One Step at the Time

I have now eased into stage three of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, and it's still working out for me. I havent' been converted to fried eggs and beef patties, though, so it's a relief to be able to eat a greater variety of vegetables again. I'm getting back to cooking via the same routes that took me back when I was diagnosed with celiac disease: I'm starting out with sauces, dressings and cookies. Sauces and dressings because they provide some easy positive results and they are so versatile. Cookies because it is such a basic joy to be able to have something sweet and enjoyable with tea or after dinner, and since I am by nature a major kitchen-avoider, it takes something yummy and a couple of succesful endeavours in the kitch to whet my appetite for whipping up more food-like items.

So first up, I tried buying my way out of this taste-less misery of boiled eggs and pureed carrots and I got myself some mustard. Plain mustard should be allowed on the SCD, and I found some with pretty basic ingredients and no sugar. It had some un-identified vinegar, though, but I thought, what are the odds that it's from, say, barley? Or from wine, which is not "allowed" on SCD. Well, it arrested my progress for sure, and I did the smart thing and turned it over to the bf.

Second time around I did something wiser and cracked out some kitchen equipment. I wonder why I agonise over cooking every time when it invariably leads to tintilated tastebuds and a happy tummy? I bookmarked this Cashew-Carrot Curry Spread over at Healthy Exposures a while ago. I have made carrot spreads before, and I have made cashew dressings plenty of times but this. is. a. winner. I had to make just a couple of SCD adjustments - the directions for the diet don't say anything about spices really, but I'm assuming as long as they are pure spices, not mixtures with strange additives, it should be alright. Anyhow, it tasted like sheer bliss and my stomach is a peaceful, sated beast right now. Turmeric, for one, I know should be good for the tummy, I've written about it before, here.

I poured boiling water on the cashews twice, just in case, and soaked them for maybe four hours - obviously I used no mustard, just mustard powder (again, no additives) and in stead of greek yoghurt I used a couple of spoonfuls homemade coconut yoghurt.

Because I like to make more than one thing when I'm finally in the kitchen, I also made the "Sweet Basil Oil Salad Dressing" from The Complete Book of Raw Food, which I borrowed a while back. I'm not impressed with that one, though. Somehow it needs more...basil. And sweetness, or something, but that's okay: a fifty percent rate for the day and one huge success is not bad at all for a start.