Yeast Free Living

My eldest daughter is not an eggplant fan so I was reluctant to try this recipe.  She despises my beloved Yeast Free Ratatouille and is extremely vocal about her disgust every time I make it.  Her outright protest has started to effect her little sister who at one point would devour my ratatouille.  She now tells me it is gross which is a verbatim statement that her sister uses to describe the dish. 

I however love eggplant and enjoy finding new ways to cook it.  This Yeast Free Fusilli with Eggplant and Tomatoes recipes was inspired by another recipe find on the back of a Ronzoni Healthy Harvest pasta box many years ago.   I have been meaning to try this recipe for a long time but never got around to it but I finally got a chance to try it last weekend.  I was expecting some push back from my children but to my surprise they both devoured this dish, eggplant and all.   I am thrilled that I have finally discovered a way to cook eggplant for dinner that I won’t have to end up eating all by myself.   This is an extremely easy recipe to execute and would make for an extremely easy week night meal. 

Yeast Free Fusilli with Eggplant and Tomatoes Ingredients
1 package (16 ounces) Brown Rice Pasta Fusilli
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 baby eggplant, diced (or 1/2 average size eggplant)
2/3 cup unsweetened vegetable or chicken stock (I use Trader Joe’s Brand)
1 1/2 cups canned diced tomatoes (look for brands without citric acid.  I use Pomi Chopped)
1/2 cup tomato sauce (look for brands without citric acid.  I use Pomi Strained)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Yeast Free Fusilli with Eggplant and Tomatoes Directions
Cook pasta according to package directions.
In large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
Add onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add eggplant and saute 2 to 3 minutes longer.
Stir in stock and cook until eggplant is tender.
Stir in tomatoes and simmer until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Toss cooked pasta with eggplant mixture and basil.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Recipe adapted from Ronzoni Rotini with Eggplant, Tomatoes and Ricotta recipe

Yeast Free Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken Ingredients
1 and 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
15 ounces diced tomatoes (without citric acid or other preservatives, I use Pomi Chopped)
1 can black beans
1 – 10 ounce package frozen corn
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
15 ounces unsweetened chicken broth
3 scallions chopped
1 jalapeno pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cumin
cayenne pepper (1/4 teaspoon = mild; 1/2 teaspoon = medium; 1 teaspoon = hot)
sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Yeast Free Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken Directions
Combine chicken broth, beans, cor, tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, jalapeno pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin cayenne pepper and salt
Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and lay on top
Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours
Half hour before serving remove chicken and shred
Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in

Recipe from Gina’s Skinny Recipes Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken

We eat a lot of ground turkey meat in my house.   I usually keep some on hand to make hamburgers for a quick lunch or dinner meal or I use it in some of my other recipes.  This gets boring after a while and you begin to think of ground turkey meat as blah.   For a long time I have had the sneaking suspicion that my ground turkey meat could be used more creatively in my kitchen than I had been using it.  Last week while searching for recipes to try for Thanksgiving I was lucky enough to stumble across a Beef Picadillo Recipe on Gina’s Skinny Recipes and finally found a recipe that I knew would help my ground turkey meat live up to its hidden potential.

Gina’s site is terrific and I am currently trying several of her recipes.  This Yeast Free Turkey Picadillo was very easy to make yeast free as most of the ingredients Gina used were already okay for the candida diet.  The key to keeping this one yeast free is to use unsweetened no citric acid tomato sauce and olives that do not contain vinegar or other additives.  I was lucky enough to find fresh green olives in my local farmer’s market but Whole Foods sells its own 365 brand of canned olives that do not contain vinegar.   This was such a great meal.  I served it over brown rice.  If you are looking for a great way to use that pack of ground meat currently sitting in the freezer this is a terrific recipe to try.   

Yeast Free Turkey Picadillo Directions
Season ground meat with sea salt and ground black pepper
In a large skillet brown ground meat  
When meat is no longer pink drain grease from the pan
While meat is cooking chop onion, garlic, green pepper, tomato, cilantro and olives
Return meat to pan and add all ingredients to pan, mix all ingredients together
Cook on low heat for about 15 – 20 minutes
Remove bay leaves and discard

I am sorry there is no picture of these rolls.  I honestly forgot to snap one before we ate them all.  I was very skeptical when I first saw this recipe in The Candida Control Cookbook by Gail Burton.  I have had a lot of trouble with bread and roll recipes as most of the yeast free ones that I have tried have come out really gross.  Despite my reservations I was stilling hoping to find a roll that I could enjoy so I attempted this recipe and I am very thankful that I did.  I don’t make these rolls often but they are very easy to throw together.  You can even freeze them and reheat as needed.  I was just happy to have this recipe for Thanksgiving.  It was really nice to having a roll on my plate next to my turkey. 

Yeast Free Sesame Rolls Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter (will clarify during process)
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 and 3/4 cup cups brown rice flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2/3 cup yeast free milk (Use soy, almond, hemp or lactose free)
2 large eggs

Yeast Free Sesame Rolls Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
Melt butter in a small skillet 
Skim white residue from melted butter and disgard to clarify
Add sesame seeds to skillet and saute seeds until lightly browned
Cool and set aside 
In a large bowl combine dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and sea salt)
Mix thoroughly and then add milk
Separate eggs placing egg yolks in one bowl and egg whites in another
Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into the flour mix
Lightly beat egg yolks and set aside
Combine all ingredients using hands to form dough
Roll dough into 3 inch balls and flatten
Dip each roll into yolk and then sesame seeds
Place rolls on non stick baking pan or spray baking pan with cooking spray
Bake approximately 15 minutes

Recipe from The Candida Control Cookbook: What You Should Know and What You Should Eat to Manage Yeast Infections (New Revised & Updated Edition)

A trip to Trader Joe’s a few weeks back inspired me to make these yeast free French Fried Onions.  Trader Joe’s has a counter where they encourage customers to sample their products and they were serving these onions on top of their version of traditional green bean casserole.  I was a little intimidated at the thought of making these because my previous attempt to fry onions to make yeast free onion rings had failed miserably.  Fortunately, I found a great recipe for homemade French Fried Onions  that was easy to follow and the results were incredible.   I could not stop eating these as I was frying them late last night.  I was kind of awe as I pulled each and every onion out of the fryer.   It never dawned on me that I could make my own French Fried Onions as the cans seemed to be such prominent fixtures in the Supermarket during the holiday season and I just assumed this was something that would be too tedious to recreate.  Believe it or not these were really easy to throw together.  I must warn though that for good results these do require patience.  Coating each onion with the flour mixure and waiting for the onions to brown takes patience and certainly requires more effort than just picking up a can but most good things do.  I am anxious to use these today to make my yeast free green bean casserole. 

Yeast Free French Fried Onions Ingredients
3 large onions, sliced into thin rings 
1 and 1/2  cups yeast free milk (I used lactose free milk)
1 egg
1 and 1/2 cups yeast free gluten free flour mix  
sea salt
canola oil

Yeast Free French Fried Onions Directions
In a large bowl mix egg in milk
Soak the onions in the milk-egg mixture for 5 minutes
Heat oil in a large skillet or deep fryer
Mix flour and sea salt in a bowl  
Take a handful of onions and run them through the flour with a fork to coat
Fry in batches in the oil, stirring as needed to brown evenly
Drain on paper towels
Store in an air-tight container

French Fried Onions Recipeby GinnyP on Food.com