous pasta alternatives. 

Cooked spaghetti squash really does look like spaghetti.  It does not however taste like spaghetti, as it has it own unique kind of sweet flavor.  I don’t want to mislead you, it is not pasta but it is a great pasta substitute for the candida diet.  Lately I feel like I have been relying too heavily on brown rice pasta and that is what compelled me to put spaghetti squash on the menu.  Spaghetti squash has significantly less carbohydrates than brown rice pasta with only 5 grams of carbohydrates per 1/2 cup compared to 86 grams of carbohydrates per 1/2 cup of brown rice pasta.  That is a huge difference and that is why I believe that spaghetti squash is a great choice for the candida diet.  I do not love spaghetti squash but I can eat it and enjoy it especially with a good sauce.  My 7 year old however does love spaghetti squash and has gone as far as requesting it for dinner.  You may be worried about the taste but just give a try you have nothing to loose except a ton of yeast feeding carbohydrates.   

Yeast Free Spaghetti Squash Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes (I use Pomi Chopped Tomatoes which are unsweetened and contain no citric acid or other preservatives)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Yeast Free Spaghetti Squash Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Lightly grease a baking sheet
Cut spaghetti squash in halve lengthwise
Spoon out just the center filing to remove all seeds and discard
Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet
Bake approximately 30 minutes in preheated oven
Spaghetti squash is ready when you can insert a sharp knife with only a little resistance
Remove spaghetti squash from oven and set aside to cool until it can be comfortably handled
While spaghetti squash is cooling heat oil in a large skillet over low heat
Saute onion until tender
Add garlic and basil and saute for 2 – 3 minutes
Stir in the tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are warm
Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the spaghetti squash
Place in medium bowl and use a fork to separate the stringy clumps
Add tomato mixture to the bowl and serve

Recipe adapted from Spaghetti Squash I Recipe by James on All Recipes

I fell in love with Indian food about 3 years ago when I met my equally food adventurous friend Jen.  I met Jen while working on a temporary human resources job assignment at a pharmaceutical company.  We would go out to lunch at least once a week and experiment with Greek, Indian, Caribbean and Spanish foods just to name a few.  We would always discover a new dish that we vowed to learn how to cook.  The only one I actually did learn how to cook was chicken tikka masala.  I am not sure if I can make chicken tikka masala yeast free as some of its key ingredients are not candida diet friendly,  that is why have not mentioned it here on yeast free living.  Maybe I will attempt a yeast free version in the future but I love the original so much I just don’t want to ruin it with yeast free substitutions.  Although I am optimistic that many dishes can be made yeast free without compromising taste, I also have the good sense to know that some things should not be messed with. 

My college roommate is Indian and vegetarian.  She tried to introduce me to Indian vegetarian dishes back in college but I just was not ready to try it back then.  She is presently expecting her first child and I was at her baby shower this past weekend where I got to experience a wide array of Indian vegetarian dishes.  The vegetarian dishes were incredible and this is what inspired me to look for Indian dishes that are candida diet friendly.  I stumbled across a recipe for Aloo Phujia on All Recipes and figured I would give this one a try.  It turned out spectacular and even the kids liked it.  I had to scale back the cayenne pepper because my oldest is not fond of spicy food but the my youngest loved it even with the original amount of spices.  The dish is a medley of onions, peppers and potatoes with authentic Indian spices.   The dish is typically served with Basmati rice but serving potatoes over rice is usually not in the best interest of the candida dieter, as this move would make the meal very carbohydrate heavy.  I served Aloo Phujia as the main dish and we ate salad with yeast free creamy herb salad dressing as a side.

Yeast Free Aloo Phujia Ingredients (approximately 24.75 grams of carbohydrates per serving)
1 yellow onion chopped (5 grams of carbohydrates)
1 green bell pepper chopped (6 grams of carbohydrates)
1/4 cup olive oil (0 grams of carbohydrates)
1 pound potatoes (approximately 3 medium sized potatoes) (approximately 78 grams of carbohydrates) 
1 teaspoon sea salt (0 grams of carbohdrates)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (1/2 teaspoon = hot; 1/4 teaspoon = medium; 1/8 teaspoon – mild) (0 grams of carbohydrates)
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric (1 gram of carbohydrates)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (1 gram of carbohydrates)
2 tomatoes chopped (8 grams of carbohydrates)

Yeast Free Aloo Phujia Directions
Wash and boil potatoes with skins until potatoes are slightly tender
Remove skin from potatoes when cooled
Chop cooked potatoes into cubes and set aside
Saute onion and green pepper in a  large skillet
Stir in sea salt, cayenne pepper, turmeric and cumin
Add potatoes and cook about 10 minutes covered on low heat
Add tomatoes and cook covered for an additional 5  minutes or until potatoes reach desired tenderness

Recipe adapted from Aloo PhujiaRecipe by ChristyJ on All Recipes

Some days you just don’t feel like chopping.  Recently, I feel like all I do is chop the entire day.  I am always busy chopping this or that for recipe after recipe and there are times when I just don’t want to chop another thing.  Until recently I would always chop fresh tomatoes if I needed them for a recipe.  I use chopped tomatoes often for things like ratatouille, fixins for tacos or to make salsa.  I would get caught without fresh tomatoes often and become frustrated.   I usually did not feel like running to the store in the middle of the dinner rush and would have to switch gears.  I yearned for the convenience of using canned chopped tomatoes but I was having a hard time finding a brand that did not contain any preservatives and therefore would be safe for the candida diet.  Calcium chloride, salt and citric acid are the most prevalent preservatives in canned tomatoes that are prohibited on the candida diet. 

I was fortunate enough to find Pomi Chopped Tomatoes in the supermarket one day.  The only ingredient in these tomatoes is tomatoes and I am so happy to have this as an option now.  I am able to throw together the recipes that require chopped tomatoes almost effortlessly.  Additionally, I do not have to worry about my tomatoes going bad or running out of them.  I just keep a couple of boxes of Pomi Chopped Tomatoes in the cabinet and I am covered.  If you have been looking for yeast free chopped tomatoes I urge you to give these a try.

It can be hard to find a tomato sauce in the supermarket that is suitable for the candida diet.  Most tomato sauce contains preservatives such as salt, calcium chloride and citric acid.  Preservatives are something that those on the Candida Diet strive to avoid as many of them inadvertently contribute to the overgrowth of candida.  Tomato sauce however is such a versatile ingredient and makes it’s way into many recipes.  I have used tomato sauce in a variety of recipes ranging from Indian to Italian cuisine.  It seems as if at least  weekly I am finding a new way to use tomato sauce.    

I guess I could make my own tomato sauce but I tried  peeling a tomato once and it just did not go well.  I stopped half way through and said “the hell with this.”  I figured I would just do without.  I really want to avoid  ever peeling a tomato again and that is why I am so thankful that I found Pomi Strained Tomatoes.  I use this product anywhere that tomato sauce is required.  Pomi Strained Tomatoes contain no preservatives of any kind.  It is 100% natural with the only ingredient being tomatoes.  You can’t ask for much more than that.  This product is completely yeast free and should be used freely on the candida diet.     So the next time you are thinking of skipping a recipe because you do not have candida diet friendly tomato sauce pick up Pomi Strained Tomatoes and enjoy your delightful dish without any of the preservatives.

I was not sure what ratatouille was aside from a Disney movie of course that my oldest daughter enjoyed watching with her father a couple of years back.  Upon watching the movie with her recently on DVD I saw a rat create ratatouille that so impressed a food critic, that the food critic opened his own restaurant and made the rat head chef.  “This must be an amazing dish for it to pull off all of that,” I thought to myself, so I decided to explore it a bit. 

Upon searching for recipes on the web I found that many recipes for ratatouille are extremely candida diet friendly in their original form or at least very easy to adapt to make candida diet friendly.  I decided to try a recipe by Jacques Pepin.  I do not consider myself a foodie so please forgive me for having no idea who this guy is.  A friend passed along this recipe to me after watching a cooking show and I Googled a few of the words to track down the owner.  It is a very easy recipe and I used the crock pot to make it even easier.  I paired it with brown rice but brown rice pasta or even spaghetti squash may be a nice yeast free accompaniment. 

Yeast Free Ratatouille Ingredients – Candida Diet Recipe (22 grams carbohydrates per serving)
1 long Japanese or Dominican eggplant or a small regular eggplant cut into small pieces (25 grams carbohydrates)
2 small firm zucchini cut into small pieces  (9 grams carbohydrates)
2 cubanelle or long Italian peppers seeded and cut into small pieces (8 grams carbohydrates) (if you want something spicier try jalepeno peppers) 
2 yellow onion chopped onions (20 grams carbohydrates)
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic (2 grams carbohydrates)
1 container Pomi Chopped Tomatoes (24 grams carbohydrates) (they contain no citric acid or preservatives and are candida diet friendly)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (0 grams carbohydrates)
1/4 cup olive oil (0 grams carbohydrates)

Yeast Free Ratatouille Directions – Candida Diet Recipe
Combine all ingredients in the crock pot. 
Cook on low 5 hours or high 2.5 hours. 
For stove top directions please see the original Ratatouille and Penne recipe on Jacques Pepin’s website.