Eggplant French toast

This is a great substitute for the real thing (desperation drives one to new creativity in the kitchen!).  It's gluten-free, milk-free, and great for a low-carb candida diet and can be sugar-free.  I've been discovering some different ways to cook and eat eggplant, not one of my favorite veggies, and this is one of the better ones.


This first step can be done ahead of time and frozen or just before you make the recipe.   I freeze individual portions in freezer bags and just do a quick thaw in the microwave when I want to use one.


Peel and slice an eggplant 1/2 inch thick, then bake them on a stovetop griddle or frypan on a lightly oiled surface, several minutes on both sides until golden and tender when pierced with a fork.  (Or, peel, cube, and saute in coconut or olive oil in skillet until tender.)


Arrange baked eggplant slices in a non-stick, oiled skillet.  Heat skillet on medium.


Beat together 2 or more eggs (your choice) with 1/2 tsp. vanilla, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, dash salt, and 1/4 tsp. (or more to taste) stevia OR 1 tsp. sugar.


Pour carefully over eggplant, lifting each piece to allow egg mixture to run a bit underneath.   Cover and cook for a few minutes, then turn whole thing like an omelet.  Cover again and cook until done.


Serve hot with butter and syrup or your favorite topping.  (I use a bit of liquid vegetable glycerine mixed with maple flavoring as a sweet, non-sugar substitute--tastes just like maple syrup!)


M-m-m-m!  Yummy.

Marinated summer salad

I threw this together the other night as an alternative for a regular tossed salad--and we all liked it!   Very colorful and appealing, as well as delicious.  Thought I'd pass it along.
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Use the amounts of each vegetable you want, and vary the seasoning according to taste.

Toss together in a bowl:
  • sliced, diced raw zucchini (could also add yellow summer squash)
  • diced mixed peppers:  green, red, orange, yellow
  • thinly sliced red onion
  • sliced hearts of palm
  • minced fresh garlic
Mix and pour this marinade over veggies:
  • 1/3 c. apple cider vinegar (I like Braggs)
  • 1/3 c. olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp. to 1 tsp. mixed Italian herbs
  • sea salt, a shake of pepper
Blend and chill well before serving.

Homemade Ranch dressing

This quick and yummy dressing can be used as a salad dressing, dip, or sandwich spread.  Tastes amazingly like the commercial variety but without the chemicals and additives.
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In a bowl, blend with a whisk:
  • 1/2 c. mayonnaise
  • 1/2 c. plain yogurt, buttermilk, OR kefir
  • 1 T. dried parsley flakes
  • 1 tsp. each garlic powder & onion powder
  • 1/2 - 1 tsp. salt
Adjust seasonings to taste.  Chill and enjoy!

My aunt's simple and yummy hamburgers

These are great!  What I like is that they are very moist and not tough as hamburgers can often be.  And it's a good way to get some more veggies into your diet.


These are the proportions I used tonight:
  • 1 1/2 lbs. hamburger
  • 2 grated zucchini
  • 1/2 onion, grated
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (we like garlic)
Mix well and form into thin patties.  You can either fry them up or freeze them for future use.  I like to serve them with mayo, sliced tomato, and very thin slices of onion.


Enjoy!

Salmon-Millet Loaf with Creamed Peas

This is a great gluten-free dish.  If you don't care for creamed peas, you can eat the salmon loaf plain, or with a sour cream-cucumber sauce spooned over it.  It's also great cold, sliced, as a sandwich filling with tomato, lettuce, and mayonaise.  You can substitute two cans of tuna for the salmon if you prefer.
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Bring 1 c. millet in 2 c. water with 1/2 tsp. salt to a boil, cover and turn down to simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until fluffy (as you would cook white rice).

Meanwhile, in a skillet, saute in 2 T. butter:  1 c. finely chopped celery, 1/2 c. finely chopped onion, 1/2 c. finely chopped bell pepper, and 1 clove garlic, minced.

In a large bowl, fluff cooked millet with a fork to break up any lumps. Add 2 eggs, the sauteed vegetables, a 14.75 oz. can of salmon with juice, 1 tsp. dill weed, and pepper to taste.  Mix well, breaking up any large chunks of the salmon.

Spoon into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  Serve with creamed peas spooned on top of each serving.

Creamed Peas

Either precook 1 c. frozen peas or use a can of drained peas.

Make a medium white sauce:  with a whisk, mix 2 c. milk with 3 T. cornstarch, 1/2 tsp. dry mustard, and salt to taste.  Either cook in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring with whisk until thickened or in the microwave for several minutes on high, stirring every couple of minutes.

Add drained, cooked peas and stir.  Serve over salmon loaf.

Menu suggestion:  This is good with baked acorn or butternut squash or yams, and a green salad.