grain-free pizza crust
One 10-inch crust
Cauliflower pizza crust is all the rage, but for some reason we just can’t get into it. So while this recipe isn’t necessarily lower in calories than traditional dough, cassava flour doesn’t have the same inflammatory side effects as regular flour. This version hits the spot like no other grain-free pizza crust we’ve tried.
⅔ cup cassava flour, or more as needed
⅓ cup arrowroot powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg
2½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
⅓ cup water
Coconut flour, for rolling
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Combine the flour, arrowroot, salt, and onion and garlic powders in a medium bowl. Add the egg, oil, and water, then mix well until the mixture forms a ball. Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes. The ball should not be sticky. If it’s sticky, add a little more cassava flour.
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Sprinkle a sheet of parchment with coconut flour. Flatten the dough with your hands and use a rolling pin to roll out gently into a 10-inch circle. These flours contain no gluten and are not stretchy in nature, so working with the dough will be different from working with wheat flour.
note:
To make the pizza, preheat the oven to 425°F. Top the crust with your favorite pizza toppings and use the parchment to slide the pizza onto a baking sheet or pizza stone and bake for 11 minutes. If using a baking sheet, extend the cook time by 2 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden. The crust comes out better on a preheated pizza stone.
strawberry syrup
makes 1 cup
We drizzle this syrup on pancakes, waffles, ice cream, and so much more. Feel free to play around and substitute any fruit you like. Also, here’s a neat trick if you have a high-powered blender like a Vitamix: If you mix the ingredients in the blender and then let the mixture stand for 10 minutes, the syrup actually takes on the consistency of a jam that you can use as a spread. If you want to make this even lower in calories, use water and a pinch of stevia instead of the maple syrup.
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
¼ cup pure maple syrup
Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
homemade bone broth
makes 3 to 4 quarts
There are so many benefits to making your own broth, whether it be from poultry or meat bones or strictly from vegetables. When we started doing the AIP diet, we began drinking bone broth because it’s allergy free and not inflammatory. We like to live a zero waste/low cost lifestyle and making your own broth accomplishes both of those. Note: If you’re using beef bones, roast them in the oven at 350°F for 30 minutes before beginning.
3 pounds meaty bones of choice (from chicken parts, beef, lamb, pork, or nonoily fish)
4 cups vegetables of choice (½ onion, a few carrots, a few celery stalks, etc.)
1 tablespoon fresh herbs of choice (parsley, basil, etc.)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
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Place all the ingredients in a pressure cooker and add enough water to fill two-thirds full.
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Place the lid on the cooker and make sure the pressure knob is in the SEALING position. Using the display panel, select the MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK function, high pressure, and use the +/- buttons until the display reads 90 minutes.
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When the cooker beeps to let you know it’s finished, let it naturally come down from pressure, about 20 minutes.
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Open the lid of the cooker and strain the broth. Discard the bones and the vegetables. When the broth is completely cool, pour it into jars and store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
vegetable broth
makes 3 to 4 quarts
I use vegetable cuttings that I’d normally throw away to make my vegetable stock: the ends of carrots, celery, onions, tomatoes, bell pepper tops, etc. We store all the scraps in gallon freezer bags in the freezer, and once a week I toss them into my pressure cooker with some water. And since we’re always looking for ways to help the environment, after we make the vegetable broth, we use the spent vegetables for compost! Keep in mind, though, that there are a few vegetables that don’t taste as great in stocks, including leafy greens, broccoli, and cauliflower.
4 cups vegetable scraps (carrots, onions, celery, bell pepper tops, beet tops, sweet potato ends, etc.)
5 garlic cloves, crushed
1 dried bay leaf
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
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Place all the ingredients in a pressure cooker and add enough water to fill to two-thirds.
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Place the lid on the cooker and make sure the pressure knob is in the SEALING position. Using the display panel, select the MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK function, high pressure, and use the +/- buttons until the display reads 40 minutes.
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When the cooker beeps to let you know it’s finished, let it naturally come down from pressure, about 20 minutes.
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Open the lid of the cooker and strain the broth. Discard the vegetable scraps and the bay leaf. When the broth has cooled completely, pour it into jars and store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
homemade almond milk
makes 1½ quarts
When I started making healthy choices, I couldn’t re-create every meal at once. It was a gradual process. Once I mastered one thing, I went on to the next. Store-bought almond milk isn’t actually too expensive, but it was reading the list of ingredients one day that had me thinking I needed to make my own. Once I did, I realized just how easy it was. Almonds are expensive, so don’t throw away the pulp; use them for my Almond Pulp Pancakes (this page).
1 cup raw almonds
6 cups water
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Soak the almonds in 2 cups of the water for 8 hours or overnight. Rinse and drain the almonds.
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Add the almonds to a high-powered blender along with the remaining 4 cups water. Blend on high until there are no remaining chunks of almonds.
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Strain the almond milk through a nut milk bag or a piece of cheesecloth, ringing well. Store the almond milk in a glass container in the refrigerator and use within 5 to 7 days. Almond pulp goes rancid quickly so freeze for future use if keeping longer than 2 days.
tip:
The almond pulp can also be dehydrated in an oven set to 115°F for 4 to 8 hours.
variation
Vanilla Almond Milk: Add 4 dates and 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract to the mix when blending.
homemade mayonnaise
makes 2 cups
Ever wonder why store-bought mayonnaise lasts months in the fridge and your homemade version only keeps for seven days? Preservatives! Go preservative free and know exactly what you’re putting in your body. We go through a lot of mayo in our house (tuna fish, egg salad, dressings) so we have no trouble using it all up. If you want to make a little less mayo, just use less oil (to make 1 cup of mayo, use ½ cup oil; for ½ cup of mayo, use ¼ cup oil). And if you can’t wait for your egg to come to room temperature, you can run it under warm water.
1 cup avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, or light olive oil
1 egg, at room temperature
½ teaspoon dried minced onion
½ teaspoon sea salt
Juice of ½ lemon, or 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Place ¼ cup of the oil, the egg, onion, and salt in a wide-mouth mason jar. Use an immersion blender to blend while slowly adding the remaining ¾ cup oil. The slower the drizzle, the thicker the mayonnaise. Once it has emulsified, gently stir in the lemon juice with a spoon. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
homemade ketchup
makes 1 cup
In the last 100 years, Americans have gone from eating 20 teaspoons of sugar a year to 150 pounds of sugar annually. With the rise of fatty liver disease, it’s essential that we pay attention to the food labels on things we purchase. This is especially true for the foods we give to our children—childhood obesity and Type 2 diabetes are at all-time highs among our little ones. There are small but mighty changes you can make at home, including this ketchup. If you’re not up to making your own, however, there are several brands that have reduced sodium and sugar, made with whole-food ingredients. Just stay away from anything that contains high-fructose corn syrup!
1 cup organic tomato sauce
2 tablespoons organic raw honey
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 tablespoon organic tomato paste
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried minced onion
½ teaspoon sea salt
Place all the ingredients in a wide-mouth mason jar and blend with an immersion blender until combined. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
pressure cooker black beans
makes 3 pounds
As a base for several of my go-to recipes, I like to make a big batch of these and freeze what I don’t use for future use.
1 (16-ounce) package dried black beans
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Cover the beans with water and soak for 4 hours or overnight. Rinse and drain.
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Place the beans in the pressure cooker and barely cover with water.
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Place the lid on the cooker and make sure the pressure knob is in the SEALING position. Using the display panel, select the MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK function, high pressure, and use the +/- buttons until the display reads 12 minutes.
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When the cooker beeps to let you know it’s finished, let it naturally come down from pressure until the display reads LO:35.
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Open the lid and spoon out to use.
pressure cooker chickpeas
makes 3 pounds
A good source of protein, these are used in several of my go-to recipes.
1 (16-ounce) package dried chickpeas
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In a large bowl, cover the chickpeas with water and soak for 8 hours or overnight. Make sure to cover the beans with more water than you think they will need when hydrating. They’ll absorb quite a bit.
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Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add to a pressure cooker. Barely cover the beans with water; it’s okay if you see a few beans peeking out through the surface of the water.
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Place the lid on the cooker and make sure the pressure knob is in the SEALING position. Using the display panel, select the MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK function, high pressure, and use the +/- buttons until the display reads 25 minutes.
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When the cooker beeps to let you know it’s finished, let it naturally come down from pressure until the display reads LO:3. Switch the pressure knob from the SEALING to the VENTING position.
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Open the lid. You will notice that the chickpeas are covered in a white weblike substance; don’t be alarmed. Just rinse and drain them. They are ready to go in whatever recipe you’d like to use them in. They’re good for about 5 days in the refrigerator or they last for months in the freezer.
chipotle hummus
makes 2 cups
This is the best hummus ever. I was never really a fan of hummus—until I began making my own. Now it’s something I always keep on hand, along with crisp cucumbers, for snacking. I love to serve this dynamite hummus at parties, too. I always get asked for the recipe. It’s so good!
1 cup cooked chickpeas, homemade (this page) or canned, rinsed and drained
½ cup avocado oil
1 tablespoon tahini (optional)
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, or 2 if you like it spicy!
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Place all the ingredients in a food processor or a blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Serve with tortilla chips or fresh raw veggies.
veggie dip
makes 1 cup
Here’s a veggie dip made with avocado—you can’t get healthier than that! My kids love to build their own lunch trays. I lay out lots of raw veggies and some healthy deli meats, and they build their own plates using this dip as the dressing.
1 cup mashed ripe avocado
½ tablespoon fresh lime juice
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Serve with raw veggies. Consume within 48 hours.
cilantro jalapeño hummus
makes 2 cups
This hummus is incredible! It’s great served with raw veggies or tortilla chips, but even better on a tostada or in a taco. This is a perfect dip to bring to a potluck party as well.
1 cup cooked chickpeas, homemade (this page), or store-bought, rinsed and drained
½ cup avocado oil
1 tablespoon tahini (optional)
½ cup fresh cilantro, including stems, chopped
¼ cup diced jalapeño (ribs and seeds removed for less spice)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried minced onion
½ teaspoon sea salt
Place all the ingredients in a food processor or a blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Serve with tortilla chips or fresh raw veggies. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
taco seasoning
makes ¼ cup
Store-bought taco seasonings are full of things like “natural flavors,” which could be a hidden term for MSG and other preservatives. If you’re able, it is best to make your own taco seasoning. I developed this recipe with McCormicks Traditional Taco Seasoning in mind, and it won’t disappoint!
1½ tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons dried minced onion
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Combine all the ingredients in a mason jar and seal. The taco seasoning will keep for up to 6 months.