Yeast Free Living

It has occurred to me that cheating on the candida diet can perhaps inspire new yeast free recipes.  This Yeast Free Italian Style Tuna Salad recipe is the result of my cheating on the diet while on a recent trip to Massachusetts.  I was so hungry after completing my tour of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum that I decided to visit the museum cafe.  The cafe was tiny and had very limited food options but fortunately there was a large cooler with a variety of gourmet sandwiches.  That cooler actually turned out to have quite a few sandwich options, so many in fact that I became a bit conflicted while trying to choose.  I managed to narrow it down to two sandwiches; cucumber and hummus on whole wheat or Italian style tuna salad on a whole wheat baguette.  It was a tough choice but in the end the Italian style tuna salad sandwich triumphed.   

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this sandwich.  I am fond of tuna but I really didn’t know what Italian style tuna would taste like.  The sandwich turned out to be quite delicious and a pleasant departure from my typical mayonnaise laden tuna sandwiches.  I inspected the inside of the sandwich and tried to pay close attention to the myriad of ingredients that I was tasting so that I could create a yeast free version when I returned home.  Fortunately, I was able to make a candida diet friendly version of the tuna salad and it is pretty tasty.  Since I am back to living yeast free the whole wheat baguette thing is of course off limits and so I just enjoyed the tuna salad on a bed of Romaine lettuce.   

Yeast Free Italian Style Tuna Salad Ingredients
2 – 5 ounce cans albacore tuna drained 
1/4 red bell pepper finely chopped
1/4 green pepper finely chopped
1/4 red onion finely chopped
1/2 rib celery finely chopped
1 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Yeast Free Italian Style Tuna Salad Directions
In a medium bowl combine all ingredients and mix together thoroughly
Serve over Romaine lettuce

I realize that it is extremely bad blogging etiquette to just stop posting, after posting quite regularly, for an entire week without even a heads up.  I do apologize for just abandoning ship last week but it was not at all intentional.   A nasty stomach virus rendered me completely useless from last Friday to Monday.   I tried to get up to write many times but was unable to sit up long enough to complete any one thought.  I really could not believe that I was sick for almost 4 whole days.  I tried to take it as a sign that my body needed rest but I was really just pissed off that all I could do was just lay around.  I was also angry because I felt like it was just completely bad timing, as I was supposed leave for my long awaited road trip.  My ex’s mother agreed back in January to watch my girls for 1 week during the summer so I could take a solo vacation.  My original plan to go to Aruba with my BFF Sandra got cancelled due to financial reasons but I figured I should still keep that week open to do something.  I decided that I was going to take a road trip although I had no idea where I wanted to go.  I eventually decided that I would venture up the East Coast to Massachusetts.  The plan was to leave really early on Monday morning, like 3:00 AM early, but I was still too sick.  I was beginning to think that there would be no trip at all but by Monday afternoon things were finally on the up-and-up.  I made the necessary adjustments and the revised plan was to leave on Tuesday at 3:00 AM.  Unfortunately, I woke up late and feared sitting in a lot of traffic so I waited until about 10:00  AM  to start my journey, thinking that the traffic would be a little lighter then.  The trip to Massachusetts is about 4 1/2 hours so I stopped at the library to borrow some CD’s before I got on highway to keep me entertained during the drive.  As I was leaving the library I got a call from a recruiter that I have been working with.  It was definitely good news and great timing, as one of the companies that they were targeting wanted to interview me today or tomorrow for an open position.  I explained that I was literrally on my way to Massachusetts and asked if they could please see me today so that I could then leave tomorrow.  So I got delayed again but for a very good reason.   I could not help but think that if I did not get sick I would have already left for my road trip and may have missed this job opportunity.  It never ceases to amaze me how things work out just perfectly sometimes.  I had an interview on Tuesday afternoon and found out Wednesday on my way to Massachusetts that I got the job.

I stayed in Danvers, Massachusetts which is about 6 miles from Salem.  My trip was short but sweet taking in the following attractions:

Peabody Essex Museum
John F. Kennedy Presedential Library and Museum
Salem Witch Museum
Necco Factory (Necco Wafers are my absolute favorite candy, but I swear I didn’t eat any.  I  just took a picture with the big Necco Wafer statue in front of the factory) 

I only stayed for two days but it was just the right balance of rest and fun.  Since this blog is about living yeast free the big question is was I able to take this trip and stay on the candida diet?  No, I didn’t stay on the diet during my trip.  I found it difficult being on the road so much and trying to find yeast free options.  I am sure that if I had made an effort I could have done it, but I didn’t so I won’t make excuses.  I have to say that after eating complete junk for two days I was very happy to get back home and return to eating yeast free.  Although short, I really did have great trip and it was exactly the change of scenery that I needed. 

This Week’s Candida Diet Menu – July 18, 2010

Sunday
Breakfast: 2 Boiled Eggs and 2 Rice Cakes
Lunch: Leftover Baked Chicken, Brown Rice and Beans
Dinner: Yeast Free Gluten Free Chicken Pot Pie and Spinach

Monday
Breakfast: Puffed Rice Cereal with Unsweetened Hemp Milk
Lunch:  Yeast Free Italian Style Tuna Salad Over Romaine Lettuce
Dinner: Yeast Free Spaghetti Squash and Yeast Free Cabbage Salad 

Tuesday
Breakfast: Oatmeal with One Packet of Sweet Leaf Stevia
Lunch: Turkey, Avocado and Tomato on Rice Cakes 
Dinner: Yeast Free Chicken Cacciatore and French Style String Beans

Wednesday
Breakfast: 2 Boiled Eggs and 2 Rice Cakes
Lunch: Yeast Free Taco Salad
Dinner: Yeast Free Chicken with Vegetable Soup and Yeast Free Cabbage Salad 

Thursday
Breakfast: Puffed Rice Cereal with Unsweetened Hemp Milk
Lunch: Yeast Free Egg Salad on Rice Cakes
Dinner: Yeast Free Ratatouille

Friday
Breakfast: Bowl Oatmeal with One Packet of Sweet Leaf Stevia
Lunch: Yeast Free Cucumber and Hummus on Yeast Free Gluten Free Tortilla
Dinner: Yeast Free Baked Salmon and Steamed Asparagus

Saturday
Breakfast: 2 Boiled Eggs and 2 Rice Cakes
Lunch: Yeast Free Cream of Broccoli Soup
Dinner: Yeast Free Crockpot Lamb Stew

Weekly Snacks and Beverages
Sage Valley Corn Tortillas Chips, Air Popped Popcorn, Cucumbers, Yeast Free Salsa, Yeast Free Hummus, Mineral Water, Green Tea

My recipes here on Yeast Free Living contain all vegetables allowed on the candida diet.  This includes those vegetables which most candida diet guidelines suggest should be eaten in moderation.  Although I have fared pretty well keeping these vegetables in my diet without exacerbating my candidiasis symptoms, I realize that some candida dieters may not be this lucky.   Consuming potatoes, carrots, corn and other high carbohydrate starchy vegetables can sometimes trigger the same candidiasis symptoms that consuming sugar would produce.  This often occurs because vegetables that contain high amounts of starch or carbohydrates contain large amounts of glucose units.  Our bodies quickly convert these glucose units into sugar and they are then absorbed into the bloodstream.  So in a roundabout way we are still feeding the candida when we consume these vegetables.  This is why it is important for many candida dieters, especially in the beginning of the diet, to stick with non-starchy low carbohydrate vegetables.  The following are several vegetables that are ideal for consuming on a yeast free diet, as they contain few carbohydrates can be eaten freely.

Artichokes
Asparagus
Avocado
Bell Peppers
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Celery
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Green Beans
Greens
Herbs
Radishes
Snow Peas
Spaghetti Squash
Tomatillos
Tomatoes
Zucchini

Deviled Eggs are always a big hit at gatherings and are very easy to make candida diet friendly.  Actually the only reason that most traditional deviled eggs are not okay for the candida diet is due the type of mayonnaise that most people use.  Most commercially available mayonnaise and salad dressings contain vinegar and/or sugar which is prohibited on the candida diet.  By making your own mayonnaise you avoid this problem.  Yeast free mayonnaise is the reason this recipe is possible.  Provided you have the right mayonnaise you can pretty much make your deviled eggs like you usually do.  Some recipes I found for deviled eggs do call for mustard but I have not figured out how to make candida diet friendly mustard yet so I just left it out.  The following is my very basic recipe for deviled eggs, but it is still sure to be a crowd-pleaser.   

Yeast Free Deviled Eggs Ingredients (Makes 6 servings)
6 hard-boiled eggs
1/4 cup yeast free mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
scallions finely chopped
sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
paprika

I hope that everyone had a great holiday weekend.  So I guess it is back to cooking today after using up all of the leftovers from our 4th of July barbecue yesterday.   Using leftovers is actually really important for the candida diet.  Since we have to cook nearly everything from scratch and convenient foods are few and far between, cooking large quantities of yeast free meals and freezing them helps you to stay on task.  I am glad that we had enough food left over so I didn’t have to cook anything yesterday because I was exhausted.  I started cooking on Saturday and then went to a barbecue Saturday afternoon with the girls.  We got home later than I would have liked to on Saturday night and then I started preparing for the beach.  Sunday morning we got up really early, not early enough as we still hit traffic and had trouble finding a park, and headed to the beach.  The beach was gorgeous and we had such a good time.  We headed home from the beach early afternoon because I had to get home and finish cooking.  We had our barbecue late Sunday afternoon and then it was off to our local fireworks display.   I basically passed out after putting the kids to sleep on Sunday night.  Yesterday was a blur mostly trying to clean the house and keep the kids entertained.  I was still really tired but I did take them to the park for a little while. 

It really was a terrific 4th of July weekend and it was honestly all yeast free.   I am entering my 3rd week of staying on task with the candida diet and I am feeling much better.  It of course has not been easy but each day I make it through it gives me more and more strength to say no to temptation.  The only thing that I really missed this weekend was alcohol.  I wanted a beer really bad at one point but I resisted and the craving eventually past.   So I guess I do have some willpower after all.  Have a great everyone! 

Candida Diet Menu for the week of July 4, 2010

Sunday
Breakfast: Bowl of puffed rice cereal with unsweetened soy milk and a packet of stevia
Lunch: Turkey, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich on Rice Cakes
Dinner: Yeast Free 4th of July Barbecue

Monday
Breakfast: Yeast Free 4th of July Barbecue Leftovers 
Lunch: Yeast Free 4th of July Barbecue Leftovers
Dinner: Yeast Free 4th of July Barbecue Leftovers

Tuesday
Breakfast: Bowl of Oatmeal with packet of stevia
Lunch: Salad with Creamy Herb Salad Dressing
Dinner: Yeast Free Hamburger Helper and String Beans

Wednesday
Breakfast: Puffed Rice Cereal with unsweetened soy milk and 1 packet of stevia
Lunch: Yeast Free Cabbage Salad with Yeast Free Creamy Herb Salad Dressing
Dinner: Yeast Free Chicken and Vegetable Soup and Salad with Creamy Herb Salad Dressing 

Thursday
Breakfast: Two boiled eggs with sea salt and ground black pepper and two rice cakes
Lunch: Turkey, avocado and tomato salad with creamy herb salad dressing
Dinner: Yeast Free Ratatouille with Brown Rice

Friday
Breakfast: Puffed Rice Cereal with unsweetened soy milk and 1 packet of stevia
Lunch: Yeast Free Cabbage Salad with Yeast Free Creamy Herb Salad Dressing
Dinner: Yeast Free Chicken Pot Pie and Steamed Broccoli

Saturday
Breakfast: Leftover Yeast Free Chicken Pot Pie
Lunch: Salad with Tuna and Creamy Herb Salad Dressing
Dinner: Easy Yeast Free Chicken Noodle Soup and Spinach

Weekly Snacks and Beverages
Sage Valley Corn Tortillas Chips, Air Popped Popcorn, Cucumbers, Yeast Free Salsa, Yeast Free Hummus, Mineral Water, Green Tea

What makes a good hamburger?  I was never really too picky about how I seasoned my hamburgers because any burger tastes good when topped with American cheese and ketchup and served on a potato roll.  It was not until I had to eat cheese-less, bun-less and sometimes ketchup-less burgers that I really cared about what they were seasoned with.  Unsure of what to season my hamburgers with one night, I grabbed a packet of Sazon Goya.  I had never used Sazon Goya in this capacity, as it was something that I used exclusively to create Spanish style rice and beans.  To my delight this was the one of the most serendiptous discoveries in my kitchen and my typically bland hamburgers were transformed into a delightful meal. 

I did not realize it then but Sazon Goya is not allowed on the candida diet.  I have to make a yeast free Sazon Goya and it is the key to these very simple yeast free burgers.  Well seasoned hamburgers can be a quick and tasty meal on the candida diet and are great to have on hand for barbecues.  I usually enjoy these on a plate without any toppings or between two rice cakes if I really want a the whole hamburger fee;.  There are lots of different seasonings you can use for your hamburgers while still remaining yeast free.  If this recipe does not suit your tastes do experiment with other seasonings until you create your perfect burger.   

Yeast Free Hamburgers Ingredients
1 pound of ground meat (I usually use turkey but and ground meat will work)
Yeast Free Sazon Goya
1 teaspoon onion powder

Yeast Free Hamburgers Directions
Preheat grill or broiler
Spray grill grate or broiler pan with non-stick cooking spray or cover with aluminum foil
Mix ground meat and seasoning together thoroughly
Divide meat into four equal parts, roll each into a ball and then flatten to form 4 patties
Place on grill grate or broiler pan and cook to desired tenderness

Sazon Goya is a a unique blend of spices commonly used in a variety of Spanish dishes.  I actually used to use it to make my Spanish style rice and beans.  One night I discovered that it was a terrific seasoning for hamburgers and have been found of this product ever since.  The thing is that Sazon Goya is not candida diet friendly.  The first ingredient listed is monosodium glutamate or MSG which is a preservative and flavor enhancer.  On a positive note I making your own yeast free Sazon Goya is not difficult.  The following barely qualifies as a recipe but hopefully will help if you are stumped on how to season something.  I purposely left out annatto because I used to purchase the variety without it.  If you like annatto you can add it to the mix. 
 
Yeast Free Sazon Goya Ingredients
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander

Yeast Free Sazon Goya Directions
Combine all ingredients in a spice jar or an airtight container
Mix all ingredients thoroughly
Store for later use

My family is from the South so potato salad is of course an extremely important dish at our family gatherings.  I have only attempted to make potato salad once before and it did not turn out so well.  This was many years ago when I first started cooking and I overcooked the eggs.  Trying to peel overcooked eggs is miserable and it is often very hard to take off every piece of the shell.  I missed quite a bit of egg shell and it ended up in my potato salad.  Crunchy potato salad it gross and really embarrassing.  I was so disappointed that I never made it again and just left that dish to some of my more experienced family members.  

Since I hosted a family barbecue this past 4th of July weekend and it has been over 6 years since the potato salad incident I felt that the time was right for me to try making potato salad again, yeast free of course.  It is yeast free mayonnaise that made this potato salad possible.  I did overcook the eggs again but I took the time to make sure that there was no egg shell left on the eggs.  The potato salad came out great, I conquered my fear of making it and it contains all candida diet friendly ingredients.  This yeast free potato salad should of course be enjoyed in moderation as potatoes are high in carbohydrates which feed candida.  
 
Yeast Free Potato Salad Ingredients (Makes 4 servings)
2.5 pounds potatoes, cooked until just tender, cooled and cubed
5 hard boiled eggs cooled, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 bunch scallions
1/2 cup yeast free mayonnaise
1/4 tsp dried mustard
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Yeast Free Potato Salad Directions
In large bowl combine potatoes, eggs, scallions
Stir in mayonnaise, mustard and sea salt and pepper to taste

Recipe inspired by Picnic Potato Salad Recipe by Diana Rattray from About.com:Southern Food.

Most of us know that hot dogs really are not that good for us.  The candida diet warns against consuming hot dogs due to the preservatives it contains, particularly sodium nitrate.  Most hot dogs contain sodium nitrates which some research suggests increases the risk of cancer.  So can we possibly find a hot dog that does not contain sodium nitrates or other icky stuff?  I have found such a hot dog and while I believe they are a little pricey Applegate Farms Uncured Hot Dogs are what I feed my family.  These hot dogs contain no nitrites and are gluten and casein free.  They are available in organic and non-organic and in beef, turkey and chicken varieties. Oh yeah and they taste pretty good too, but I do prefer the beef over the turkey and have never tried the chicken.  I am happy that I found these and can enjoy an occassional hot dog on the grill without cheating on the candida diet.  This does mean eating them without a bun but I don’t mind.  I have only found these at Whole Foods and the price ranges from $3.99 – $5.99.

Coleslaw is another one of those things that I enjoy when eating out but have never thought to make myself.  I had some pretty good slaw a few weeks ago on Father’s Day, when I was cheating on the candida diet.  The slaw was from our local BBQ restaurant, Cubbies and it came with my meal.  I don’t really think about slaw until I think about eating pork but I don’t eat pork much so the thought does not come up too often.   I will tell that if you happen to catch me at a BBQ place 99% or the time I will be ordering a pulled barbecue pork sandwich with my side of slaw. 

I am trying to be good this holiday weekend so traditional slaw is out.  I do however really have a taste for barbecue pork ribs this 4th of July weekend and thought that some yeast free coleslaw would be in order.  I found a really easy recipe for coleslaw on About.com:Southern Food and I immediately swung into action to make it candida diet friendly.  The slaw came out excellent and I am very excited about eating this with my ribs tomorrow.  I did use apple cider vinegar in this recipe which is tolerated by many on the candida diet, but if this is a concern for you simply substitute the apple cider vinegar with lemon juice.
Yeast Free Coleslaw Ingredients 
6 cups shredded cabbage
1 carrot, shredded
2/3 yeast free mayonnaise
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 packets sweet leaf stevia
1/4 teaspoon sea salt, or more to taste

Yeast Free Coleslaw Directions
Toss cabbage in a large bowl with the carrots
In a separate bowl, whisk together all remaining ingredients
Pour the mayonnaise mixture over the cabbage and carrots and mix thoroughly
Refrigerate before serving

Recipe adapted from Basic Coleslaw Recipe by Diane Rattray on About.com Southern Food