Living Candida-Free ~ Recipe and Giveaway!

Last year, I had the good fortune to do recipe testing for Ricki Heller‘s upcoming cookbook. The recipes were so amazing and creative, and now that I have the book in my hands, I see that it’s so much more than a cookbook.

Candida, is a yeast that naturally occurs in the human body; but when it starts feeding off extra sugar in the body and multiplying, it can cause someone to become very ill.

Suffer from any of those “unexplainable” symptoms? You know the ones I’m talking about. Fatigue, lethargy, brain fog, headaches, constipation, and all of the others that often go with them. If you do, this could be the book that you need to read.

Ricki has given a wealth of information that goes from an assessment to determine if/how you should follow the plan, to the stages of implementation (with full information about how and why), to more than 100 recipes that are perfect for everyone. She discusses the ingredients, substitutions, how to stock the pantry, and more. More than a third of the book shares this useful knowledge, before even getting to the plethora of recipes!

Living Candida-Free is a vegan, sugar-free, and gluten-free Anti-Candida Diet (ACD) designed to starve the yeast while nurturing the rest of the body.  It goes through 3 stages to bring you back to wellness, and is completely customizable and based on what your body needs. And the recipes ~ I got to try so many amazing ones. Mojito Smoothie, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles, Fudge, Broccoli Soup, Herbed Dumplings, and so much more. Delicious and easy to make, these recipes have options for people at every phase of the plan, and use ingredients that are common in our kitchens.

Today I’m sharing a recipe that is perfect for either breakfast or dessert. About this recipe, Ricki says “I love baked oatmeal, so was delighted to find a way to reproduce the creaminess of oatmeal in a quinoa-based porridge. It also tastes great cold from the refrigerator the next day.” This is a fantastic choice for a high-protein vegan breakfast option.

But first, one lucky reader will get one of these lovely books free! Just leave a comment below or on my Facebook page and let me know what you’re most interested in learning from this book. Entries will be taken until 11:59 pm (Pacific Time) on Sunday, Feb. 22. Each comment will be assigned a number and one number will be randomly chosen to win. (Open to US and Canadian residents only this time.)

And, for the Flirty Apron giveaway ~ the lucky winner is….. JoAnna!  Joanna, please send me your address and let me know if you’d like the red or black apron. Congratulations and thanks to all who entered!

Baked Quinoa Porridge or Pudding

Good for: all stages

• Coconut oil, for pan
• 1/2 cup (95 g) uncooked quinoa (either soak overnight or rinse if dry).
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) smooth natural almond butter (or use another nut butter if you prefer)
• 1  1/2 cups (360 ml) unsweetened plain or vanilla almond, or hemp milk, or Homemade Coconut Milk
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) minced fresh ginger, or 3/4 teaspoon (3.5 ml) ground
• Pinch of fine sea salt
• 1/16 teaspoon (0.25 ml) pure stevia powder, or 1/8 teaspoon (0.5 ml) pure liquid stevia, or to taste

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a medium-size (about 6 cups [1.5 L]) lidded casserole dish.

Sprinkle the quinoa into the prepared dish. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients until smooth, then pour over the quinoa. Stir gently until all the quinoa is submerged under the liquid. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven, uncover, and stir; replace the cover, and continue to bake, checking every 20 minutes or so, until the liquid is absorbed and the porridge is cooked and creamy, for 40 to 50 more minutes. Spoon into bowls and serve (this is lovely with ice cream or whipped cream).

Makes 4-6 servings.

Variations: After mixing everything in the casserole dish, add up to 1/2 cup (120 ml) total of any one of the following (or a combination totaling 1/2 cup [120 ml]): walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or Oven-Dried Cranberries at any stage; or blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, or chopped apple or pear at Stage 2 or beyond.

From Living Candida-Free by Ricki Heller. Reprinted with permission from Da Capo Lifelong, © 2015.

(Note: In my rendition of this recipe above, I used some blackberries and pecans. I also used multi-colored quinoa, which accounts for the darker blobs in the photo.)