butter – F.I.G.H.T for your health!

CELERY ROOT PUREE & FILET MIGNON AND SPINACH recipes

Linda — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:14:20 +0000

Linda’s comments: This recipe is AWESOME…enjoy.

FOR CELERY ROOT PUREE:

- 2 tablespoons unsalted organic butter, cut into chunks
- 2 pounds organic celery root (about 1 large), peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
- 2 cups organic whole milk
- 1 cup organic heavy cream
- 1 large organic shallot
- 1 teaspoon sea salt

FOR FILET MIGNON AND SPINACH:

- 1/4 cup whole peppercorns
- sea salt
- 4 (6-ounce) organic filet mignon steaks, each at least 1 1/2-inches thick
- 2 tablespoons organic olive oil
- 3 cups organic baby spinach leaves

FOR SAUCE:

- 2 teaspoons organic olive oil
- 1 organic shallot, finely chopped
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 large fresh organic thyme sprig
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) organic unsalted butter

Directions

To make the celery root puree: Melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery root, milk, cream, shallots, and salt. Simmer very gently, uncovered, until the celery root is tender enough to mash with a spoon, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the celery root to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, adding enough of the cooking liquid to thin the puree to the desired consistency.

To prepare the steaks and spinach: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coarsely crush the peppercorns with a mortar and pestle. Transfer the crushed peppercorns to a sieve and sift the pepper into a bowl to remove any finely ground pieces of pepper; reserve the fine pepper for another . Sprinkle the coarse pepper grinds over a plate. Sprinkle the steaks with salt then set the steaks atop the pepper and press, coating both sides and flattening the steaks slightly.

Heat a large ovenproof sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil then add the steaks. Cook until the steaks are caramelized and golden brown on both sides and around the perimeter, about 5 minutes. Transfer the pan to the oven and continue cooking the steaks to desired doneness, about 4 minutes for medium-rare doneness. Transfer the steaks to a plate to rest for 5 minutes.

Add the spinach to the same sauté pan and cook just until the spinach wilts, about 1 minute. Divide the spinach among 4 plates.

To make the sauce: Heat the oil in the same sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and sauté until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the red wine and thyme and simmer until reduced by half. Return the steaks to the pan and baste the steaks with the sauce. Set the steaks atop the spinach on each plate. Stir the butter into the sauce to blend.

Spoon the celery root puree alongside the steaks and spinach. Spoon the sauce over the steaks and serve.

Apple Raisin Tart (GLUTEN FREE) yummmmmy

Linda — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 06:30:12 +0000

Linda’s comment: Every time I talk about being gluten free, I feel the groans and moans coming through my computer. For those with a sweet tooth this recipe is yummmmmy. It is not always possible to buy organic, but when you can DO IT!! I will find from pasta gluten free recipes to try. Many I have made myself, but I will search the Internet and see what is out there. You can also google gluten-free recipes and if you find a good one send it to me and I will post it.

Sometimes it is hard when we are so sick, but that can also be a lift for you. Plus, your family won’t think they have lost their mom’s good cooking.

Angel Huggzz

Linda

Apple Raisin Tart (GLUTEN FREE) yummmmmy

Fresh apples and raisins with a pecan crumble topping.

Ingredients:

1 Pre-made Ggluten Free pie crust

FILLING
6 Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup toasted, chopped pecans
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp rice flour
2 tsp.gluten-free vanilla
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon

TOPPING
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup rice flour
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 cup cold butter, cut in small pieces

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Roll out one Pie Crust and press into sides and bottom of a 9 or 10-inch spring form pan. Chill 10 minutes then bake 10 minutes. Cool slightly.

Combine and mix all the filling ingredients together in a bowl. In a separate bowl mix and combine the topping ingredients until crumbly.

Spoon filling mixture (and its liquids) into tart shell. Sprinkle with the topping mixture. Set pan on baking sheet and bake 40-50 minutes or until top is lightly browned and apples are soft.

Remove and serve warm. Serves 8

Chicken’Turkey Pot Pie

Linda — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 03:30:25 +0000

Ingredients:

1 pound chicken/turkey, cut into bite-size pieces (Organic)

a double pie crust

1 tablespoon coconut oil

2 cups chopped vegetables, like celery, carrots, and onions, green beans (Organic)

spices, like salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, parsley (fresh if you can)

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup flour (can use gluten free flour)

3/4 cups chicken broth (organic)

1 cup milk (organic)

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Saute the vegetables until they are soft, stirring constantly. Add the spices to your veggies while sauteing. Remove the sauteed vegetables from the heat when they are soft.

In a saucepan, melt the butter and stir in the flour. Now add the chicken.turkey broth and the milk, and cook this over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens.
Stir in the vegetables and chicken, and then pour everything into the pie crust.

Cover the pie with the top crust, seal the edges together, and cut some slits in the top so that steam can escape while the pot pie cooks. Cook it at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown. I sometimes brush melted butter on the top crust a few times before removing from oven. Let Stand for 5 minutes.

Recipe: Eggplant Canneloni

Linda — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:25:16 +0000

This is a gourmet recipe, a compliment from the Tree of Life Café. Enjoy!

Cannelloni:
1 large globe eggplant
½ C olive oil
Thyme or Italian seasoning
Himalayan or Celtic salt

Peel eggplants and slice very thin in a length-wise direction creating large sheets you will use for rolling. Salt eggplants and let sit for an hour. Press liquid out of eggplants. They will release a lot of water. Marinate eggplants overnight in olive oil and herbs.

Filling for cannelloni:
Lay fresh spinach or basil leaves over the eggplant. Use the following seed cheese recipe. Place a little cheeze over the fresh leaves on the bottom half of the marinated eggplant. Lay 4 julienne bell pepper strips red clover and sunflower sprouts on the top of the cheeze sticking out of the ends. Roll and serve or dehydrate for a few hours and serve.

Brazil Nut, Olive and Herb Cheeze:
2 C sunflower
2 C brazil
½ C olive oil
½ C lemon juice
1 T black pepper
¼ t hing
½ C oregano, fresh or dill fresh
¼ C thyme, dry or Italian seasoning
1 t Himalayan salt
2 C olives, kalamatta

Process nuts and seeds to a butter or as much as possible. Add olive oil, lemon, blessed water, hing, black pepper, salt and dried herbs. Process to a creamy consistency. Put into a bowl and mix in olives and herbs by hand.

Recipe, photo and plating by Timothy Casey

Almonds May Boost Immune Function, Reduce Inflammation

Linda — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:17:09 +0000

Linda’s comment: FINALLY, they are acknowledging that Almonds may boost your immune function and reduce inflammation. The alternative arena has known this for years. Almond milk is delicious. Buddy Butter, which is an Almond butter that tastes like Jiff peanut butter.

From Reuters Health Information http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/703037

By Megan Rauscher

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) May 19 – Almonds have the potential to boost immune health and reduce inflammation, according to research reported Tuesday at the 109th annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in Philadelphia.

Almonds, study presenter Dr. Giuseppina Mandalari told Reuters Health, may have a “helpful impact on the treatment of infective and chronic diseases. Almond skins can modulate the complex cytokine network during an immunological response and positively act as novel antiviral agents.”

Dr. Mandalari, from the Institute of Food Research, Norwich, UK, and colleagues evaluated the effects of natural and blanched almond skins on the release of cytokines in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) either infected or not infected with herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2).

The study was funded by the Almond Board of California.

The addition of natural almond skins to PBMC resulted in a “significant decrease in HSV-2 replication, whereas other extracts did not significantly influence the replication of the virus,” they report in a meeting abstract.

Almond skins also boosted production of several pro-inflammatory cytokines including interferon (IFN)-alpha, IFN-gamma, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, and interleukin-12 (IL-12). Moreover, IL-10 and IL-4, representative of Th2 responses, were also detected.

“It is well known that efficient elimination of a viral infection requires a pro-inflammatory host response and the development of type 1 immunity, characterized by activation of mononuclear cells and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, the scientists explain.

“Our data suggest that almond skins may improve the immune surveillance of PBMC towards viral infection, both by triggering the Th1 and stimulating Th2 subset. This could represent a new strategy towards the Th1/Th2 balance,” they conclude.

“If the study can be repeated in humans, it offers promise for preventing chronic inflammation and boosting immune function,” Dr. Mandalari said.