Catch Up Mondays: Recipes Without Using Foods Like Vinegar

This was originally posted on June 29, 2012.  I have noticed several search engine queries about vinegar-free salad dressing that have led viewers to my blog.  I love the taste of this salad dressing.  I have even used this dressing on sandwiches, on pasta, and to make chicken salad. 

I have given up many foods that have mold in them and tried to figure out alternatives.  Years ago I was given a salad recipe from a friend.  Back in the day I followed the recipe to the letter including using vinegar.  Recently when a company that made my  vinegar free salad dressing decided to add citric acid (which commonly is a mold product) I was out of having salads.  Suddenly I remembered that  home-made salad dressing recipe and searched for it.

I found it and looked over the ingredients.  I began to ponder what it would be like if I used fresh lemon juice in place of the vinegar.  I tried it and it worked.  Tonight my daughter was making a pasta salad that called for rice wine vinegar (a no-no for me) as well as feta cheese (another no-no for me).  She offered to make the salad for me substituting lemon juice and leaving out the cheese.  It was actually quite good.  I will see if I can get a copy of that recipe.  In the meantime I am going to post the salad dressing recipe I have been making for myself.

Green Salad Dressing 

1 small handful of parsley (1/6 of bunch)               1 Egg

2 lge. or 3 small green onions                                  1/3 cup lemon juice

1-2 cloves garlic                                                           1 tsp. Salt

Oil of Choice (I like olive oil)

Put  all ingredients except oil in blender on high.  Pour in oil until you cannot see the motion of the blender.  This makes not quite a quart.

To be safe using the egg, I coddle it.  To coddle an egg, place a room temperature egg in a cup.  Pour boiling water over the egg and let it sit for a minute to a minute and a half.  Cool the egg slightly and crack into the blender.

Some where I also have a substitute for using soy sauce (which is fermented and therefore a no-no for me).  I also came up with another version of the salad dressing that I will post soon..  I have not looked for this and seeing this part of the post reminds me that I need to look for it.

Gluten Free Recipes from Elana’s Pantry – Diary

Aug. 25, 2012

I decided to try one of the bread recipes from http://elanaspantry.com.  I had purchased some blanched almond flour after visiting her site.

The bread I made was the “simple bread” http://www.elanaspantry.com/simple-bread/.   The bread was moist when I cut my first slice and tasted good the next day when I toasted it for breakfast.   The only change to the recipe below is that I substituted the 1/2 tsp. of apple cider vinegar with 1/2 tsp. of lemon juice as I am avoiding fermented products.  I can’t tell you how the recipe tastes with the vinegar but it was good using the lemon juice.

Simple Bread

• 2 ½ cups blanched almond flour
• ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar
• ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1. In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt and baking soda
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, then add agave and vinegar
3. Stir wet ingredients into dry
4. Scoop batter into a well greased 6.5 x 4 inch baby loaf pan
5. Bake at 300° for 45-55 minutes on bottom rack of oven; until a knife comes out clean
6. Cool and serve

Makes 1 loaf (about 12 slices)

I plan on trying another bread recipe and some of her cookie bar type recipes.  I will post my results and any variations that I might use here.