GAPS Burger Stack

The Backyard Farmer is now delivering grass fed beef at a great price! Sometimes there is nothing like a good, juicy burger. Grain free hamburger buns are not all that great; too dry, too dense, wrong flavors (shoot me a recipe if you have found a good one).  I really love iceberg lettuce, chopped burger-sized, a few layers thick on both sides of the patty with tomato and guacamole, a slice of bacon wouldn’t hurt either.  Unfortunately, it is messy and I always end up eating it with a fork, which led me to my burger stack idea.

It is pretty simple and versatile; all you need is a little creativity for a nice presentation.  Basically, you use whatever fixings you want and stack them in an eye-appealing way.  There are lots of flavor options;

Southwest; flavor meat with chili powder and cumin, stack with beans, cheese, salsa, guacamole.

Midwest; flavor meat with salt, pepper and onion powder, stack with iceberg lettuce, mayonnaise, pickle, tomato and bacon.

Middle Eastern; flavor meat with curry powder and ginger, stack with cauliflower rice, tomato, cucumber, yogurt sauce.

Italian; flavor meat with garlic and oregano, stack with eggplant or zucchini, mushrooms, marinara, parmesan and basil.

Thai; flavor meat with basil and mint, stack with shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, pineapple and sweet, creamy dressing.

Southern; flavor meat with creole spice, stack with smashed squash, cooked collard greens, bacon, onions and a cream sauce.

Jamaican; flavor meat with jerk seasoning; stack with cauliflower rice with peas, peppers, mango, coconut.

On Gallon Virgin Coconut Oil {Winner}

Thank you to all those who participated and congratulations to winner, mom21, who has won  One Gallon Pail of Gold Label Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions!  Please email me to claim your prize by Friday, April 27.

GAPS Coconut Crepes

We have come into lots of fresh eggs lately; I suppose it is the season.  I gladly accept the graciousness of my chicken farming friends.  Eggs last a couple months in the refrigerator, so I am loading it up for when the heat comes and causes the hens to slow down.  Coconut flour baking is my reward for acquiring an abundance of eggs.  I have gotten quite used to the unusual texture and egg-y flavor.

These crepes hold together really well for gluten free. As they cool, they get more firm. I like to fill these with cooked berries, honey custard (substitute homemade yogurt cream) or my old Carmel Banana Pecan Topping.  In the picture, I drizzled them with honey sweetened coconut cream. 

These crepes freeze very well.  I lay them out on a drying rack in the freezer and stack and bay them the next day. They thaw in minutes and have many uses.  Try them with your favorite sandwich filling or as a tortilla.  I have played around a lot with this recipe, it is a new staple.

When using these crepes for a savory meal, consider omitting the honey and using melted butter or expeller pressed coconut oil in place of the super coconut-y virgin.  Also kefir in place of the coconut milk goes well for sandwich wraps.  Cumin in the batter or using strong flavors in your meat or sauce covers the coconut flavor in your Mexican dish.  They end up looking a lot like corn tortillas.  By adding more batter to your pan, you can make them thicker.  Melting cheese on them makes them eve more sturdy to moisture in salsas and such.

8 eggs

1 teaspoon honey

3 tablespoons virgin coconut oil

1/3 cup coconut milk

Dash salt

4 tablespoons coconut flour

Blend eggs in blender, drizzle honey and oil while blender is running.  Add milk, salt and flour, blend well. Heat a small pan on medium heat.  Add a teaspoon of coconut oil and 2 tablespoons batter. Tilt the pan until the batter coats the bottom. Cook 45 seconds on each side.  Flip gently.

One Gallon Virgin Coconut Oil {Giveaway}

Who wants more coconut oil? We have been doing a dairy free experiment to check for sensitivities in my son.  This means we have ditched the butter for coconut oil in all our recipes.  It is a perfect alternative.I got such great feedback from both my readers and Tropical Traditions about my last giveaway, that I am doing another!  This time for a gallon pail of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil ($120 value).  You can go through coconut oil really quickly in the summer.  I find it is easier to use when in it's liquid form. It it yummy in pancakes and waffles, cookies and candies, cupcakes and sweetbreads, homemade cereals and smoothies, even tortillas!  Coconut oil is a perfect moisturizer for your skin, I also love it in my hair when it turns to straw at the beach.

To enter for your chance to win One Gallon Pail Gold Label Coconut Oil ($120 value) from Tropical Traditions, simply follow the link to subscribe to the Coconut Oil Newsletter, come back here to Taste is Trump and leave a comment telling me that you did.For an additional entry,  "like" Tropical Traditions Traditions and Taste is Trump on Facebook. You must leave a separate comment for the additional entry. Contest closes at 11:59 p.m. mountain time on Monday, April 23, 2012 and winner will be announced on Tuesday, April 24, 2012. The winner will have three days to claim their prize, so be sure to check back.

Piña Colada Kabobs

The flavor reminds me of summer and Hawaii and delicious.  Such a fun treat, with a great presentation, yet quick and easy.  Pineapples are one of those fruits that you should smell before you buy. It should have the aroma of a fresh pineapple without any hints of mustiness. The stronger the pineapple scent, the juicier the fruit will be.  Yellowing is also a good sign of ripeness.  Some people pull out a leaf and according to the resistance know if it is a good one.

Many people don’t buy fresh pineapple because they don’t know how in the world they would cut it.  I prefer to slice the bottom and top off, stand up on its end and then cut down the sides with a carving knife to get most of the brown off, small bits do not bother me.  I cut this in half lengthwise and each half in half again, then trim the middle core like an apple.  The core is a bit woody, but has great flavor, so it is great for juicing and even smoothies.  Throw them in the freezer if you don’t have immediate plans for them. If I am going for bite-sized pieces to snack on, I slice each quarter into four slices and dice into the common “tidbits.” For this recipe I slice each quarter into thirds, so it will make six kabobs.

½ pineapple

1/2 batch coconut cream frosting

1 cup shredded coconut (toasting is optional)

6 skewers

Slide a skewer into each wedge.  Pat the back of the wedge with a paper towel, spread with one tablespoon frosting and press into a bowl of shredded coconut.  Repeat with each wedge and refrigerate until ready to serve.

GAPS Fried Cauliflower

Winter squash was the base of a lot of dishes I made through the winter, but now, finding a nice squash is proving to be a challenge.  Typically they are harvested at the end of summer and stored through the winter.  By spring, they have either all been purchased or are getting pretty old and wrinkly. I have been using more cauliflower as a base since this is peak harvest time.  I like to shred it fine so it resembles rice and serve it with stir fry, it makes a nice side dish too.

This recipe is very versatile, you can add whatever veggies you like for flavor and color.  Herbs are also nice.  I use the small julienne blade on my mandolin to shred  the cauliflower.  Many people pulse it in a food processor to find the right texture, but a good knife would do the trick too. Once cauliflower goes out of season, summer squash (zucchini) will be in full production. Summer squash, winter squash and cauliflower are my three big fillers that have taken the place of grains the past nine months.  If you are grain free or grain lite, tell me what you use to take the place of grains in the comments.

¼ cup butter

1 large head cauliflower, grated

1 small onion, finely diced

1 carrot, finely diced

1 stalk celery, finely diced

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

Melt butter in a wide bottom fry pan on medium high.  Add grated cauliflower and sauté until it begins to brown. Add the rest of the vegetables, turn down the heat and cook for ten minutes, stirring regularly. Season with salt, pepper and garlic, cook one more minute, remove from heat and serve.

Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil {New Winner}

Prize was unclaimed through the weekend, so our new winner is JenLynn. Congratulations, you have won  One Quart Jar of Gold Label Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions!  Please email me to claim your prize by Thursday, April 12.

Tropical Traditions is offering a special price on Gold Label Coconut Oil through next Thursday; 2 pints for $19.95.

Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil {Winner}

Thank you to all those who participated and congratulations to winner, carryannb, who has won  One Quart Jar of Gold Label Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions!  Please email me to claim your prize by Sunday, April 8.


Tropical Traditions is offering a special price on Gold Label Coconut Oil through next Thursday; 2 pints for $19.95.

Special Price! - Virgin Coconut Oil, Gold Label - 2 pints - Buy 1 Get 1 FREE!

Garden Journal {Bug Solution}

My garden is buzzing, the bees hum as if to say “We can’t get enough!”  The sound soothes me as I think “Get your fill little ones, for the more flowers you touch, the more I eat!”  I can almost taste the blackberries.

Gobs of blackberry blossoms

This time of year also brings in a swarm of white flies and aphids which attack my tomatoes and squash.  I am diligently battling them with a spray of soapy water twice a week and am making headway.  The bugs had a hay day while I was gone a few weeks ago.  I came back to plants covered in flies and brown spots all over the leaves, they were literally sucking the life out of my plants. 

White fly damage on tomato plants.

My regimen is ¼ cup of Dr. Bronners soap, 10 drops lemongrass essential oil and two cups well-fermented water kefir in a spray feeder.  Early in the morning, I spray every plant from every angle and two-three hours later I give them a good rinse.  The soap dries the flies out and they get dehydrated. Once the bugs get under control I will back off to once a week and eventually as needed. After the flies calm down, I have to start watching out for spider mites.  If I keep up on my spraying, they will have a hard time getting a foot hold.

Spider mite damage on tomato plants

 Plants breathe through small holes on the underside of their leaves.  Dust and debris clog these holes and over time, cause the plant stress.  A good summer storm gives plants a good cleanse to keep plants at optimal function.  Our storms are few and far between, a heavy spray-down, once a week, is good garden maintenance.  Spray in the mornings so that the leaves have plenty of time to dry by nightfall.  Wet leaves at night increase chance for disease to spread in the garden.

What are your tips for keeping a healthy garden?