Ingredients:

• 6 pounds of fresh tomatoes OR (2) 46 oz. bottles of tomato juice
• 1-1/2 cups white vinegar
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 medium onion, about a cup, cut into quarters
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed (see this video for easy peeling)
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp paprika
• 1 cup honey

Directions:

If using fresh tomatoes, process them until they are simply juice. See the videos below for instruction. If starting with juice, proceed to step one.

1. Combine all ingredients except for honey. Simmer till ketchup-thick, about 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally then more frequently as it thickens. The stirring will prevent burning.
2. Remove bay leaf.
3. Add honey and heat a while longer to return to ketchup thickness. Stir frequently to prevent burning, lowering the heat if necessary.
4. Remove from heat and puree with blender to smooth and incorporate remaining onion and garlic.

Notes:

Yields about 5 cups.

Ketchup will keep for a long time in your fridge.

Make a large batch and process them in a canner to make it shelf stable for even longer storage.

Videos:

This video also contains info for using a food mill to remove seeds and skins from tomatoes.

This short video shows you how to remove the skins from tomatoes.

For more videos visit my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/eatingSCD

Longing for a new way to enjoy broccoli, I thought a bowl of soup sounded good. This recipe is versatile enough to serve warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Ingredients:
1 Tb olive oil
1 lb fresh broccoli (about 4-1/2 cups), cut into small pieces
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced (see this video for easy peeling)
2 cups homemade chicken stock
1 tsp dried tarragon
1 cup rich yoghurt
1 tsp salt (if chicken stock is unsalted)

Directions:
1. Heat oil in stock pot over medium heat.
2. Add broccoli, onion and garlic to pot, cooking until softened but not browned.
3. Add chicken stock, tarragon, yoghurt and salt and bring to a simmer.
4. Puree soup in blender or with an immersion blender.

Notes:

Cooking yoghurt will kill the bacteria so don’t consider the yoghurt in this recipe as a probiotic.

Enjoy warm or cold.

Yields 5-1/2 cups.

I wanted a tender, flavorful, moist rib with a complex smokey flavor and a slight crust. Check, check, check and check. Mmmmm, baby these are goooood eatin’!

Preparation:
You’ll need to make the bbq sauce the day before. See the recipe.
Soak wood chips in water for at least 1 hour before use.
Make a fire in your grill for indirect cooking and make sure it is ready to go soon after the ribs are done simmering.

Ingredients:
1 slab of ribs
1 onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves of garlic, smashed (see this video for easy peeling)
1 cinnamon stick, broken in two
a pinch of ground cloves
a pinch of nutmeg
1 tsp black pepper, roughly ground.
water
bbq sauce #2

Directions:
1. Place onion, garlic, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and pepper in bottom of large pan.
2. Place ribs on top of spices.
3. Cover ribs with water.
4. Simmer ribs in covered pan for 1-1/2 to two hours until tender. Meat should have pulled back from the bones about 1 inch.
5. Drain ribs and place directly over fire for a few minutes per side.
6. Move ribs to indirect heat in grill and coat with bbq sauce.
7. Drain wood chips and place on coals.
8. Allow to smoke for about 15 minutes.
9. Serve with bbq sauce for dippin’.

Notes:
Simmering can either be done on the stove top or in a 350 degree F. oven.
Simmering adds complex flavor to the meat itself and makes it tender and moist. Direct cooking on the grill gives it a slight crust.
For instructions on smoking with a gas grill, see this video.

Video:
How to smash garlic.

For more of my videos, including higher quality versions, visit my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/eatingSCD

Guiding principals: tangy, sweet, spicy, smokey, complex. Great on everything, but made for the ribs.

Ingredients:
(2) 46 oz cans tomato juice (only salt added) OR fresh tomatoes: see notes below
1-1/2 cup white vinegar
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp sweet hungarian paprika or better yet, smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground chipoltle pepper
2 tsp salt
2 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped
12 cloves garlic, smashed (see this video for easy peeling)
1 Tbs liquid smoke (see note below)
1-1/2 cups honey
and maybe 1 tablespoon Tabasco Hot sauce (the original red only)

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients, except for honey, liquid smoke and Tabasco in a large pot.
2. Simmer for hours and hours until very thick, stirring occasionally, more so as it thickens.
3. Add honey and simmer another 30 minutes, stirring more frequently to prevent burning.
4. Remove bay leaves.
5. Taste and add Tobasco Hot sauce if you see fit.
6. Add liquid smoke.
7. Transfer to a blender and puree well.

Yields about 3 pints

Notes:
To substitute fresh tomatoes for canned juice, use six pounds, cored and skinned. See the videos below.
The initial simmering will take 6-8 hours.
Halving the recipe will halve your simmer time.
Adding the liquid smoke in the beginning can greatly diminish it’s flavor so it’s better to add it at the end when the simmering is done.

Regarding liquid smoke: I use Wright’s Hickory or Mesquite Liquid Smoke. The labels list no illegal ingredients. I emailed the company to be sure and they confirmed the legality. Find the exchange below.

My inquiry:

I am on an extremely strict diet that does not allow me to have any forms
of refined sugars, gums or starches.

Do either your hickory or mesquite liquid smoke products contain any forms
or refined sugar, gum or starch?

Thank your for your help.

Sincerely,
Paul Stocker

Their reply:

Dear Mr. Stocker,

Wright’s Liquid Smoke is a natural product that gives foods a charcoal broiled taste.

It is made from hickory wood that is burned in an enclosed unit.
As the smoke rises it is captured in a condenser, allowing the smoke to cool.
The cooled smoke forms water droplets (condensation).
The condensation droplets are collected in a pan, filtered and placed in 55 gallon drums.  The drums are taken to the production filling location where it is filtered for a second time and transferred to the filling line.
The bottles are filled, capped and labeled.  They are then placed into shipping cases ready for distribution.

It contains no salt, carbohydrates, sugars, gum, starches, food additives, colorings or carcinogens. It is designated “natural” by the FDA.

—

Some other liquid smoke brands do contain illegals so read carefully.

Here’s an article on Slashfood about liquid smoke.

In the interest of full disclosure it should be noted that the gold standard for investigating a processed food as set forth by Elaine Gottschall is to get a physical letter from the company on official letterhead with a person’s title and signature. By this measure, my investigation fails as I conducted it by email. Given this specific product and that most communication now takes place electronically, I am personally comfortable with the validity of the email exchange. You will have to decide for yourself where your comfort lies.

If you want to omit the liquid smoke, but keep the smoke flavor, two options come to mind:

• Increase the smoked paprika
• Smoke some onions or other vegetable on your grill and use them in the sauce (Thanks to Marilyn on the BTVC-SCD group for this suggestion).

Video:
How to smash garlic.

This short video shows you how to remove the skins from tomatoes.

Making ketchup from scratch. Same method, slightly different ingredients.

For more of my videos, including higher quality versions, visit my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/eatingSCD

This spicy treat gives you a little bit of your breakfast back. Try it with eggs and banana pancakes and you’ll think it’s the old days when you ate with wild abandon.

Ingredients:
1-1/2 lbs. ground chuck beef
1 tsp ground anise seed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground fennel seed
1/2 tsp ground mustard
3/4 tsp crushed red pepper
3/4 tsp ground coriander seed
1/2 Tbsp. dried oregano
3/4 tsp. salt
2 cloves garlic, finely minced (see this video for easy peeling)
1/2 white onion, finely minced
1 large egg, beaten

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix very well. Get yourself some rubber gloves and dive right in.
2. Form thin patties or link shapes.
3. Fry on medium heat for 5-7 minutes per side.

Notes:
Try other meats or add some pork to this recipe if you like.
The egg makes for a more tender sausage, but can be eliminated if necessary.
Fry this up as crumbles instead of patties or links for use in other recipes like pizza or spaghetti sauce (I’d eliminate the egg for this purpose).
Make a bunch and freeze in serving portions for a quick fix.

Butter is the key to making this soup rich, warm and comforting. The tiny bits of spices add a complexity and earthiness that round out the feel good factor.

Ingredients:
1 lb. stew beef (my butcher regularly has this cut-up convenience ready to go)
1 lb. carrots, cut about 1/3 inch thick (or use baby carrots)
3/4 yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1 quart hot water.
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, pressed (see this video for easy peeling)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1/8 tsp. ground mustard
1/16 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/16 tsp. ground clove
1/2 tsp. dried parsley

Preparation:
Before you begin, Set a quart of water on to boil (I use a tea kettle). If it boils before you are ready to use it, turn off the heat and leave it covered.

Instructions:

1. In a dutch oven over medium high heat, saute the carrots and onions in 4 Tbsps. butter for 5-10 minutes or until they begin to brown.
2. Remove carrots and onions from pan to a covered bowl.
3. Saute beef for 3-5 minutes, until it begins to brown. Turn once and cook for 3-5 more minutes.
4. Remove beef from pan and put with carrots and onions in covered bowl.
5. Add about 1/8 inch of water to pan, scraping bottom of pan to release all the brownings. This is where your soup gets much of it’s flavor and all of it’s color so do a good job.
6. Add garlic and spices to pan and cook for another minute. Don’t let pan go dry!
7. Return carrots, onion and beef to pan and cover with 1 quart of hot water.
8. Simmer on medium for 35 minutes or until carrots and beef are done.
9. Taste soup and salt to taste. Melt remaining 2 Tbsp. butter into soup.

Notes:
Yields about 6 cups.
Additional vegetables can be added such as mushroom. Just follow the same sauteing procedure.
Freezes well.

All the taco goodness without the corn. The Napa cabbage provides the alternate crunch and makes it easy to handle.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground chuck
1 tsp salt
2-1/2 tsp homemade chili powder for mild, 1-1/2 T for hotter
2 cloves garlic, finely minced (see this video for easy peeling)
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
Napa Cabbage

Directions:
1. Brown beef and onions then drain excess fat.
2. Add salt, chili powder and garlic and simmer for 5 minutes, adding a little water if necessary to incorporate spices.
3. Serve on Napa cabbage leaves with your choice of toppings. The Napa cabbage is sturdy enough to pick up the taco and not fall apart.

Toppings:
Rich yoghurt (in place of sour cream)
Cheddar cheese
Chili Sauce
A Fresher Salsa
Cilantro
Slices of avocado
A Fresher Guacamole
Tabasco sauce (only the original red – read the labels)

Might I suggest some refried beans to go with that?

The meat freezes well.

Ingredients:
4 cups ripe tomato, diced or about 3 large tomatos
1-1/2 cups yellow onion, diced or 1 medium to large onion
1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice, about one lime’s worth
3/4 packed cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1 small jalepeno pepper, finely diced

Directions:
1. Combine tomato, onion, lime juice, cilantro and salt in bowl.
2. Allow to sit for a couple of minutes then taste. Now is the time to add more salt or lime if you like. If you do this taste test after adding the jalepeno, it will be more difficult to discern.
3. Add jalepeno pepper. This can be tricky as the heat of the jalepeno can range from bell pepper mild to eye-watering hot. Best to start small. Add some to the salsa, give it a good stir and then taste. Too mild? Add more, stir and taste. Repeat till satisfied.

Notes:
Do not use sweet onion!
If you like extra mild salsa, just omit the jalepeno.
Keeps in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Good on eggs, refried beans, steak and just about anything you can imagine.

Bonus Recipe: A Fresher Bloody Mary using the juice produced by this recipe. Mmmmmm.

The spices and long cooking combine to create a tender beef with a complex flavor not too unlike a mild barbecue sauce. This is definitely a comfort food.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup olive oil
3 lb. chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat
1 lb. carrots, sliced
1 onion, sliced
3/4 cup water
1 clove garlic, pressed (see this video for easy peeling)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. dried tarragon
1 Tbs. dried oregano
1 Tbs. dried parsley
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary leaves
1 quart home-canned tomatoes OR two pounds fresh, cored and skinned
salt

Directions:
1. Liberally season trimmed roast with salt and pepper on both sides.
2. Heat olive oil in dutch oven over medium high heat until it shimmers.
3. Sear roast for about 8 minutes each side, or until it’s well browned.
4. Remove roast from pan and let stand.
5. Add carrots and onions to pan and sauté until browned, stirring once or twice.
6. Add water to pan to deglaze. Scrape bottom of pan to get all brownings up.
7. Add garlic, bay leaf, tarragon, oregano, parsley and rosemary and cook for 2 minutes.
8. Add tomato to pan and bring to a strong simmer.
9. Return roast to pan and reduce to a medium simmer.
10. Simmer covered for 3-4 hours or until meat shreds easily.
11. Spoon tomato sauce over meat each hour to keep it moist.
12. Taste sauce after 3 hours and adjust salt to suit your taste.
13. Remove bay leaf.

Freezes well.

Ingredients:
2 lbs. flank steak, cut into thin strips, about 1/8 inch thick. (see note below)
Marinade
2 tsp liquid smoke (see note below)

Marinade:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup pineapple juice (see notes below)
2 tsp toasted sesame oil (dark color)
2 Tbsp honey
6 cloves garlic, flattened (see this video for easy peeling)
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp salt
2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp cinnamon, ground
1 tsp ginger, ground
1/8 tsp cloves, ground

Directions:
1. Combine marinade ingredients, bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Remove from heat, add 2-1/2 cups of cold water and liquid smoke.
3. Cool marinade completely before adding to meat in a 1 gallon freezer zip bag.
4. Remove as much air as possible from bag before sealing.
5. Refrigerate for 2-3 days before drying, kneading the bag once or twice a day.
6. Drain the meat in a colander for about 5 minutes.
7. Dry for 6-8 hours in your dehydrator on the meat setting.
8. Let cool completely then store in airtight container.

Will keep at room temperature for weeks.

Notes:
It is important to use the leanest meat possible as fat can lead to spoilage. Trim as much fat from your meat as possible before cutting into strips.

If you don’t drain your meat before putting it in the dehydrator, you will end up with a mess under your dehydrator as it drys.

Regarding pineapple juice: Commercial pineapple juice used to be legal, but is no longer so. See this post. Either make your own pineapple juice, substitute fresh orange juice or eliminate all together.

Regarding liquid smoke: I covered this somewhat controversial topic in my Barbecue Sauce #2 recipe notes. Be sure to review.