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Helping people Make Healthier Choices about real-food choices for optimal heath.

Recipes

How to Roll Out and Flute a One-Crust Pie

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There is a bit of an art to getting a pie crust to do what you want and to make it look good. This video shows how to roll out a pie crust, a trick for getting it into the pie plate and how to flute the edges. A little practice and you’ll find pie-making an easy task. As always, I use Jovial’s glyphosate-free All-Purpose Einkorn Flour – the only wheat never hydridized. It’s not bromated nor bleached and makes a healthy alternative to today’s hybridized, glyphosate-sprayed wheat.

Watch this video to learn how to roll out and flute a one-crust pie crust:

How to Roll Out, Assemble and Flute a Two-Crust Pie

 

One Crust Fluted Pie

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How to Roll Out, Assemble and Flute a Two-Crust Pie

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There’s a bit of an art to making a good-looking pie. This video shows how to: roll out a pie crust; a trick for getting it into the pie plate; a trick to putting on the top; and how to flute the edges. A little practice and you’ll find pie-making an easy task.

Snapshot Fluted pie Cropped

As always, I use Jovial’s glyphosate-free All-Purpose Einkorn Flour – the only wheat never hybridized. It’s not bromated nor bleached and makes a healthy alternative to today’s hybridized wheat.

Watch this video to learn how to roll out, assemble and flute a two-crust pie:

 

How to Roll Out and Flute a One-Crust Pie

 

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Flaxseed Banana Bread

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Wondering what to do with those bananas that are starting to turn black and mushy? Over-ripe bananas make the best banana bread. This recipe uses maple syrup instead of sugar and Jovial’s Einkorn All-Purpose Flour. Einkorn is the only wheat left that hasn’t been hybridized and Jovial’s all-purpose Einkorn flour isn’t sprayed with glyphosate. More information you’ll want to know about wheat can be found here: Are You Still Eating Wheat?

 

Flaxseed Banana Bread
 
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Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Grease bottom of 9 x 5 loaf panwith coconut oil.
  3. Place all ingredients in mixing bowl.
  4. Mix together until all ingredients are well blended.
  5. Pour into prepared loaf pan.
  6. Bake at 350° for 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
  7. Slide plastic knife around edges of pan and remove to cooling rack.
  8. Allow to completely cool before cutting.
  9. GLUTEN-FREE VERSION: Replace 2½ Cups Jovial's All-Purpose Flour with 2 Cups Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix, eliminate salt and add 1 extra egg and 1 extra banana. Bake for 45 minutes at 350° or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

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Old-Fashioned Eggnog

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This eggnog is easy to make and delicious either warm or cold.

Gone are the days of making eggnog without cooking the eggs, like when I was a child. These days, eggs in most supermarkets are raised in CAFOs, in deplorable conditions rather than backyard chicken farmers. No worries about uncooked eggs with this recipe, since it is cooked to approximately 175°.

Although I’m not a fan of nutmeg, you might like to top yours with a bit of freshly-grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg.

Easy-To-Make Recipe

Old-Fashioned Eggnog
 
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This easy-to-make, cooked eggnog pairs well with both brandy and amaretto.
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Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Place eggs in saucepan and beat slightly.
  2. Add real maple syrup or evaporated cane juice.
  3. Add salt and stir.
  4. Stir in milk.
  5. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, to 175° (until mixture starts to coat a metal spoon).
  6. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
  7. Drink warm or cool eggnog by placing saucepan in cold water.
  8. Refrigerate 2 hours and consume within 24 hours.
  9. OPTIONAL: Garnish with nutmeg or cinnamon.
Notes
This recipe makes a very thick egg nog. If you don't like it too thick, just reduce your eggs accordingly.

My Favorite Eggnog Spice

My favorite spice for this beverage is cinnamon. A splash of amaretto or brandy also goes quite nicely with this eggnog. Every holiday season I would  pour a glass and add rum, because I thought it was the correct alcohol for this drink. I always dumped out that first one because I never liked it, and poured another sans alcohol. When brandy was suggested I thought it was a huge improvement, but even better was amaretto!

 

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Easy Way to Cook Winter Squash – No Peeler Required

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Butternut Squash Recipe Renegade

I can’t count how many times  peeled winter squash before cooking. It seems once I invested in an expensive, sharp vegetable peeler, I then realized peeling wasn’t necessary. Go figure. I like to cook several at a time and freeze in vacuum-seal bags. I make my own bags by using these rolls:

STEAMED:
Easy Way to Steam Winter Squash - No Peeler Required
 
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Steamed butternut squash
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Ingredients
  • Butternut (or other winter squash) Squash
  • 2 Tablespoons Melted Butter
  • 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup (+-)
  • ¼ Teaspoon Himalayan Salt (+/-)
Instructions
  1. Carefully and with a sharp chef knife, cut off both ends of squash.
  2. Stand squash up on one end.
  3. Cut in half (lengthwise).
  4. Seeds and pulp can be removed now or after cooking.
  5. Put on cutting board, cut side down, and cut into a couple smaller pieces.
  6. Put into steamer basket and steam for about 35 minutes or until squash is soft.
  7. Remove from steamer and place on cutting board to cool.
  8. If seeds were not removed before cooking, carefully remove them.
  9. Once squash has cooled (about ½ hour depending on thickness of squash), scoop squash out into a mixing bowl.
  10. Add butter, salt, and maple syrup.
  11. Use electric mixer to blend.
  12. Re-heat before serving.

BAKED:
Easy Way to Bake Winter Squash - No Peeler Required
 
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Baked in Oven
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Ingredients
  • 1 Butternut (or other winter squash) Squash
  • ¾ Cup Water
  • 2 Tablespoons Melted Butter
  • 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup (+-)
  • ¼ Teaspoon Himalayan Salt (+/-)
Instructions
  1. Carefully and with a sharp chef knife, cut off both ends of squash.
  2. Stand squash up on one end.
  3. Cut in half (lengthwise).
  4. Seeds and pulp can be removed now or after cooking.
  5. Place on jelly pan, skin side up.
  6. Add water to pan.
  7. Bake at 400° F for about 35 minutes or until squash is soft.
  8. Remove and place on cutting board or cooling rack to cool.
  9. If seeds were not removed before cooking, carefully remove them.
  10. Once squash has cooled (about ½ hour depending on thickness of squash), scoop squash out into a mixing bowl.
  11. Add butter, salt, and maple syrup.
  12. Use electric mixer to blend.
  13. Re-heat before serving.

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Gluten-Free Green Bean Casserole

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This is a great, healthy replacement for traditional green bean casserole that contains unknown or scary ingredients like monosodium glutamate (MSG). AND it’s not only gluten free, it’s delicious! The instructions look long, but it’s easy to make. (Scroll down for do-ahead tip and substitutions if you aren’t worried about gluten-free.) As always, if making the gluten-free version, make certain all ingredients are, in fact, gluten free.

This recipe cooks up fast – your sauce should be finished before onion rings are done baking. Be sure to gather your ingredients before starting. Scroll down for video.

Gluten-free Green Bean Casserole Recipe Renegade

 

Gluten-Free Green Bean Casserole
 
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Delicious, healthy, green bean casserole! Even your family won't know it's gluten-free!!!
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Ingredients
Instructions
  1. MAKE THE ONION RINGS:
  2. Preheat the oven to: 475° F.
  3. Gather ingredients.
  4. Remove green beans from freezer. Place in strainer and rinse with cold water for a few minutes. Set aside to drain and continue thawing.
  5. Coat a sheet pan with coconut oil.
  6. Mix Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix and Himalayan Salt in a large mixing bowl.
  7. In another bowl, scramble egg with water.
  8. Toss sliced onion rings in egg/water mixture.
  9. Toss onions in bowl with Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix and Himalayan Salt to coat.
  10. Spread onions onto jelly pan.
  11. Bake at 475° F for 30 to 35 minutes, flipping every 10 minutes. Onions should be slightly brown when done.
  12. Change oven temperature to 400° F when onions are finished. (Or shut off oven if making casserole for the next day - see "DO-AHEAD TIP below.")
  13. WHILE ONIONS ARE BAKING, MAKE CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP:
  14. Chop mushrooms into tiny pieces.
  15. Over medium heat in a 12-inch *skillet, add butter, mushrooms, salt, pepper, and onion powder.
  16. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until mushrooms start to turn slightly brown.
  17. Add fresh garlic and cook for additional minute.
  18. Add chicken broth, milk and cream.
  19. Sprinkle arrowroot powder on top using a metal strainer and quickly stir in. (Mixture will thicken quite fast and you don't want it to lump.)
  20. Remove from heat and stir in ¼ of the baked onions and all of the green beans.
  21. Top with the remaining onions.
  22. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until bubbly. Serve immediately.
Notes
*If using cast-iron skillet for cooking mushroom sauce, casserole can be baked in the same skillet.

DO-AHEAD TIP: Once cooled (about 20 to 30 minutes), refrigerate. Cook at 350° F for 30 minutes.

Do-ahead Tip: Make casserole the day before and once cooled, refrigerate. When ready to eat, bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Substitutions: FOR CASSEROLE THAT IS NOT GLUTEN-FREE – 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour can be substituted for the arrowroot powder in the soup and 1/4 to 1/2 cup all-purpose flour can be substituted for the Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix for the onion rings. (Honestly, I think the onion rings are crispier and taste MUCH better using the Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix.)

Whole milk can be substituted for the milk and cream.

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