Did you know that your skin is your largest organ? Yes, it is. And, did you know that anything you put on it (soap, cleanser, lotion, sunscreen etc…) all is immediately absorbed directly into your bloodstream? YES! So, if you are making a big effort to avoid particular foods, then be sure you are not defeating that purpose by putting it into your blood via your skin or scalp! Whether these ingredients are in your food or on your skin can cause either an immune or histamine reaction which can diminish your health.

I suffered for many years with eating foods I was allergic to and did not understand why I had a stomach-ache and congestion everyday and occasional hives! This has done a lot of damage to my gut which is the center of health, and it take a long time to reverse the damage. You do not need to suffer or cause damage to your body, mind or spirit any longer.

Are you familiar with the Environmental Working Group*? You can look up ingredients and they will give you the information about it-it is scary and criminal in my opinion what it put into products. Did you know that the UK and EU have higher standards in their skin care? Yes, in fact the EU has banned/outlawed 11,000 chemicals/ingredients from skin care and the US has only banned 11! You choose. That said, there are terrific companies in the US that are very good and do not use anything bad, and they are hard to find.

I have done so much searching and have finally found a line that I love and hope you will too! I have taken the time to read labels and use myself as a guinea pig for all of you! I have been using this skin care for a few months and love it. With the exception of a few products it is wheat free. The lip balm has wheat germ and the Rose&Mallow Moisturizer has Triticum vulgare germ oil which is wheat germ oil!

I was never interested in selling skin care or anything else besides my cookbook, but I love this so much and want to offer additional solutions to your problems to make your life healthier and happier. Neal’s Yard uses essential oils, so it also lifts your mood and gives you a dose of aromatherapy! If you are sensitive to smells, the new Starfruit line is unscented!

This is not a multi-level marketing company, but it is like Avon in that anyone can sell it and make a commission on the sales and not on signing people up to sell it. I am not interested in signing anyone up unless they really want to do it and ask me. I am interested in offering everyone organic skin care line, with EU standards, that is in line with a diet without wheat, dairy or sugar! And, I want to save you time and money; and make a little money so I can continue to do research and keep helping you.

This company is also very eco-friendly and has a zero carbon footprint!  I love the blue glass bottles and recycled plastic bottles. May you be happy and healthy on the inside and out! If you are looking for skin care that is free of EDTA, Mineral Oil/Petroleum, Synthetic Fragrances and Colors, Parabens, Silicones and Phthalates then, check this line out! Many of these ingredients have been linked to cancer!

You can check it out and order it on my other website and share it with your friends and family too-

us.nyrorganic.com/shop/chefLauren

Environmental Working Group:

www.ewg.org

Be Well, Lauren

Wheat -free and Gluten-free Alternatives

Food for Life-Rice Bread and Millet Bread. They are both very dense, but lighten up when toasted. I only eat them toasted. Millet is a very healthy grain. Remember, variety is important-so, you don’t develop an allergy/sensitivity due to overexposure.

Wheat-free Alternatives

French Meadow Bakery Rye Bread or Sourdough Rye which are also Yeast-free. Very thinly sliced and light enough to eat untoasted. It will get too hard if you over toast it, so set the toaster for the light-medium setting.

Staff of Life in Santa Cruz makes a Pumpernickel Rye that is very dense and sweet from the molasses. Great toasted or just plain-especially with Earth Balance (soy-free version).

Spelt Bread/Products

Spelt is a non-hybridized wheat. It is one of the five ancient grains. Many people that have a wheat sensitivity can tolerate Spelt, but it is not gluten-free.

Rudi’s Spelt Bread, Spelt Hamburger Buns, Spelt Hot Dog Buns and Spelt English Muffins-you won’t be able to tell that these are alternative since they have a soft, spongy texture like the traditional versions.

Ozery Bakery Inc.(made in Canada) One Bun is a very thin bun that it similar to pita bread. Great for sandwiches (hot and cold). It has a soft texture and can be eaten as is or toasted. A great alternative to pita bread and makes a great Panini. www.ozerybakeryinc.com

Pizza Crust

Still Riding Pizza is Gluten-free and wheat-free and dairy-free. www.stillridingpizza.com they will ship it to your home and you put your own toppings on it and bake it yourself. Read the article on this site about Amici’s Pizza(a California chain), which also uses Still Riding pizza crust. This crust is thin, airy and puffy with a lite crispiness when baked long enough. If you under bake it, it will be too soft. I like to use a perforated pizza pan for this crust.

Udi’s Pizza Crust-they come frozen, you add your own toppings and bake. Two personal sized crusts come in a package, which fit into the toaster oven! These are made with rice flour with xanthan gum, but I do indulge once in a while when I have nothing else in the house!

Yes, there are other bread alternatives out there. However, most of them have lots of starch and rice flour-which will pack on the pounds and don’t have much nutritional value. Many of the gluten-free alternatives contain xanthan gum or guar gum which are bacteria, and too much is not a good thing. So, we can find alternatives, but are they healthy?

Bread in general is not so easy on the digestive tract; so I save it for times when I must succumb to my cravings for it. When I eat bread I notice that I get bloated and constipated. Next time you eat bread or cut it out of your diet for a while…notice how you feel. Is it worth it? I really love the Irish Soda Bread and Cornbread in my cookbook, and hope you will too.

I have two recipes in my cookbook, No Wheat No Dairy No Problem for great alternatives, Irish Soda Bread(pg.16) and Spelt Bread(pg.18)-tastes like a good French Wheat Boules with a crispy crust and chewy inside! Worth the 8 hour process, and the house smells so good when it is baking in the oven. The Irish Soda Bread does not have to proof, so it is very fast and delicious, and has a scone like texture. I love the Irish Soda bread made with dried fruit for breakfast with a side of my Lemon Curd(pg.225). There is a cornbread recipe too( pg.14). If you order my cookbook on this site using Pay Pal, I will personally sign it and send it to you. I greatly appreciate your support-many thanks.

I hope you enjoy these alternatives as much as I do. Let us all know how you like them. If you know of an alternative bread that does not contain rice flour, xanthan gum and lots of starch, please comment on this post and share it with all of us. Go bake some delicious bread and or go on your own search for a healthy alternative at your local health food store.  All of the brands above are found in health food stores-please support you local independent stores/owners so we can keep getting good, healthy food and supplements while supporting local families.

Be Well, Chef Lauren

When I was diagnosed with an allergy to dairy, I could not imagine life without cheese. I could give up milk, yogurt and the rest, but don’t take my triple creams and salty crumbly cheddar away from me! I lived in Switzerland where I ate cheese everyday and the thought of never enjoying it again was very upsetting to me.

At my doctors urging, I stopped eating dairy for 6 weeks. After 6 weeks, of  not one tiny bite of any dairy; upon my first inhale of the day, I had a new understanding of what clear breathing was suppose to feel like! At the age of 35, I experienced my first day with no congestion and how great it felt to breathe completely clearly. Wow, I had so much more energy, and my stomachaches were greatly reduced too. Okay, I had to admit that NO piece of cheese or any other form of dairy was worth it to me any longer. So, from that day forward I have not eaten any cheese.

I decided to try all the cheese alternative, soy, rice etc…Have you tasted them? In my opinion, they all tasted like cardboard and my biggest complaint was that they do not melt.

I was told that Amici’s Pizza has great Gluten-free and Dairy-free pizza. So, as you may have read in my previous article-they do and I love it. I went on a mission to find out what this dairy-free cheese was that they were using on their pizza because it was so good that I double checked to see if it was real cheese. It melts, it tastes like cheese and is so delicious. I was assured that it was dairy-free and not made from soy. What-not made from soy? What was it made from I wondered?

I was on a trip and asked if Whole Foods had a gluten-free/dairy-free pizza in their deli and they did. Guess what? It was the same cheese and they gave me the name of it. I could not get to my computer fast enough to research it and find out where I could buy it.

I found out that it is made from tapioca and a few other ingredients. It was developed by a food scientist(of course)-brilliant. I ordered both flavors-cheddar and mozzarella. With the cold pack and 2 day air shipping it cost me a fortune-$50, and worth every penny!I do not recommend that we eat this all the time, but it is a great treat and high in calcium(15%)!

The great news it that it is now available in retail stores including Draeger’s Markets(www.draegers.com) in the Bay area, check/request it from your local health food store. It is available in 8oz. packages(bags) in cheddar and mozzarella under the name “daiya” and it costs about $5.55-much more affordable than having it shipped! Look in the refrigerated section near the other alternative cheeses.

So far I’ve made rice macaroni and cheeze, omelets, quesadillas and burritos and they’ve all been superb. I will try it in a Quiche this weekend. All of these recipes will be in my next cookbook-stay tuned. It does not taste so good cold-it really needs to be melted. The shelf life before opening is about 6 months, but once opened you need to use it within 7 days. However, I have kept it in the freezer which works great.

I also was so happy to find that Amy’s is using daiya in their New Rice Macaroni and Cheeze which is dairy and gluten free. It comes frozen and can be reheated in the microwave or oven. However, it is about $7 per serving! It is very good, but I prefer to make it for much less at home. Make Brown Rice Macaroni, drain and pour sauce over it and mix. For sauce: Stir in one cup of daiya into”cream” sauce pg. 98 of No Wheat No Dairy No Problem, buy a personally autographed copy on this site. Let us know how you like it.

Daiya Ingredients: Filtered water, tapioca and/or arrowroot flours, non-GMO expeller pressed canola and/or non-GMO expeller pressed safflower oil, coconut oil, pea protein, salt, inactive yeast, vegan natural flavors, vegetable glycerin, sunflower lecithin, calcium citrate, xanthan gum, citric acid, annatto, vegan bacterial cultures.

For more information and recipes go to: www.daiyafoods.com

See my article on this site under Amici’s Pizza-for gluten-free pizza crust go to: www.stillridingpizza.com

Have your cheeze without suffering for it. Enjoy and Be Well, Chef Lauren

We just went on a road trip through California and Arizona and are now referring to our trip as the “Chipotle trip” because in 10 days we ate at Chipotle 3 times! Typically, I go out of my way to find hidden gems/food that I cannot get at home when I am on vacation or visiting another place. I love to sample the local food, and my intention was to eat mexican food in southern California and southwestern food in Arizona, but we kept finding ourselves at Chipotle. Once, we planned it with friends, and the other two times we were driving and were hungry and saw the sign and pulled off the road with glee and tire skids left on the pavement! Just kidding about the tire skids.

Why? We know what to expect because they are consistent, healthy and clean. Most items are gluten-free and it is no problem to omit the dairy. It tastes great and is very affordable, I can eat for under $10  per person. And, they offer beer, and Margaritas made with Odwalla Limeade(yum), water, Izzy sodas, and your soda fountain for all you who must have your Coke or Sprite! No gluten-free beer yet, but maybe in the future. They also have a kids menu(which I have ordered from)!

Chipotle, is a restaurant that is very healthy(serves naturally raised, no antibiotics used, organic, no preservatives/hormones, seasonal, local  etc…) food. It is a mexican grill that has tacos, burritos and salad or bowls. You stand in line and go through a buffet line where the friendly employees will serve you whatever you choose. You start with what kind of tortilla(corn(crispy or soft) or flour) or skip it and ask for a bowl. Then, you choose the meat(chicken, pork, beef) and or beans(black or pinto(has pork), 3 salsas, rice, sour cream, cheese, and guacamole for an additional charge, but it is the biggest portion I’ve ever seen for a nominal charge!

But, how does the food taste? DELICIOUS! It has lots of flavor, and the meat is tender. I must admit this is the way to go if you are in a hurry. And, you can order/pay online and there is an iPod app to order too!

Here is a quote from the owner Steve who was involved in the film Food Inc. which I believe everyone should see, including children. We need to educate ourselves and be empowered. Go to Chipotle.com for photos of the food and more information or to sign up for online ordering. Give them a try, and let us know how you like the food etc…

Steve says:

“Food With Integrity” isn’t a marketing slogan. It’s not a product line of natural and organic foods. And it’s not a corporate initiative that will ever be finished or set aside to make room for other priorities. It’s a philosophy that we can always do better in terms of the food we buy. And when we say better, we mean better in every sense of the word- better tasting, coming from better sources, better for the environment, better for the animals, and better for the farmers who raise the animals and grow the produce.
The hallmarks of Food With Integrity include things like unprocessed, seasonal, family-farmed, sustainable, nutritious, naturally raised, added hormone free, organic, and artisanal. And, since embracing this philosophy, it’s had tremendous impact on how we run our restaurants and our business. It’s led us to serve more naturally raised meat than any other restaurant in the country, to push for more sustainable practices in produce farming, and to work with dairy suppliers to eliminate the use of added hormones from their operations.” End Quote of Steve.

Besides the food, Chipotle is mindful of making the ambiance/building with eco-friendly and cost-effective materials. It is very clean looking, but the acoustics leave something to be desired-so, it is a bit noisy. Many of the locations have an outdoor patio. What are you waiting for? Jump online, on your iPod or in your car and go enjoy this healthy, delicious food! See the website Chipotle.com for locations. They accept cash(yeah, the green stuff) and credit cards.

I will post a Recipe/Menu of the Week, but recommend that you go out to eat once! Have dessert at home. Luscious, sweet berries are just coming into season so, I will post my Berry Crisp recipe from my cookbook No Wheat No Dairy No Problem. There are many crisp recipes along with 163 recipes-see the Table of Contents page for your favorites.

Enjoy and Be Well, Lauren

There is a new product on the market-it’s a dairy-free substitute for heavy cream. It is called Mimicreme and is made from almonds and cashews. The consistency is thick and similar to heavy cream. The only drawback is that it does NOT whip into whipped cream, but the company is working on formulating it so it will in the near future.

It comes in unsweetened, sweetened and sugar-free. I only like the unsweetened because I do not eat refined/white sugar and I try not to consume things with the least amount of ingredients.Here are the ingredients:

MimicCreme Unsweetened—Purified Water, Almonds, Cashews, Sodium Bicarbonate, Rice Starch, Non-Iodized Salt

MimicCreme Sweetened—Purified Water, Nut Blend (Almonds, Cashews), Sugar (Vegan), Maltodextrin (Corn Based), Tapioca Starch, Xanthan Gum, Guar Gum, Bicarbonate Soda, Natural Flavor, Sea Salt

MimicCreme Sweetened Sugar Free—Purified Water, Erythritol, Almonds, Cashews, Maltodextrin (Corn Based), Tapioca Starch, Guar Gum, Bicarbonate Soda, Non-Iodized Salt

It contains 10-25 calories per Tablespoon, 0-1 gram of fat and no trans-fat(bad fats) and very little else. It’s low in sodium and doesn’t have a lot of nutritional value. That said, it is much healthier than the other “dairy alternatives”. I do wish they would use organic ingredients especially almonds since they are heavily sprayed with pesticides. Let’s hope they will offer an organic version soon.

I have seen it for sale at Draeger’s Markets(Bay Area), Staff of Life(Santa Cruz), Clark’s Nutrition(Southern California). I am sure many independent health food stores are carrying it and if not you can request it. It is not in Whole Foods yet(as of the time of writing this article).

I must say that I love Mimicreme Unsweetened for making a very frothy topping for a warm cup of chai or cappuccino or hot chocolate. It’s so similar in texture to frothed milk that you may even fool your friends. I heat up a 1/2 cup until it is warm and use a hand-held frother (available at Clementine’s Kitchen, Jones and Bones, Sur la Table and kitchen stores) or the steaming arm of a cappuccino machine works terrific. I slowly pour/spoon the froth over my hot beverage of choice. Try the Chai or Hot Chocolate in my cookbook, No Wheat No Dairy No Problem, which personally autographed copies are  for sale on this site Only. See Recipe of the Week.

I am experimenting with using it for other recipes and will probably use some in my next cookbook. For more information and recipes to directly to their website www.mimicreme.com and let us know how you like it by posting a comment on this blog under this article/post.

Enjoy and Be Well, Chef Lauren

I like to purchase local Lamb, from California. I have found Australian Lamb that I like, but usually it is more gamey in flavor due to what they graze on. I am trying to buy as much local food as possible for many reasons-environmental, economical and it usually tastes better and is fresher when it is local. I also love Colorado Lamb. If I were in New Zealand I would find young Spring Lamb! Besides buying local, please remember the well-being of the animals and buy Organic, Free-Range meats.

I went to the San Francisco Farmer’s Market last weekend and just love all the spring vegetables including big leafy, green Kale. Take the kids and the dog and go on an adventure and find some new favorites. See the Vegetable section of my cookbook. Besides cooking without wheat, dairy and refined sugar, I am on a mission to introduce you to vegetable that taste fabulous when the proper cooking methods and some seasoning is applied! No more overcooked, boiled-to-death vegetables are allowed! Help yourself and your children fall in love with nutrient packed vegetables! Yum!

See my Recipe of the Week page for recipes and order the book through this blog and I will personally sign it for you. See links and Resources for sources to purchase various ingredients.

May your home be filled with loved ones and  fragrant smells of delicious food. Sending you many blessings this special week of the year. Have a wonderful holiday and happy cooking and eating!

Chef Lauren Hoover

My new love became olive oil and grapeseed oil, which you can read a long article on this site to learn more. Sometimes, especially when baking, I was looking for something with a mild taste and the same consistency as butter. I tried lots of “healthy” alternatives. One of the things that was most important to me was zero trans-fats and no hydrogenated oils and no preservatives or artificial additives.

After lots of tasting and baking, I fell in love with Earth Balance.  It has a smooth, creamy texture and tastes sweet and salty-very satisfying-you’ll never miss the butter! It is a vegetable spread that is vegan, non-dairy, no trans-fat and no hydrogenated oil. So, it is heart-healthy and will not clog your arteries. It has 100 calories per Tablespoon which is the same as butter, but it has half the saturated fat as butter. Butter has cholesterol and Earth Balance does not.

It comes in sticks and tubs. It is made with oils from olive, canola, soybean and palm fruit. It now comes in soy free too. They also make shortening sticks. I like to bake with the sticks and use the tubs for spreading onto food-great on veggies-especially yams/potatoes or bread, biscuits, scones, cornbread etc… The tub does not bake the same at the sticks. I use Earth Balance in my cookbook, No Wheat No Dairy No Problem-personally signed copies may be purchased through Pay Pal on this site.

Earth Balance may be purchased at health food stores  in the refrigerated section. As of now, Trader Joe’s carries the tubs, not the sticks. Give it a try, I think you will love it too.  Even my friends who can eat butter, choose to eat Earth Balance once they try it! Try the Recipe of the Week-Irish Soda Bread with Honey spread(uses Earth Balance)-YUM.

When shopping for fish, I always go as close to the water/source as possible! If I can get fish fresh off a boat all the better. Some shopping tips: fish should always smell like the ocean, if it smells fishy it is old, leave it there. If the head is still attached, the eyes should be clear and bright not foggy or white. It should be firm and bounce back to the touch not be soft and mushy. Ask the fish monger what is fresh that day. Most fish is delivered M-F, so Sunday may not be the best night to have fish-ask the store/fish monger.

I keep a little cooler in my car for fish/ meat, and ask the store of a bag of ice or put my frozen block into my cooler when I am leaving my house to go shopping. I learned to do this when I lived in the desert and the summer temperatures climbed to 120F degrees! Even if it is not this hot, remember the optimal bacterial growth is between 40Fdegrees and 140degrees! So unless you live at the poles, you need to get the food to your refrigerator that is between 36-38 degreesF as soon as possible. Ice chests help, but are not usually that cold. Be safe and avoid food borne illness.

Since I live near the ocean, I am not a fan of frozen fish, but some people love it. It is very eco-friendly and if you live far from the ocean(especially in a hot climate) it is a good way to purchase fish. Most frozen fish is frozen at sea and air shipped to the distributor- ask.

I suggest that you purchase the fish the day you want to eat it or freeze it the same day you purchase it. Do not keep fresh uncooked fish for longer than 2 days. Remember so see my cookbook Hints and Professional Tips section on the safety of food handling. Always defrost in a pan on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator .

I love all kinds of fish. It is a nice thing to eat after last weeks hearty Buffalo Stroganoff! We went to dinner at some friends home and we cooked Black Sable, Black Cod  or Butterfish and it was so delicious. It was white, tender and melted in our mouths. I can see why it is called Butterfish since the texture is so buttery minus the butter! I seasoned it with salt and pepper and shook the 1 inch fillets in a light dusting of Gluten-free Oat Flour http://mtmonstermunchies.com/?a=gfoats or Rice flour and sautéed them in a pan with oil for 4-5 minutes per side, only turning once. The skin was left on and was delectably crispy and mild-and packed with nutrients.  I set the fish aside and poured Sauvignon Blanc, a squeeze of lemon, lemon zest and capers into the pan and reduced it by half and then poured it over the fish and served immediately! Alongside we had sautéed Kale(pg.86) and Scalloped Potatoes(pg.90) and Double Chocolate Chip Cookies(pg. 206). Yum!

Once in a while I indulge in Fried Fish-this weeks Recipe of the Week with French Fries. Kids, big and small, love this.  Cod is my favorite for this recipe. The key is to be sure the oil is hot enough, 360 degrees so it forms a quick crust/seal around the food so the oil cannot be absorbed. It is when the oil is not hot enough that a seal cannot form and the food will soak up the oil and you have greasy food! Yep, it’s true…try it. Yes, there will be some oil, of course, so just drain the food on a paper bag and dab with paper towels to remove the excess.

Fish is full of Omega oils and low in calories. Yes, we must be careful of the heavy metals too. So, that is why I rotate what I eat and incorporate variety. I got on a salmon kick about 20 years ago. There was a little fish shop down the hill from my house and I could get fresh caught salmon(doesn’t even taste fishy and smells like the ocean). I had learned to make Hollandaise sauce and went crazy and could not touch or eat this fish for years, but am happy to say I love it and developed a delicious dairy-free Hollandaise sauce(pg.100).

I will be writing more about Omega fatty acids and fish later. We do not consume enough fish to get all the health benefits of Omega fatty acids we need.  For more information you can visit www.nordicnaturals.com I love their products and do feel better since I’ve been taking them. I alternate between the flavored liquids and capsules. When using the liquid(comes in an array of flavors) I put 1 teaspoon-1Tablespoon into a shot of fresh Orange juice and chase it with more OJ-not bad. Do not blend it as the structure and benefits will be compromised.  The kids gummies are yummy!

I fell in love with Buffalo on a trip to Montana; and hope you will too. My friends served Buffalo in many forms-roast, sausages etc.. and they were the most flavorful I had ever tasted without any hormones or additives that I avoid. I was delighted to find it sold at Whole Foods and some local grocery meat counters.What I learned later was that is has so many nutritional benefits. It is much lower in fat, calories and cholesterol and higher in protein, iron and vitamin B12 than chicken and beef! See chart below.

After my neurobiology class in 2005, I decided to never eat beef again…and I have not missed it to date. I was so excited to find Buffalo as a healthy alternative and quickly began testing all my favorite recipes that traditionally used beef. To my surprise, they were even better with Buffalo!My cookbook, No Wheat No Dairy No Problem, has many recipes for buffalo including: Bourguignon, Chili, Meatloaf, Moussaka, Swedish Meatballs and Stroganoff(this weeks recipe of the week). I also am an animal lover and am concerned about making environmentally friendly and humane choices in my food.

Buffalo/Bison are free range and graze on the green grassy hills.They are native to Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas-and raised in Minnesota too. They were almost extinct, but are making a comeback thanks to ranchers and an increased demand. So, the more we eat the more we will support their proliferation.

I was happy to learn that Billionaire, Ted Turner owns 15 ranches in seven states, covering 1.9 million acres. That’s 3,000 square miles – bigger than Delaware or Rhode Island. They are to make money, to protect the environment and to promote the conservation of native species. The ranches have diverse revenue sources. The most visible is the sale of buffalo meat. Much of it is sold through Ted’s Montana Grill, a fast-growing chain of about 50 casual restaurants, the newest of which just opened in midtown Manhattan. (Turner oversees the restaurants with a partner, George McKerrow.) I will definitely be making a reservation for my next NY trip, how about you?! To learn more about his ranches go to his website or watch a rerun of Martha Stewart who dedicated a whole show to Buffalo/Bison and a visit with Ted Turner on one of his ranches. Read an article by Fortune magazine at

money.cnn.com/2006/10/03/news/economy/pluggedin_gunther_bison.fortune/index.htm

Buffalo is also called Bison can be used interchangeably with beef in most recipes, so enjoy all your favorite dishes made healthier – buffalo chili, buffalo lasagna, buffalo stew – the list is endless.

Cooking Buffalo: See below along with internet searches with many sites including utube videos with Buffalo/Bison recipes.

Crock Pot Cooking
Very slow, moist heat works especially well with the less tender cuts of meat. The best way is a crock pot or slow cooker. Let this cook all day. With the slow moist cooking you won’t have to worry about drying out the meat with overcooking. Use the low setting on your crock pot.

Grilling
Don’t put bison on the flame! We have found the best grilling technique is the indirect method. If you have a dual control gas grill, heat the one side on high for 5 to 10 minutes, then reduce to medium-high. Place the steak or roast on the cool side. In colder temperatures, you may want to have the heat on low under the meat. For a single control grill cover one side with foil to lock out the direct heat. Use a meat thermometer for roasts and go by appearance when grilling steaks.

Roasts
The best oven temperature is a 275 degree oven. Preheat your oven. To insure the desired doneness, use a meat thermometer. Because bison cooks more quickly you may want to check it sooner than you would beef. Rib steaks, roasts, tenderloin, and sirloin roasts are suitable cuts for roasting.

To order and more information go to: http://www.buffalohillsbisonmeat.com

Or go to the Links page on this website for more sources

For more info and scientific studies and more go to:

www.montana.edu/~wwwcbs/

I hope you will give Buffalo a try and fall in love with it as I did. You can order my cookbook on this site and I will personally sign it for you. See nutritional chart below. Be Well, Lauren

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON
Per 100 GRAM SERVING – COOKED MEAT

GRAMS CALORIES

KCAL CHOLESTEROL

MG IRON

MG VITAMIN B-12

MCG Bison: 2.42 143 82 3.42 2.86 Beef (choice): 10.15 219 86 2.99 2.65 Beef (Select): 8.09 201 86 2.99 2.64 Pork: 9.66 212 86 1.1 0.75 Chicken (Skinless): 7.41 190 89 1.21 0.33 Sockeye Salmon: 10.97 216 87 0.55 5.80

I am not a big fan of soy for many reasons-mostly because we get too much of it. If you do choose soy, it is best in its natural form-Organic Edamame beans. Be sure that you purchase Non-GMO or Organic soy. If you want to know more see the film Food Inc.

My new favorite milk alternative is Hemp byTempt Living Harvest. Why? It tastes good and is very high in Omega 3 and 6. Hemp has no known allergens, and is a valuable source of calcium(40%),  protein, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin E, iron and zinc. It is FREE of dairy,nuts, soy, gluten and cholesterol. It has no trans fats, is low in sodium and is vegan, Kosher and Non-GMO! I buy the Unsweetened Original, but it also comes in vanilla and chocolate. It is not inexpensive, so I buy it on sale and stock up. You can find it in health food stores.

Tempt now makes Ice “Cream”-a non-dairy frozen dessert, but I have yet to try it. I am parital to my Ice “Cream” recipes because I have found the texture of my recipes to be closer to that of the real thing than other alternatives. I do buy Coconut Bliss when I don’t have time to make my own. Yesterday, I made a batch of Vanilla Ice “Cream” and it only took me 1 hour and 4-8hours to set-well worth it!

I alternate each week with a different alternative for economic reasons and health reasons. I developed my wheat allergy due to overexposure, and the last thing I want to do is become allergic/sensitive to any of my alternatives! So I alternate between Almond, Hemp, and Hazelnut. Occasionally I will drink rice milk or non-GMO soy milk when nothing else is available when I am out.

Hazelnut is so delicious plain or chocolate! Try it in my Hot Chocolate recipe for an Italian version-Che buono! Hazelnuts are very anti-inflammatory-Dr. Perricone and many others recommend them. Hazelnut milk is high in calcium(30%), vitamin D, riboflavin and vitamin E. You can make your own Hazelnut or Almond Milk from my cookbook too-use organic nuts to avoid pesticides. Pacific Natural Foods makes it and it is Kosher and Gluten Free.

You can find these alternatives in boxes on the store shelves. They do not need to be refrigerated until opened, and last 7-10 days once opened and kept in the refrigerator. I take the individual ones on the road-great for vacation or when I only need a small amount in a recipe. I have been using these alternatives in my breakfast smoothies with a small amount of coconut milk for the creamy mouth feel. A sure way to loose weight is to drink an 8 oz smoothie in place of breakfast or lunch with the soy lecithin(see blog post) which breaks down stored fat-especially in the belly!

Do not use these alternatives for infants because their is not enough of the proper balance of nutrition for them, but it’s great for kids and adults. So, go buy some boxes of these Unsweetened versions of milk alternatives and find your own favorites-chill them and do a taste comparison both alone and in smoothies. See Recipe of the Week for my smoothie. Come back next week to read about my favorite new cream alternative!

Have fun and Be Well,  Chef Lauren