Monthly Archives: July 2016

Clam Chowder (Paleo-Style)

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clam chowderby Karen Frazier

Clam chowder….what can I say? It’s a family favorite, but with my Celiac disease and dairy allergy, I’ve had to make it over in a way that works for my diet. This version is made with anti-inflammatory ingredients, and it’s lowish in carbs and paleo, so it’s perfect for people with all sorts of inflammatory autoimmune conditions, like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

  • 6 slices pepper bacon, cut into pieces
  • 1 fennel bulb, chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 8 cups bone broth
  • 2 (6-ounce) cans clams, undrained
  • 1 celery root (celeriac), peeled and cut into half-inch cubes
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • Pinch red pepper flakes (or to taste – I like mine a bit on the spicy side)
  • 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fennel fronds
  1. In a large pot, cook the pepper bacon on medium-high until it is browned. Remove the bacon from the fat in the pot with a slotted spoon and set it aside.
  2. To the fat in the pan, add the fennel, celery, onion, and carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to brown, five to seven minutes.
  3. Add the bone broth, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with the side of a spoon.
  4. Add the clams, celery root, thyme, tarragon, pepper, salt, and pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer. Reduce to medium-low and cook until the celery root is tender, about 10 minutes.
  5. In a small bowl, whisk together the arrowroot powder and water. Pour it into the soup in a thin stream, stirring constantly. Simmer, stirring, until the chowder thickens slightly, about three minutes more.
  6. Stir in the reserve bacon and the fennel fronds.

photo credit: Pike Place Chowder via photopin (license)

Peanut Butter Fudge Pie

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pieby Karen Frazier

If you’re on a low-carb or gluten-free diet, you can still enjoy sweets from time to time. This peanut butter fudge pie is easy to make, low in carbs, and it has a chocolatey nut crust, so it’s gluten-free and dairy-free, as well. To make it paleo (but not low-carb), you can replace the sweetener in the crust and the filling with pure maple syrup or honey to taste. I don’t like things to be super sweet, so I recommend doing the add a little sweetener and taste until you get to your desired level of sweetness, or the pie might not be sweet enough for you as written.

  • 1  1/2 cups pecans
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cup granulated Truvia (in the green plastic jar) or Swerve sweetener
  • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
  • 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 3 (14-ounce) cans coconut milk (full-fat), refrigerated overnight until the liquid separates from the cream (discard the liquid), or 2 cups coconut cream, divided
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
  • 15 to 20 drops of liquid stevia or liquid sucralose (or to taste – you may want more)
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Grease a pie plate with coconut oil.
  3. In a food processor, pulse the pecans, cocoa powder, and Truvia or Swerve until well chopped, about 15 one-second pulses.
  4. Add the melted coconut oil and continue processing for 30 seconds.
  5. Press into the prepared pie plate. Bake the crust in the oven until browned and fragrant, 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
  6. In a small saucepan (or in the microwave), melt the chocolate and peanut butter, stirring to combine.
  7. In a large bowl, combine two of the cans of the coconut cream (just the thick part with the water poured off – about one and a half cups) with one teaspoon of the vanilla and the liquid stevia or sucralose.
  8. Add the melted chocolate and peanut butter. Beat until well combined.
  9. Pour into the cooled crust. Refrigerate until the filling hardens.
  10. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining one can of coconut cream (or a half cup of the cream without the liquid), the remaining teaspoon of vanilla, and stevia or sucralose drops to taste. Beat with an electric beater on high until fluffy, three to four minutes. Spread on the chilled pie. Return to the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.

photo credit: “Squared” Coconut Pie via photopin (license)