Cooking for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet: Over 125 Easy, Healthy, and Delicious Recipes that are Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free, and Grain-Free

By Erica Kerwien

The revised second edition of the bestselling cookbook developed to help you conquer digestive orders and heal your microbiome.

Do Crohn’s disease, IBS, celiac disease, ulcerative colitis, or other digestive issues keep you from enjoying your favorite foods? Then pick up this book and leave the pain and frustration behind.

Now revised and expanded, Cooking for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, 2nd Edition provides over 125 belly-friendly recipes with added nutritional information, updated photos, brand new recipes, as well as fan favorite treats, including Persian chicken, falafel, banana bread, almond toffee brownies, and more!

Cooking for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, 2nd Edition also serves up tips for eating smart, healthy, and even indulgently despite a sensitive stomach—all brought to you by popular Comfy Belly blogger Erica Kerwien. As a mom caring for a son with Crohn’s, she has firsthand knowledge of what works and what doesn’t for both taste and digestion.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Nov 19, 2019
• ISBN: 9781612439549

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Basic Recipes

Here is a collection of basic recipes and techniques that can be used on their own or as part of other recipes, including many in this book. I use some of these recipes on a weekly basis. You’ll find both dairy-based and dairy-free recipes, as well as both vegetarian and meat-based recipes.

Soaked Nuts, Seeds, and Beans

Soaking nuts, seeds, and beans (legumes) is a great idea, and just requires a bit of planning—mostly to allow enough soaking time. Most seeds, nuts, and beans (and grains, by the way) are coated with enzyme inhibitors to prevent them from sprouting (growing) prematurely. Soaking initiates enzyme activity, making these foods easier to digest and their nutrients more available and easily absorbable. Many nuts also taste better after they’ve been soaked, especially walnuts and almonds. This is because any tannins, dust, and residue from the skins is released into the soaking water, leaving the soaked nut with a smoother, buttery flavor.

Quick Tips

■  You can store soaked (and drained) nuts and seeds in the refrigerator for a day or so if you’re not quite ready to use them.

■  Make sure you’re soaking the raw, unsalted, and unprocessed form of seed, nut, or bean.

■  Some legumes, such as red lentils, don’t need soaking.

In general, you want to soak nuts and seeds until they’re softened. For SCD, soak all beans overnight. The chart on page 18 will help guide you—in general, the denser the nut, seed, or bean, the longer the soaking time. Here’s how to proceed:

1.    Remove nuts or seeds from their shells, if they have them.

2.    Fill a container with about double the amount of water as nuts, seeds, or beans to be soaked. If you are soaking 2 cups of almonds, for example, soak them in 4 cups of water. Many nuts, seeds, and beans will expand while soaking.

3.    Soak for anywhere from 15 minutes to overnight. The goal is to soak until the nuts, seeds, or beans start to soften. The necessary soaking time varies—check the chart on page 18 for estimated soaking time for some types.

4.    Rinse and drain the nuts, seeds, or beans until the water is clear. Let them drain fully and then they’re ready to use in a recipe. You can also dry them in a dehydrator if you want them completely dry.

Almond Milk (and Other Nut Milks)

Almond milk is my favorite dairy-free milk. It can be used in soups, baking, tea, smoothies, or just to drink on its own. I make my own almond milk because it’s difficult to find almond milk that works for SCD due to the additives in most brands. To change it up, this recipe also works with other nuts, such as macadamias, Brazil nuts, and hazelnuts. Or try a mixture of nuts, or use seeds, if you prefer.

As almond milk sits in the refrigerator, it will separate. Just whisk or shake it up again before drinking or using it in a recipe. Besides the water and nuts, you’ll also want a nut milk bag (see Product Sources, page 256), or use several layers of cheesecloth. Leggings and tights work, too! The almond pulp that remains can be used to make crackers (see Parmesan Crackers, page 64, and Almond Saltine Crackers, page 66).

Makes 2 (1-cup) servings

1 cup raw almonds

2 cups water

1.    Place the almonds in a bowl and cover them with water to soak overnight.

2.    Drain and rinse the almonds and place them in a high-speed blender. Add 2 cups of water to the almonds and blend until completely ground up; I blend mine for about 1