Tomato Passata Replacement (AIP-Friendly)

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Gluten Free, Healthy Sauce, Nightshade Free, Nomato Sauce, Paleo, Sauces, Tinned Tomato Alternative, Tomato Free

(Image by TSL)

I generally avoid temptation unless I can’t resist it. (Mae West)

A while back, I wrote a wee piece on Autoimmunity and the Removal of Nightshades from Your Diet. I’m still ‘officially’ off nightshades. I use the inverted commas because I’ve discovered that white potatoes – in moderation, at least – seem to be ok for me; and, because I’m pretty sure I’ve inadvertently had the odd nightshade when I’ve been out for a meal.

Nightshades are pretty ubiquitous and most people have no idea what they actually are.

I’m not game to ‘officially’ reintroduce nightshades for two reasons. The first is that Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) sufferers (that’s me!) tend to be particularly sensitive to them; and second, a fellow HS comrade-in-arms recently suggested to me that, when it comes to nightshades, “the dose makes the poison”. So, I’m limiting my nightshade consumption to when I’m not so in control of the ingredients in recipes.

But I miss them. Tomatoes, in particular.

In my past life, I was a lover of ratatouille. In my opinion, the perfect veggie accompaniment. But full of eggplant, capsicum and tomatoes… ALL nightshades.

And, my go-to BEST EVER Ragu Bolognese, like most good Italian meat sauces, has a generous helping of tomatoes. I used to always have a stash of portion-sized ragu in my freezer. The perfect last-minute meal stand-by… But, since going nightshade-free that is no longer an option.

(Image by TSL)

At home, I make a large batch of tomato sauce and freeze it in meal-size portions in freezer bags. (Joe Bastianich)

Well, I’ve decided that I won’t be held prisoner to my tomato-free existence any more. I want to have ragu back in my freezer again – for those nights I just can’t face cooking.

So today, I bring you my tomato passata replacement. This is the jar of goodness that you use when a recipe calls for tinned tomatoes. It’s 100% AIP-friendly. It tastes good and it’s good for you.

This recipe makes a generous amount of passata replacement. One of the biggest challenges on the autoimmune protocol is the need to plan ahead – so, with this recipe, you’ll have extra left over that you can pop into your freezer for the next time a recipe calls for tomatoes, passata or otherwise.

And, it works beautifully with my revised AIP-Friendly, You Won’t Believe Its Tomato-Free Ragu Bolognese.

This baby is made with roasted beetroot and pumpkin. The roasting really brings out the flavour of the vegetables. And, then we add fresh herbs to make the whole thing sing…

Tomato Passata Alternative (AIP Friendly

• Servings: 2 - 4
• Time: 90 minutes minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients:

500g x beetroot (about 3 generous-sized beets)
500g x pumpkin (about 1/3 medium-sized pumpkin)
1 x onion
2 x Tablespoons fat + extra for drizzling (I used coconut oil)
1 x generous handful flat leaf parsley
1 x generous handful fresh basil
2 x cloves garlic
500mls x water
Salt

Method:

1. Heat your oven to 180°C/350°F.

2. Slice off any beetroot leaves and give the beets a good scrub under water with a brush. Wrap them individually in foil. Pop into a roasting dish.

3. Slice the pumpkin into two. Drizzle with a little fat. Add to the roasting dish.

4. Roast until cooked – about 60 minutes. I check every 20 minutes and test with a sharp knife.

5. Let the beetroot and pumpkin cool on the bench. Once cool enough to handle, peel the beets (I use plastic gloves to prevent my hands from staining) and remove the pumpkin skin.

6. Peel and finely dice your onion. In a large-ish pot, heat your fat over a medium-low flame. Add the onion and sauté gently until translucent.

7. While the onion is cooking, pop your beetroot, pumpkin, parsley, basil and garlic into the bowl of your food processor. Blend thoroughly until smooth.

8. Add your pureed vegetables to the sautéed onions. Stir.

9. Add water and stir until smooth. Turn down the heat and allow to simmer for 10 – 15 minutes.

10. Check for seasoning and salt to your taste.

E N J O Y !

This recipe features in the Phoenix Helix Recipe Roundtable

 

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Why Bone Broth is the Bomb…

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Bone Broth, Broth, Dairy Free, food, Kitchen basics, Nutrition, Paleo, Sauces, Soup, Stock

(Image by TSL)

It’s not art. It’s not haute cuisine. It’s not the latest new and groovy Sydney restaurant. It’s not even very sexy. But it is my biggest food obsession…

It’s no secret that LM and I have undergone a massive paradigm shift in the last couple of years with the way we eat. The discovery of a combined shellfish/dairy allergy for LM and – in amongst other health ‘stuff’ – a sensitivity to gluten for me, means life at Casa TSL is no longer quite the same. Poor old LM has well and truly divorced Adriano Zumbo. My favourite Sonoma sourdough looks like it may well be permanently off the menu. <sigh>. And, at the time of writing, we are entering our eighth week of the Autoimmune Protocol.

I have undertaken a lot of reading about different approaches to food, and its effects on the body, in an attempt to work out what might work best for LM and me. And, we have experimented a little, too. This has led to a growing understanding and appreciation of more traditional eating – the way our great grandmothers ate. And, by this I mean: –

Locally

Seasonally

LOTS of fresh vegetables

A nose-to-tail approach (for reasons of health, sustainability and budget)

Cutting out highly refined, processed and artificial food

A nutrient-rich diet (including lacto-fermented foods)

And, one of our biggest steps towards a more traditional diet was when I started making bone broth. Regularly. As in at least every other week.

You looking’ at me…?
(Image from here)

So, what exactly is bone broth?

Bone Broth is typically made with different varieties of bones from the same animal – like pasture raised-beef, -lamb, -chicken, and fish – and may have a small amount of meat still attached to the bones. The wider the variety of bones – knuckles and feet give lots of gelatine; marrow bones give great flavour and added nutrients; ribs and neck add flavour – the better. As with the preparation of a good stock, bones are usually roasted first to improve flavour.

Bone broths are typically simmered for a very long – as long as 72 hours, in some cases. This long, slow cooking time is to allow as many minerals and nutrients as possible to be removed from the bones.

Why bone broths are good for you

Bone broths are hugely rich in nutrients – particularly minerals like sodium, chloride, and iodine as well as magnesium, potassium and other important trace minerals.They are also a good source of amino acids – particularly arginine, glycine and proline. Glycine supports our bodies’ detoxification process and is used in the synthesis of haemoglobin (oxygen-carrying within the blood), bile salts and other naturally-occurring chemicals within the body. Glycine also supports digestion and the release of gastric acids. Proline (along with vitamin C) is great for our skin health. Bone broths are also rich in gelatine which has multiple uses – it aids in digestion, helps in the absorption of cooked foods (particularly the muscle meat cuts that are so popular now), and also supports skin health.

Bone broth made from chickens helps alleviate the symptoms of colds and flu. There’s a reason chicken soup is an old Jewish tradition!

Why can’t I just buy ready-made stock from the supermarket?

Well, you can. You just shouldn’t. For a start, they won’t taste nearly as good as your home-made version. And, they’re expensive. And, if that’s not enough, commercial stocks are often pasteurised – killing off all the goodness you get from your long slow simmer, and they have additives and preservatives that you just won’t put in yours.

(Image by TSL)

What Can I do With my Bone Broth?

Well, the simplest answer is: drink it! Just heat to a simmer in a small pot, add a little good quality sea salt, and sip away. It’s great before or with meals and helps with digestion. You can also enhance the flavour by adding freshly grated ginger, fresh herbs, or even (if the thought is not too way out for you) throw in some sea vegetables.

Of course, bone broth is a great flavour base for soups and sauces. A simple soup can easily be created just by adding vegetables. For sauces, just add a little broth to the pan as you are cooking various meats.

We’re now cooking lots of braises in bone broth. You can see from my recent Osso Buco recipe that secondary cuts of meat not only taste amazing, they’re cheaper, too!

I also cook veggies with broth, too. Leafy greens, cabbage and fennel are great braised in broth. Adding broth to a root vegetable mash is a good alternative to dairy.

Can you tell that I’m a little passionate about bone broth? Well, here’s my very easy recipe…

TSL's EASY Bone Broth

• Servings: approximately 3 litres (depending on the amount of bones)
• Time: 12 - 72 hours
• Difficulty: easy peasy
• Print

(Image by TSL)

Ingredients

1.5 – 2 kilos bones from happy, hormone free animals (a mixture of bones from different parts of the animal is good. I save the bones and carcasses from my roast chickens)
a couple of chicken feet (optional – will ensure your broth has a good gelatin level)
a good glug of apple cider vinegar (lemon juice also works)
2 or 3 onions
2 or 3 carrots
2 or 3 sticks of celery
2 bay leaves
10 black peppercorns
A bunch of parsley stalks

You will also need a large stock pot.

Method

1) If making beef or lamb bone broth, heat your oven to 180°C/360°F. Pop your meatier bones into a roasting dish and roast until well browned (about 30 – 45 minutes). Place your knuckle and marrow bones into your stock pot. Add your apple cider vinegar and cover with cold water. Now, just let this sit while your meaty bones brown. When your bones are nicely browned, add these to the pot, along with your onions, carrots, celery (and chicken feet, if using). Make sure you deglaze your roasting dish and get all the good bits out of the bottom to add to the stock pot. Ensure your cold water just covered your bones. Top up if necessary. Note: if using leftover chicken carcasses and bones, there is no need to roast the bones.

2) Bring your stock pot to a boil. Carefully skim off any scum that rises to the top. Reduce the heat to low and add your peppercorns, parsley stalks and bay leaves.

3) Now just leave it. Let it simmer for 12 – 72 hours (I simmer chicken bones for 24 – 36 hours and beef bones for 48 – 72 hours).

4) When you have finished simmering your bones, turn off the heat. Carefully remove your bones and vegetables (these can now be discarded). Place a sieve covered with cheesecloth or a clean tea towel over a large bowl. Strain your bone broth. Cool in the fridge.

5) Once cooled, there will be a layer of congealed fat that has risen to the top of your bone broth. This is easily removed (and can be saved for cooking if you’re feeling adventurous!)

6) Transfer your broth into smaller containers for freezing. Your broth will keep up to a week in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer.

E N J O Y !

If you’re worried about leaving your stove-top on for that length of time, or you just don’t have the time, the Nourished Kitchen has a great recipe for Perpetual Soup (chicken bone broth) she has going in her slow cooker.

The Best ‘Knock Their Socks Off’ Salsa Verde

Tags

Accompaniments, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Grüne Soße, green sauce, Healthy Recipes, Herbs, Kurt Cobain, Paleo, Salsa Verde, sauce verte, Sauces, Sides, The Best Salsa Verde Recipe, vegetarian

TSL’s ‘Knock Their Socks Off’ Salsa Verde
(Image by TSL)

I won’t eat anything green. (Kurt Cobain)

This post is not for Kurt Cobain.

You know how sometimes you hit the jack-pot and find a recipe that just works? One that you keep going back to, because every time you make it, someone asks you to write the recipe down for them? THIS is one of those recipes.

The Italian Salsa Verde, a.k.a ‘green sauce’, is actually the name of several different sauces containing mainly herbs. The French call it sauce verte, the Spanish salsa verde and the German Grüne Soße or Frankfurter Grie Soß.

Whatever you choose to call it, this recipe totally rocks. And, its versatile. Serve it over grilled beef? – check. Lamb? – yep. Chicken? – definitely. Tuna – duh. Eggs? – yum. Potatoes? – how very German of you! Roasted veggies? – sublime. Almost anything, really. Well – maybe not ice cream!

The real beauty of this recipe is that you throw everything together – herbs and all. It’s not an exact science. If you don’t have quite enough basil, sub in a bit more mint…

TSL’s ‘Knock Their Socks Off’ Salsa Verde
(Image by TSL)

And, one other thing. Full disclosure – this recipe has anchovies. Me, I love anchovies. But, my sister is the anti-anchovy girl. She can smell an anchovy at 60 paces. And, even she has given this salsa verde her tick of approval*.

So, what’s in it?

Knock Their Socks Off Salsa Verde

• Time: 20 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

(Image by TSL)

Ingredients

2 cloves of garlic, peeled
a handful of capers
a handful of cornichons
6 x anchovy fillets
1 x large bunch (about a couple of big handfuls) flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked
1 x medium bunch (about a decent handful) of fresh basil, leaves picked
1/2 a bunch (about a handful) of fresh mint, leaves picked
1 x tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 x tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 – 7 x tablespoons best quality extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Method

First up, unless the herbs are picked fresh from your pesticide-free garden, wash the them thoroughly to get rid of any nasties. I find my salad spinner works well to dry them. Alternatively, gently dry between a couple of sheets of paper towels.

Finely chop the herbs and place them into a bowl. Chop the garlic, capers, gherkins, anchovies and add them to the herbs. Add the mustard and vinegar, stir and then a few tablespoons of olive oil and check the taste. Add a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper, a pinch of good salt and a little more vinegar, if needed.

* to be fair, I should let you know that when I made this for my sister, I used the Grace Kelly of anchovies. Ortiz anchovies. Not exactly the cheapest anchovy option.