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Slow Cooker Potato-Zucchini Soup

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Real Food Wednesday, Pennywise Platter Thursday, and Food on Fridays.

I’m ready. I’m ready for the transition. I’m ready to “cross over,” if you will. Not Medium or Ghost Whisperer style, just seasonal. The school bell is ringing for some local students here already and sweaters are starting to appear in the clothing stores. I know it’s still August and hot weather isn’t completely over yet, but I’m ready for fall, which is definitely my favorite time of the year. And, a definite fall thing for me is soup.

We had one day last week that was rainy and cool enough for me to make Chicken Tortilla Soup (with corn and black-eyed peas this time—little Southern touch) and the next few days are supposed to only be in the 70s. I’m headed to Seattle for the International Food Bloggers Conference where it’s even cooler—mostly 60s during the day and 50s at night. Oh, my, what an event the IFBC is going to be! Diane has outlined what we, the gluten-free bloggers, will be doing at IFBC and in Seattle, here. Just reading her post made me get more excited … and a little panicky realizing how much I need to do before I leave. So, yes, a little warming, soothing soup is in order.

A while back Dr. Rodney Ford, one of our world’s gluten-free experts who I greatly admire for so many reasons (more on Dr. Ford in a moment), shared a link on his main Facebook page to a cookbook and website called 4 Ingredients. Well, remember the “easily” part of gfe … I really liked that concept. Recipes with four ingredients would inherently be easy. I have a bunch of four-ingredient (or less) recipes here on gfe, but I’m always looking for new ideas. So, I immediately checked out the site and signed up for the newsletter to get a feel for what was being  offered. Personally, I’m a bit reluctant to order a cookbook without knowing more about it. The 4 Ingredients authors, Rachael Bermingham and Kim McCosker, live in Australia. Their cookbook is the number one bestselling cookbook there. The recipes aren’t all gluten free, but many are. Bermingham and McCosker have a few more cookbooks in development. They are seeking input on their site on which ones readers want most. Two of the selections are for gluten-free cookbooks, a gluten-free 4-ingredient cookbook and a 5-ingredient one. Head over to their site to place your vote and get a free recipe or two, if you like. I find that often recipes from another country are quite different from ones we’ve “grown up on” and can expand our horizons a bit. And, I have been intrigued by the very simple recipes these ladies share.

The latest newsletter featured a zucchini soup recipe that was actually submitted by a reader. It included zucchini, onion, chicken bouillon, and enough water (and seasonings) to cover all ingredients. I had a large zucchini on the counter and a tub of small potatoes that needed to be used. So I decided to use both to ensure a creamier soup that would be as tasty as the Baked Potato Soup here on gfe. However, this potato-based soup recipe would be dairy free as well. I was headed to work, so after completing the initial steps, I decided to throw everything in the slow cooker and let this soup slowly “develop.” The result is this savory soup that comforts me and makes my taste buds happy.

Slow Cooker Potato-Zucchini Soup (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free, Soy Free)
(Click here for a printable version of this recipe.)

About 9 cups broth (I used 3 cups of vegetable broth and 6 cups of chicken broth, which I pulled from the freezer; use all vegetable broth to make this soup vegetarian/vegan)
About 6 cups of peeled, diced potatoes
One large zucchini, quartered and thinly sliced (mine was very large; I cut out the soft part with seeds and discarded)
One large sweet onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic
about 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp curry powder (optional)
Sea salt and fresh grated pepper, to taste

Add broth to large slow cooker. (I used my oval, 5-qt Rival SmartPot.)

Peel and dice potatoes and add to slow cooker.

Add olive oil to large skillet. Heat to medium-high temperature. While skillet is heating, chop onions and quarter and slice zucchini thinly. Add to skillet. Stir occasionally. Add garlic about halfway through cooking. When onions are translucent and zucchini is also showing some translucency, transfer mixture to the slow cooker.

Stir curry powder, sea salt, and pepper. Cook 6 – 8 hours on low. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, use immersion blender in one area for about 15 seconds. Stir. Check appearance and taste. If you want a thicker soup, use immersion blender again. Cook additional 30 minutes.

Serve. Enjoy alone or with a nice gluten-free “bread” treat on the side—like popovers, corn muffins, cheese muffins, garlic cheese biscuits, Kate’s cheese rolls, or Kiva’s grain-free Golden Flax Bread.

Adapted from a reader-submitted recipe to the 4 Ingredients newsletter

Shirley’s Notes: If you have family members who are die-hard carnivores and must have meat, feel free to add some crumbled bacon or diced chicken towards the end of the cooking time. You could even add bacon, chicken, etc. to individual bowls and stir until heated through. This recipe makes a lot, so feel free to halve the ingredients, use a regular 4-qt slow cooker, and reduce the cooking time. If you’d prefer to cook it on the stove, I’d still recommend slow cooking at a lower heat. I do love a pot of soup simmering on the stove!

A little more on Dr. Rodney Ford … Dr. Ford hails from New Zealand. He traveled with his wife, Chris, to the U.S. to do a number of speaking engagements in November 2009. I was extremely fortunate to hear him speak twice during one week and even got to have dinner with him and his wife prior to these events. A huge group of us (some who belong to the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) of Richmond and others who are part of The Richmond Health Initiative) gathered at the local PF Chang’s to welcome Dr. and Mrs. Ford. Some attendees had met Dr. Ford previously when had visited the U.S. for a conference. I was already a fan of Dr. Ford before I met him—from his articles on celiac.com and his numerous down-to-earth, and often humorous, YouTube videos. I was fortunate to sit sort of across from him during our dinner and we chatted a bit . Almost immediately, he asked for my Twitter name and “followed me” on the spot. That was unexpected … and pretty neat!

Over the next two days, his presentations (one to the medical professionals and the other to GIG members and guests) were superior … riveting, actually. I like seeing Dr. Ford get visibility because I think that he can make a “believer” out of just about anyone. He has the medical chops for one thing—he’s a pediatrician with a background in allergies, gastroenterology, and nutrition. Dr. Ford shared case studies—with ”before” and “after” photos—of children he’s treated who did not test positive for celiac using the gold standard diagnosis of positive blood testing and positive biopsy, but were transformed on a gluten-free diet. Those innocent faces make extremely compelling cases. It’s important to note that early in his practice, Dr. Ford followed the conventional wisdom and did not place his pediatric patients on a gluten-free diet when they tested negative for celiac. However, he found that many over time did finally test positive for celiac, but, sadly, for some, the damage that had been done (e.g., short stature, developmental delays) could not always be undone. He shares some of his findings and thoughts here. 

Currently, Dr. Ford’s main push is for a gluten-free planet. That was his topic when he spoke at the GIG conference banquet in Minneapolis this summer (a presentation that was very well received!) and that’s the focus of his new Facebook page, Gluten-Free Planet. My good friend, Heidi (Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom), just happened to share a post on Dr. Ford’s mission yesterday. I told her we must have unknowingly done the Vulcan mind meld thing. She doesn’t have a husband who is a Star Trek fan, so she didn’t get the reference, but being free-spirited and positive Heidi, she eagerly bought into the idea anyway! Heidi shares her thoughts on Dr. Ford and his concept, as well as the Gluten-Free Planet YouTube videos. These videos include some of the photos showing the transformation of his patients after going gluten free. Pictures are worth a million words in these cases. Check it all out over at Heidi’s. 

Incidentally, I just found out that Dr. Ford has a new blog. Check it out here. His current post asks what we want in our world. Hmmm, I think the answer for us gluten-free folks is obvious. Is it possible to have a Gluten-Free Planet? I’d like to think so, and as the saying goes, Dream Big!

Speaking of dreaming big, have you signed up for Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger yet? We have 16 entries at this moment—that’s terrific! Of course, I’d like more … a lot more. How about 50? Go ahead, adopt someone. If you have never participated before, then all the better. We have several folks participating for the first time. There are so many amazing gluten-free bloggers! Some have been helping us out for years; others have just joined the party to share and offer another place to learn and chat. Remember … non-bloggers are welcome to participate, too. Chances are, you know some gluten-free bloggers (or other bloggers with searchable gluten-free recipes) whom you admire or have always wanted to try their recipes. Now’s the time. Make a favorite blogger’s recipe, take a photo, do a short write-up, and email it to me. (Read more here.) Nothing hard at all, and a great way to be inspired to try a new recipe and show appreciation to a blogger.

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

Lemon-Lime Coconut Basil Ice & All That’s Nice

This post is linked to Friday Foodie Fix—Basil, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Wheatless Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Pennywise Platter Thursday, Food for Fridays, and Foodie Friday.

While I gave up sodas long ago, I still miss them when eating a few things … like pizza or steamed crabs. I knew we’d be having steamed crabs the other evening and I decided to make a frozen “slushie”-type beverage as a healthier substitute. Diane had just featured her Friday Foodie Fix and the secret ingredient was basil. I remembered a recipe that I’d seen in the May issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine—Lemon Basil Ice made with Meyer lemons. That recipe took almost 5 hours to make—yikes! I wanted something I could whip up fairly quickly. Plus, I didn’t have any Meyer lemons available. I also wanted a beverage that had a little more slush than ice, so I decided to include some lite coconut milk versus just water.  And, I wanted to use my new Boyajian citrus oils, namely the lemon and lime oils, that I’d received as a birthday gift. The recipe below is what I came up with—a very pleasant one to sip while picking crabs or just chilling on the screened porch or deck. Children would enjoy this frozen treat, too—either as a beverage or a spoonable dessert. This recipe also fits the bill for Amy’s (Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free) weekly Slightly Indulgent Tuesday roundup—so, yippeeee, double word score! Or something like that …

Lemon-Lime Coconut Basil Ice (Beverage or Frozen Dessert)
(Click here for a printable version of this recipe.)

1 1/2 cups water
1 3/4 cups lite coconut milk, chilled (I used ¾ cup full-fat coconut milk and 1 cup filtered water)
¼ cup honey (or agave nectar, or other sweetener of your choice to taste)
4 drops vanilla crème liquid stevia
¼ cup fresh, chopped or sliced basil
¼ tsp lemon oil (or 1 tsp lemon zest)
¼ tsp lime oil (or 1 tsp lime zest)
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp lime juice

In a medium saucepan, heat water over med-high heat until steaming, not boiling. Add basil and let stand 15 minutes. Pour through fine mesh sieve; discard basil. Set in freezer in shallow pan for about 15. It should be thoroughly chilled but not frozen, even on the edges. (It’s not a good idea to add frozen ingredients to one’s ice cream maker.)

In large bowl or blender, add lemon oil, lime oil, lemon juice, lime juice, “basil water,” coconut milk, honey, and stevia. Use hand mixer or blender to blend.

Add to pre-frozen container of ice cream maker. Churn 15 – 30 minutes. Yes, that’s a wide gap of time. Check at 15 minutes to see if the mixture has reached your desired consistency. I really wanted a beverage to sip with my steamed crabs more than a scoopable snow cone like mix, so I was pleased with the consistency at 15 minutes for that purpose. However, I churned the mixture for the full 25 or 30 minutes, and perhaps additional freezing afterwards, might be needed for a firmer ice dessert. Again, I mainly wanted a beverage, so even at churning the full time, I let most of the ice get “melty” and then sipped it as a beverage. Very light and refreshing.

Shirley’s Notes: You can use any sweetener as I stated above, but honey always yields a softer, more scoopable frozen dessert, so I recommend using at least some honey. I used fresh lemon and lime juice; I’m sure that bottled would work, but it would not be quite as flavorful. The lemon and lime oil should not be used with plastic measuring spoons; the oil ate right through the plastic. Next time, I’ll remember to use my stainless steel measuring spoons, which are much better to use anyway. The basil flavoring in this mix is very mild. If you want a stronger basil flavor, steep basil in water for 30 minutes. Finally, if you read the ingredients of lite coconut milk, you’ll see that they are water and coconut milk (and maybe guar gum depending on the brand). The lite coconut milk costs the same amount as the full-fat coconut milk at my store. Why not just buy full-fat coconut milk and add filtered water to make your own lite coconut milk? As soon as I open a can of coconut milk, I transfer it to a glass jar immediately anyway. So now, if I want a lighter coconut milk, I just use a bigger jar and add filtered water. It works great.

~~All That’s Nice …

As usual, there’s a lot going on in the gluten-free blogosphere. Grab a cold, refreshing beverage and read and click!

The winner of my gfe-unique giveaway—a consultation with me on living gluten free easily—is up on my Out and About page.

I just announced that I’m hosting Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger this month. Already we have 10 adoptions! Want to join in? Read more here, but I’d love it if you would. Let’s make this the biggest, best Adopt a Gluten-free Blogger event ever! How about 50 adoptions? Dream BIG!

Widely reported on the interwebs is the free offer from Jules Gluten Free on her Back to School e-book. The offer has been extended through today, Tuesday, August 17. Read more about what’s in the book here and follow links to download your copy. It’s easy and could be a very helpful resource for many.

At my support group meeting last Monday, we watched the gluten-free documentary that has everyone talking—Generation Gluten Free, created and directed by Susan Cohen. Susan and I met in the tweetlightful world that is Twitter not that long ago. Shortly thereafter, Erin (Gluten-Free Fitness) did a “two thumbs up” review of Generation Gluten Free on her blog and Tiffany also wrote a rave review over at celiac-disease.com. Ironically, I had been aware of Susan’s documentary when it first came out, even sharing the link to the trailer and  the ordering info with my group. But, somehow actually ordering the documentary had slipped through the cracks. However, I ordered it last week for viewing with my support group and, thanks to Susan, it arrived in just a couple of days. After our scrumptious gluten-free meal, we all settled in to watch this 42-minute DVD. There were lots of nods, knowing glances, and smiles as we watched the participants tell their various stories of diagnosis, eating out, recovery, participating in support groups, and more. The cost of Generation Gluten Free is $4.50 and that INCLUDES shipping and handling. Many have reported watching this documentary with family members, stating that it was an eye opening experience for their loved ones. Susan did a brilliant job with this documentary. You’ll want your own copy. Jennifer Harris also wrote an Examiner article on Generation Gluten Free. In her article, she shared that there’s a grass roots email campaign to get Susan and the documentary featured on ABC’s Good Morning America. Just email the show at gma@abctv.com and ask them to feature Susan Cohen and Generation Gluten Free. It’s such an easy way to do something to spread awareness. Tell others … we want their In Box full of requests for Susan and her documentary to be featured!

Incidentally, the online Examiner is a great source of gluten-free information. Often the information shared by the gluten-free Examiners (the gluten-free folks writing the articles) is geared to local happenings and gluten-free venues, too, which is nice. You can even subscribe to your favorite Examiner’s articles! (I’m all about email subscriptions myself. I need that little reminder in my In Box.) In addition to Jennifer Harris, some of my favorite folks who are current gluten-free Examiners are Kim Bouldin (also at Gluten Free is Life and Celiac-Disease.com), Tiffany Janes (also at Celiac-Disease.com), and Ginger Carter Miller (also at Gluten Free in Georgia … Finally). FYI: Jennifer Harris also just did this handy reference post on gluten-free lunch ideas. Update: Here’s another comprehensive lunch idea listing from Kim (Cook IT Allergy Free)—Allergen-Free Lunch Box with Brain Power.

Do you know Jenn of Cinnamon Quill? Well, she’s not just sharing her gorgeouso photos with us these days. She started a new site called Gluten Free Feed. Think along the Tastespotting site lines, but gluten free. I love it! Jenn could supply the site with all her great photos alone, but the good news is we can all submit our photos and see them featured. This site offers some real “eye candy,” folks. Be sure to check it out here.

Shauna and Danny’s long-awaited new book, Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef, will be released soon. You can pre-order it here.

Ricki (Diet, Dessert and Dogs) has a new e-book coming out: Desserts Without Compromise, which is an anti-candida dessert cookbook. It will be available on August 19. Yes, Thursday! Don’t forget that you can order her basic anti-candida book, The Anti-Candida Feast E-book, off her website here. It’s just $5. Can you say bargain? Update: Ricki’s ebook is out and she’s having a giveaway that ends at midnight, August 22. Check it out here. If you don’t participate in giveaways, you can order her new cookbook at the discount rate of $6.95 for a limited time.  And, her Sweet Freedom book is also still on sale via her site. Ricki is also one of the instigators of the monthly SOS Kitchen Challenges. This month’s ingredient is mint. If you’d like to participate in the challenge, read all about it here on Ricki’s site. (Hint: You’ll want to visit just to see her Mint Chip Ice Cream; no ice cream maker is needed for this recipe!)

Looking for more refreshing summer drinks? Look no further than Stephanie’s (Gluten Free by Nature) Frozen Hot Chocolate. It’s gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free, but “all that” in every department that matters.

Many folks who can’t tolerate dairy products from cows say they do fine with products from goats, or at least eat them on occasion with no issues. From time to time, I am still eating some goat’s cheese and yogurt that our friends make from their goats’ milk. Heidi (Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom) is hosting a giveaway package that includes Chavrie Goat Cheese. I wasn’t familiar with it before, but it looks like a great, real food product. Check out her giveaway here.  

Jenn is continuing her very helpful educational series called Gluten- Free Substitutions. The latest post is on binding agents. Read more here.

Often when I’m just about to slide down the slippery slope of poor food choices, I’ll see a tweet or Facebook mention of a new post from Melissa at Gluten Free for Good. Thank goodness! A read of almost any of her posts will galvanize you against the times when your lizard brain takes over and you want to eat things that are less than healthy, sit on your rump, etc. This recent post of Melissa’s was stellar in my opinion. I’m still thinking about it and making better choices as a result.

Sadly, I used all my basil for this recipe, but those of you with basil abundance, be sure to join Linda’s (The Gluten-Free Homemaker) Create A Pesto Challenge this month. So far some wonderful recipes—like Kim’s (Cook IT Allergy Free) Pistachio Pesto-Crusted Chicken—have been submitted.

If you have so much basil that you don’t know what to do with it all, follow Kalyn’s (Kalyn’s Kitchen) directions on freezing fresh basil. It sure would be nice to have some basil in sauces and soups in the middle of winter!  Read and see Kalyn’s guidance here.

Kim also just shared an extremely helpful post, 15 Tips on Healing the Leaky Gut. Celiac and gluten issues are leaky gut issues. Leaky gut is also known by its nicer sounding, but more cryptic, name of intestinal permeability. Dr. Alessio Fasano, who is one of the foremost experts on celiac and gluten issues also is well-known for his research on zonulin and intestinal permeability. Read more here. 

It was also Dr. Fasano who recently penned the foreword of the update of Danna Korn’s revised Gluten Free for Dummies book. In it, Dr. Fasano states that “for every celiac patient, five to seven patients are affected by gluten sensitivity.” Tiffany Janes shared this quote in her review of Danna’s book on Celiac-Disease.com. She went on to say the following: “It’s estimated that 3 million people in the U.S. have celiac (and less than 90% of people with it know they have it) so that means if there are only 5 people for every person with celiac, that’s an additional 15 million people with gluten intolerance. Add that to the 3 million with celiac and you have 18 million people in the U.S. who can’t tolerate gluten well. On the high end of the estimate – 7 for every 1 – and you have 24 million people affected.” Staggering numbers. Eye-opening numbers to many. Incidentally, the updated version of Danna’s book got an even better review from Tiffany than the original. Read more here.  As Kim shared in her post, leaky gut manifests as a lot of illnesses and symptoms. Look for a guest post here at gfe tomorrow from someone who experienced a multitude of such issues while eating gluten.

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

August 2010 Support Group Meeting

When:  Monday, August 9, 6:00 pm

Where: Shirley’s Home in King George, VA 
(Note: Please email Shirley for directions if you are local and plan to attend.)

What:  This is our regular monthly meeting. We’ll begin with our shared gluten-free meal (many items will be dairy free, refined sugar free, etc.).  It will be a potluck this time … no theme. Bakery on Main has sent us some of their delicious granola to try, too!

After our meal, we’ll be watching the 42-minute documentary, Generation Gluten Free.  (You can watch a 3-minute trailer here.) This video comes highly recommended. Hopefully, we’ll also have enough time afterwards to have a discussion session. You can watch a short video interview with the creator and director, Susan Cohen, here. (Note:  If you can’t attend the meeting, you may want to consider purchasing your own copy. The total cost is $4.50. That includes shipping and handling. Order here.)

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

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