So, what DO you EAT?

Back in 2001 I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. Almost immediately after being diagnosed I started on a diet that basically cuts all grains and sugars. When explaining the diet to people, I often hear "So, what DO you EAT?" People, this post is for you! Keep in mind that my main dietary staples are: fruit, vegetables, yogurt, cheese, nuts and meat. These are some of my favorite recipes right now.

A major element of the diet is homemade yogurt:

creamy, delicious, thick and rich!

And it couldn't be easier: heat milk to scalding (180 deg). Cool to 100 deg. Scoop out a bit of scalded milk and mix it with a yogurt starter (1/2 cup of plain yogurt or freeze-dried option). Mix starter/yogurt combo back into scalded milk. Pour in yogurt maker and leave for 24 hours. Store bought milk is not fermented this long, as it really only takes 5-6 hours, but in order to kill off the unfriendly microorganisms but keep the good ones, it must be fermented at least 24 hours. Interesting, huh?

This is a common sight after 8pm at my house:

Orange crushy deliciousness and PB.

1 cup freshly squeezed OJ, 1/2 cup yogurt, 1 cup ice, 1/2 TBS vanilla extract. Blend. All you need now is a straw and a spoon for the PB.

If you're feeling snacky, you can also make some awesome salty chip substitutes:

butternut squash chips

Peel long neck portion of squash. Run through your food processor using the smallest slicing blade (mine is 2mm). Fry in vegetable or coconut oil 1-2 minutes until crispy and golden brown.

For breakfast:

almond flour waffles

I'll post the recipe later. Suffice to say that with sauteed peaches (butter, cinnamon, and honey) and hot honey mixed with cinnamon acting as syrup, you hardly miss real waffles!

If you want something crisp, salty and altogether interesting:

crispy oven-baked kale with parmesan

Tear kale into bite-sized pieces. Toss with a little olive oil. Bake in a single layer at 350 16-20 minutes on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and freshly grated parmesan. A cross between chips and crunchy nori. Oh my.

I tried this new recipe just this week:

Tacos! In a cheese shell!

Yep folks, that's a slice of provolone cheese, baked until crispy and then draped with paper towels over a broom handle (giving it the characteristic shell shape). Filled with meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato, avocado--taco perfection!