Swedish Waffles and AIP/Paleo Waffles for Lady Day

St. Patrick's Day on the 17th, St. Joseph's Day on the 19th, my husband's birthday on the 24th (today!), and then the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord on the 25th... So much to celebrate lately and it's been a nice little break right in the middle of this year's lenten season. I shared these recipes over at Shower of Roses a couple years ago and I am finally getting them added over here at Catholic Cuisine too for tomorrow's Lady Day feasting. Scroll down to find an AIP/Paleo version as well. Enjoy!

The Annunciation from Rosary Flip Book

"This is Våffeldagen or Waffle Day in Sweden. One website said the name Vaffla, meaning waffle, originated from Var Fru, Our Lady, and that in time the two words became slurred and corrupted, first into Vaffer, then to Vaffla. The waffles are served with whipped cream and lingonberries (or cloudberries)... " 

You can read more in Jenn's post found in the archives on Lady Day Feasting. 

Originally I always served Belgian Waffles, since that was the only waffle maker we had at the time, using various recipes or mixes. (One year we made these delicious Organic 6-Grain Waffles and you can find that recipe here.) Once I finally purchased our heart shaped waffle maker we started making the delicious thinner Swedish style waffles. We love topping our waffles with marionberries, maple syrup and occasionally whipped cream.

Lady Day Swedish Waffles

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 oz butter
• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups plus 3 tablespoons milk
• 2 eggs

Directions:

In a bowl or blender (I used my Vitamix) whip together flour, baking powder and salt with half of the milk until you have an even batter. Pour in the rest of the milk, eggs and the melted butter, whip until thoroughly mixed.

Heat the waffle iron and brush with butter. Pour in 6 tablespoons of batter and bake until golden brown. Makes 8 waffles. Top with berries. (Lingonberries are traditional in Sweden. We used Marionberries in honor of Our Lady!) 

♥    ♥    ♥    ♥    ♥    ♥    ♥

After baking waffles for everyone else, I was really craving a waffle too... I decided to try to adapt an AIP Belgian waffle recipe to use with our waffle maker and the Cassava Flour I recently purchased. It turned out great! I'll definitely be making these again.

Autoimmune Protocol Waffles for the Annunciation
{gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free, egg-free, dairy free, nut-free, seed-free}
Vegan, Paleo-friendly, AIP-friendly, and still delicious! 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup cassava flour
• 1/4 cup arrowroot starch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/4 water
• 1 13.5 oz can full fat organic coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (alcohol-free for AIP)

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients and mix well.

Place all the wet ingredients in blender (I used my Vitamix) and blend until well combined. Add dry ingredients and blend again until well combined. The batter will be thicker than pancake batter but should still be pourable. You may need to add a little additional water or coconut milk.

Lightly brush waffle iron with coconut oil. Add about 1/3-1/2 cup of batter to your pre-heated waffle iron and cook until done. I use this waffle iron, preheated and very hot, with setting number 4.

The recipe yields 5-6 Swedish style waffles, using approximately 1/3-1/2 cup of batter for each waffle.  Be sure to cook the waffles long enough or they can turn out gummy.

Top with marionberries. Next time I'll make some Coconut Whip too! Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven.

O God, who didst will that Thy Word take flesh in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary at the message of the angel: grant us, we pray, to be aided before Thee by her intercession, whom we believe to be truly the Mother of God.  

- The Holyday Book by Father Francis X. Weiser

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St. Brigid's Hearty Healing Beef Stew

I wish I had a great lake of ale for the King of kings, and the family of heaven to drink it through time eternal. I wish I had the meats of belief and genuine piety, the flails of penance, and the men of heaven in my house.  ~ St. Brigid of Ireland

St. Brigid is the patron saint for numerous things including cattle and dairy work. She was said to be the best mead and ale maker in all of Ireland, as well as an excellent cook. One way to celebrate this Abbess from Kildare is to enjoy a steaming bowl of Irish Beef stew… made with Ireland’s own Guinness Draught!

Many miracles have been attributed to St. Brigid that involve physical healing. Another great recipe to serve on her feast day is the following nourishing and delicious Hearty Healing Beef Stew adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks The Healing Kitchen: 175+ Quick & Easy Paleo Recipes to Help You Thrive.  I love beef stew and finally have a new favorite (grain and nightshade free!) recipe to replace my old favorite which is no longer on the list of foods I can eat.

I modified the original ingredients (serves 4 to 5) from The Healing Kitchen to make enough stew for our family of nine:

Hearty Healing Beef Stew

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3-4 pounds beef stew meat
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 2 large yellow onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme (This time I used 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick (I am out so I used 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon) 
• 2 (1-inch) pieces fresh orange peel
• 8 cups Beef Broth 
• 1 - 15 oz can Sweet Potato Puree
• 1 cup red wine
• 8-10 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (the first time I used 1 bag of Trader Joe's Carrots of Many Colors) 
• 1 head of celery, chopped
• 1-2 bunches of kale, chopped

Directions: 

Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the meat, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and brown on all sides for 8-10 minutes total, but avoid getting a crust on the outside.  (Make sure you scrape up all those caramelized brown bits from the bottom of your pot to give your stew a deep, rich flavor!)

Stir in the onion, thyme, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, orange peel, and remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant.



Add the broth, sweet potato puree, and wine to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with a  lid, and cook for 1 hour.

Add the carrots and celery to the pot and return the stew to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for an additional 40 minutes. Add the chopped kale, submerging it in the liquid, and cook for 25 more minutes, until wilted and tender.  

Remove the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and orange peel before serving. 

For the feast of St. Brigid, our girls enjoy baking "St. Brigid's Cross Dinner Rolls" to serve alongside the stew for the rest of the family who aren't on a grain-free diet. I love how they turn out!

Prayer to St. Brigid of Ireland

St. Brigid,

You were a woman of peace.

You brought harmony where there was conflict.

You brought light to the darkness.

You brought hope to the downcast.

May the mantle of your peace cover those who are troubled and anxious,

And may peace be firmly rooted in our hearts and in our world.

Inspire us to act justly and to reverence all God has made.

Brigid you were a voice for the wounded and the weary.

Strengthen what is weak within us.

Calm us into a quietness that heals and listens.

May we grow each day into greater wholeness in mind, body and spirit.

Amen.

Brigid's Cloak, The Life of Saint Brigid: Abbess of Kildare, and Saint Brigid and the Cows (not pictured)

St. Brigid Doll from Catholic Folk Toys

You can find additional recipes and ideas for celebrating the feast of St. Brigid in the archives here at Catholic Cuisine and over at Shower of Roses. 

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Brownies with Salted Honey Caramel Sauce

It's been over a year since I began the autoimmune protocol diet due to health issues. I know how tough it is to celebrate with food for those dealing with allergies, food sensitivities, and other health conditions. It’s not impossible though! Just because you are on a special diet, doesn’t mean you can’t find ways to incorporate some fun and festive foods for feast days every once in awhile.

Here is a delicious {sugar-free, grain-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free} recipe that I made to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It would also be perfect for any of the other Carmelite saints, including the feast of St. Therese! Although I'm not sure I'll be able to wait until October to make them again... They are amazing! 

 

Brownies with Salted Honey Caramel Sauce

Brownies
(source: Eat Heal Trive)  

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup arrowroot flour
• 3 tbsp carob powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla (non-alcoholic) 
• 1 tbsp. gelatin plus 1/4 c water (for your gelatin egg)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8x8 baking dish. (Note: After greasing the pan with coconut oil, I also lined it with some wax paper.) 

In a small bowl, sift together the coconut flour, arrowroot flour, carob powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

Note: If you’re okay with cocoa (a Stage 2 AIP reintroduction), then replace the 3 tbsp. of carob powder for cocoa powder. 

In a large bowl combine the apple sauce, oil, honey, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla using an electric mixer.

In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over the 1/4 c water and allow to soften for 2-3 minutes. While the gelatin blooms, mix the dry ingredients with the wet.

Turn the heat to medium low to melt the gelatin. This should only take about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Whist vigorously until the gelatin egg is very frothy. Then add this to the brownie mixture. Stir to combine.

Pour the mixture into your prepared baking pan and gently smooth and spread with the back of a wet spoon.

Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before cutting.

 

Salted Honey Caramel Sauce

(adapted from freshtart.com) 

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups full-fat coconut milk
• 1 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (non-alcoholic, optional)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions: 

In a medium saucepan, combine coconut milk and honey. Bring to a low boil over medium heat. Continue to boil, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thickened to caramel sauce consistency.

Note: The time will vary depending on the size of pan you use, but plan on around 15 minutes of low boiling. (It took me about 25 minutes.) 

Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and salt (adjust to taste). Serve warm or transfer to a jar to store in the fridge. Warm before serving. Makes 2 cups.

Serve over brownies and sprinkle with additional salt if desired. 

You can also create {AIP} Brown Scapular Treats with the brownies as well, decorating them with caramel ropes and mango crosses. 

You can see the rest of our Feast of Our Lady of Carmel celebration over at Shower of Roses. 

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us! 

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Meatless Meals :: Chunky Tuna Salad Wraps

I just finished sharing this recipe for one of my new favorite meatless meals over at Shower of Roses and decided I'd share it here at Catholic Cuisine as well! I hope you are all having a blessed Lent!

 Chunky Tuna Salad Wraps

adapted from The Healing Kitchen

Directions and Ingredients:

• 2 - 5oz cans Wild Planet Albacore Tuna (I buy it at Costco.) 
• 2/3 cup red grapes, quartered
• 2/3 cup celery, diced
• 1/2 cup dried apricots, diced
• 1/4 cup green onions, chopped
• 3 tablespoons shallots, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Mix all ingredients together until well combined.

Make Avocado Mayo:  (Note: I halve the cookbook's recipe and use the following.)

• 1 large ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
• 1/8 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Place avocado in blender. With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until combined. Add the remaining ingredients and puree until smooth.

Add 1/2 cup Avocado Mayo to Chunky Tuna Salad. Mix until combined.

• Baby Spinach or Mixed Greens
• Paleo Wraps - Original or Tumeric (I've had my eye on these ever since I started my AIP diet last March... My husband convinced me to splurge on them during one of our recent grocery shopping date nights. I love them and it's so nice to be able to eat a wrap made with something more than just lettuce again!) 

Place a bed of baby spinach or mixed greens and a scoop or two of chunky tuna on top of a Paleo Wrap and roll up.

Serve with Inka Plantain Chips.

You can read more about The Autoimmune Protocol :: My Journey Towards Better Health & Weight Loss with the AIP Diet over at Shower of Roses. 

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Honey Sweetened Grasshopper Bars

The Birthday of Saint John the Baptist from Saints: A Year in Faith and Art

There is a great recipe for Grasshopper Parfaits in the archives here at Catholic Cuisine. After making them for the rest of my family, I decided to try and find something that I could enjoy as well for our celebration on the Solemnity of the Birth of Saint John the Baptist since I've been on a strict Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) diet for the past four months.  These Honey Sweetened Grasshopper Bars were perfect and tasted amazing! Cocoa Powder is not on the AIP list of approved foods and it had been a while (113 days to be exact) since I had eaten any chocolate, but so far I haven't noticed any adverse reactions and am hoping that it can remain in my diet as an occasional treat.  This recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free, seed-free, nut-free and makes a delicious option for those looking for a healthy dessert!

St. John the Baptist, martyred for defending the law of purity, drew strength from his austere and penitential life in the desert. Here is a delicious (and nutritious!) recipe for Honey Sweetened Grasshopper Bars to serve on this Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, recalling Matthew 3:4: “John wore clothing made of camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.”

Honey Sweetened Grasshopper Bars

adapted from Raia's Recipes

Ingredients:

Mint Layer

• 1 large avocado
• 1/4 cup organic raw honey 
• 6 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1 1/2 c. shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 tsp peppermint extract (or a few drops of peppermint oil for AIP)
• dash of salt (I used Real Salt.)

Chocolate Layer

• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 2 Tbsp organic raw honey 
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder (I used Rapunzel Organic Cocoa Powder. You could also substitute carob powder for a caffeine-free treat that is AIP approved!)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract (I used Frontier Naturals Non-Alcoholic Vanilla.)
• dash of salt

Directions:

Mint Layer
1. Line a 9×9 inch baking dish with foil.
2. Place all ingredients in high powered blender (I used my Vitamix) or a food processor. Blend until smooth.
3. Smooth mixture into prepared dish and stick in the freezer while you prepare the chocolate layer.

Chocolate Layer
1. In small saucepan, melt coconut oil and honey over low heat.
2. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients.
3. Pour over chilled bottom layer and return to the freezer for about 15 minutes, or until the chocolate layer is hardened.
4. Remove from foil and cut into bars.
5. Store covered in the freezer.

Makes approximately 8 servings

Note: These would also make a healthy green treat for St. Patrick's day in March! 

Saint John the Baptist, pray for us! 

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Dairy Free Blueberry Annunciation Smoothies

This recipe was submitted by past Catholic Cuisine contributor Amy. You can find additional pictures of her cute children enjoying their Annunciation Smoothies over at her blog, Knit Together.

I thought I would share this with you super quick.  It is an easy way to whip together something special for the Feast of the Annunciation today.  I did a dairy free version, but you can replace the canned coconut milk with yogurt and the almond mil with regular cow's milk if you prefer.

You will need:

• 2-3 cups Frozen Blueberries
• 1-2 cups Frozen Peaches (or other fruit)
• 1 Can Coconut Milk
• Almond Milk
• approx. 1/4 cup Sweetener of your choice, I used Maple Syrup

Put the frozen fruit in blender.  I use peaches too because blueberries can be a really strong flavor and some people, especially kids, might not like it.  Next, add the canned coconut milk (this will make it thick and creamy) and sweetener.  At this point you want to pour in the almond milk.  I do this by eye.  Depending on how thick you want your smoothie, you will want to fill the blender halfway or up to covering the frozen fruit.

Blend it thoroughly!

If you need more almond milk, fruit, or sweetener feel free!  Make it to your taste.

Additional recipes for the Solemnity of the Annunciation can be found in the archives. 

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Chicken Tikka Masala for Epiphany

Behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him."  

Matthew 2:1-2

January 6th is the traditional feast of Epiphany! To celebrate I decide to serve an Eastern dinner of Chicken Tikka Masala, Basmati Rice with Fresh Cilantro, and Naan recalling the "wise men from the East!" This was the first time I've made Chicken Tikka Masala and I most definitely will not be waiting another year to make it again. It turned out amazing!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

adapted from thekitchn

Ingredients: 

• 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 onions, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced 
• 2-inch piece whole ginger, peeled and grated
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 to 3 tablespoons garam masala
• 4 teaspoons paprika
• 4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 can coconut cream
• Fresh cilantro, chopped
• Basmati rice, cooked 

Directions: 

Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and transfer them to a 6-quart slow cooker.

Sauté the onions and garlic in a skillet with a little coconut oil over medium-high until softened, then stir in the tomato paste, grated ginger, paprika, salt, and 2 tablespoons of garam masala until fragrant. 

Transfer to the slow cooker. Stir in the diced tomatoes (with their juices) and mix until the chicken is evenly covered with spices.

Cover the slow cooker and cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. 

Fifteen minutes before the end of cooking, stir in the coconut milk. If you prefer a thicker sauce, leave the slow cooker uncovered for the last 15 minutes. 

Taste and add more garam masala or salt if needed. Serve over rice with fresh cilantro sprinkled over the top of each serving. 

Serves 8 to 12

Note: The Chicken Tikka Masala can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days or frozen for 3 to 4 months.

The beautiful Silent Night Table Runner can be found here. 

Happy Epiphany! 

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Shamrock Frittata

Shamrock Frittata

Adapted from Skinny Taste's Bell Pepper and Potato Frittata and our Zucchini and Sweet Potato Frittata

Ingredients:

• 1 Bag of Trader Joe’s Roasted Potatoes with Roasted Peppers and Onions (or equivalent)
• Olive or Coconut Oil
• 12-18 Eggs (depending on the size - enough to cover the potatoes)
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 Green Bell Pepper (with three lobes for the shamrocks)
• Irish Style Breakfast Sausages (optional)

 

Directions:

Heat oil in a 12" Oven-safe Family Sized Skillet and cook potatoes, peppers and onions according to package directions.

While the vegetables cook, whisk the eggs in a bowl, seasoning with salt and pepper. Add the egg mixture to the cooking veggies.

Cook on low heat until just set, about 10-15 minutes.

Transfer the frittata to the oven and finish baking until golden under a heated broiler.

Serve with Irish style sausages.  This Shamrock Frittata served our family of nine. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

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Celebrating Saint Joseph :: Gluten-Free Brownie Staff with Coconut Ice Cream

The following post was submitted by Mary at Better Than Eden, in honor of today's feast of St. Joseph!  Thank you Mary! 

We're taking the day off in honor of today's Solemnity of St. Joseph. I thought about taking the kids somewhere but Brian had to go to work and they seem just as happy building forts in the playroom. I was trying to think of a special way to celebrate today. I've never actually understood why St. Joseph's Day is traditionally an Italian thing. I guess they just like him a lot. We're not Italian so we've never done all those neat traditions and I've never even been to a St. Joseph's Table. I'd love to learn more about them all but in the meantime, I think we'll celebrate in a different way.

I decided that in honor of Saint Joseph we would treat our own family's Saint Joseph to a feast tonight. We're having rib-eye steak, baked potatoes, and glazed carrots.
And for dessert I spent this morning making his favorite...brownies.

Normally, Solemnities for us mean a suspension of any Lenten fasts but since we've been testing the gluten-free thing so long, I want to keep it going, hence the black bean brownies.
So here's what we're treating ourselves to tonight.

I had some black bean cake at a friend's house the other day and we were shocked with how much it tasted just like regular cake. It was delicious! So today I used this recipe for black bean brownies but made a few changes (don't you think it's hysterical when people write reviews like that? Like..."This recipe is perfect! I just switched out the apples and used potatoes, then I added shredded chocolate and increased the sugar from 1/4 cup to 3 1/2 cups. I also decided not to bake it and boil it instead. Oh, and I added a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and truffle oil on top. Superb. This is my FAVORITE recipe!!" But I totally do the same thing.) So here's what I did:

Blend 1 can of rinsed black beans, 3 eggs, 3 tbsp. banana (not pictured), 3 tbsp. oil, 2 tsp. vanilla, 1/2 c. cocoa powder, and 3/4 c. sugar.  I also added about 3/4 c. crushed walnuts because we like them.

I used our immersion blender and blended everything completely. I put in the beans and eggs first just to make sure the beans were completely pureed then added everything else.

After lots of internal debate and going through my cupboards to figure out how best to make a "Joseph's staff" shape, I decided on using a loaf pan and a circle pie pan. I greased both with butter and filled the pie pan half as deep with batter as the loaf pan. You can see in the picture how I cut the circle in half, stacked them and did a tiny bit of shaping to make it look sort of staff-esque. The extra pieces may or may not have ended up in my mouth as a "taste test."

The lily was a spur of the moment spark of liturgical genius. I used marshmallows cut in half, smooshed and sort of shaped like petals and a yellow licorice Trader Joe's candy leftover from Christmas (my kids sure know how to save their candy as long as possible...). The leaves I cut off a pineapple that happened to be in the fridge. This is why people think I'm a weirdo.

Because one of my husband's favorite things is a brownie sundae with bananas, I decided to experiment with a coconut milk ice cream creation. I couldn't find one faux ice cream recipe that used ingredients I had on hand so here's what I did:

Blend 1 can coconut milk, 1 banana, 1 tbsp. vanilla, and 2 tbsp. coconut nectar.

I again used my Cuisinart immersion blender which is one of the most used kitchen tools I own. I blended a while until it was well mixed and had whipped a tad. I chilled for about an hour and then put it in the ice cream maker for about 15 minutes. And...it worked! It looks like ice cream and tastes pretty good! It has more of a light banana flavor than I would prefer but I think the husband will enjoy it. We'll add some sliced bananas and chocolate syrup when it's time to put it all together.

I think St. Joseph will be pleased that I'm attempting to honor him and his fatherhood of Jesus by honoring my husband. Perhaps that's what he would want more than me stuffing myself with spaghetti which was the other option for the evening. Here's hoping that my interior resolution made early this morning to give him the evening off and lead the boys in serving him doesn't give way to the 5-7 p.m. daily occurrence of me wanting to curl up in a corner covering my ears after throwing all the children at him as he walks in the door. I'm much better intentioned and grace-filled at 10 a.m. than I am at 5 p.m. Is that just me?

At least today there'll be brownies.

Happy St. Joseph's Day!

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