A Week of Nourishing Gratitude

As I get older, I notice that there are many holiday traditions that I want to start sharing with my finance Anthony. After over a month of a crazy 7-day work schedule Thanksgiving week I had off Wednesday-Sunday; I haven't had a full day off in over a month and I was determined to make it fun week full of great food, the company of those I love and starting new traditions.

Now as with all holiday weeks you probably think of over indulging in comfort food that's terrible for you. Being I had a very severe wheat exposure attack recently, I knew I wanted to stay strict on Body Ecology but still enjoy myself to the fullest. I made it a point to get in the kitchen this week and make some amazing meals that not only tasted great, but are actually good for you. Here are some of my favorite meals from this week:

Shirataki Noodle with Shallots and garlic with a side of kale and roasted Brussels Sprouts.

Rainbow Vegetable Soup with Egg Yolks (to set the yolks, heat up the soup, transfer to a bowl, gently place egg yolks in the soup and cover the bowl for 5 minutes with tin foil). 

Herbs de Provence Cod with roasted Brussels Sprouts.

Quinoa Crust Pizza topped with acorn squash puree, arugula, and red onions (crust recipe can be found HERE, I used half red quinoa and half white); side salad of radishes, red onion, and cucumber with a tumeric/dulse/basil dressing.

I also did a lot of baking to have desserts on hand for Thanksgiving Day. I was really excited to tweak my chocolate chip cookie recipe as well as experiment (with much success) with a pumpkin cookie recipe. Here is a picture of my dessert array:

All of these desserts are Body Ecology Friendly! Pumpkin Cookies, Quinoa Flake Brownies, and Quinoa Flake Chocolate Chip Cookies.

My all-time favorite experiment this week was making Body Ecology friendly Pumpkin Pancakes for  breakfast on Thanksgiving morning. It's been over 6 months since I've had pancakes; since flour products are to be used sparingly on BED, I knew I wanted to make these from a grain base and I was super excited/surprised with how well these turned out.

They were light, fluffy, and oh so yummy in my tummy this morning! I ate my pancakes with a side of Rainbow Vegetable Soup (recipe will follow in a future post). It was the best breakfast I've made in months! Here is the recipe:

Body Ecology Pumpkin Pancakes (Gluten Free, Flour Free, Egg Free, Casein/Lactose Free)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup White Quinoa soaked for at least 8 hours

1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar (raw, with the mother)

1/2 cup Organic Pumpkin Puree

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (Alcohol Free)

1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 teaspoon Organic Pure Stevia Powder (no fillers, i.e. maltodextrin, rice, etc.. Trader Joe's has a great one)

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

2 Tablespoons Melted Ghee

Putting It Together:

1. Drain and thoroughly rinse the soaked quinoa. Place into food processor with the vinegar and blend until it forms a pancake-like dough.

2. Add Pumpkin Puree, Vanilla Extract, Pumpkin Pie Spice, Stevia, and Baking Powder. Blend well.

3. Add melted Ghee and blend till combined well.

4. Cook pancakes as desired. I used pancake molds to make hearts and flowers. I cooked my pancakes over medium heat in a little bit of ghee. Bubbles will form like regular pancakes however the middles take slightly longer to cook (about 2-3 minutes per side)

I hope you all had a blessed and peaceful Thanksgiving surrounded by those you love. Anthony and I will be cooking our own small Thanksgiving feast Friday and my next post will include all of our dishes. Enjoy the rest of your night and thank you for stopping by.

Let peace fill your heart and laughter fill your soul. 

Love, Light, and Joy to each and every one of you. 

~Catherine