Christmas gift and menu ideas

~o~ HOLIDAY HOURS - Thu, 18th - last despatch day for pre-Xmas arrivals ~o~ ~o~ XMAS GIFT IDEAS ~o~ XMAS RECIPES ~o~ ~o~ GIFT VOUCHERS ~o~ NEW PRODUCTS ~o~

On this page: Gifts to buy ~ Gifts you can make ~ Gift vouchers ~
~ Xmas menu ideas and recipes ~

Gift ideas:

Gifts you can make:

If you have family doing GAPS or other special diets, they will love any GAPS friendly foods they haven't had to make themselves. The recipes in the menu section below are mostly GAPS-legal, but remember that some people have their own special restrictions over and above the GAPS restrictions. These recipes are also suitable for the SCD, gluten free and in most cases dairy free diets.

Spiced nuts from Elana's Pantry sound delicious. Even better if they are soaked and dried first, especially if they are for someone with compromised digestion.

I make the starch free Xmas cake recipe below in star shaped or mini loaf tins and give them to lots of people as Xmas gifts. Wrap them up in red cellophane and tie with a green or gold ribbon.

Or make chocolate and fudge using creamed coconut and cocoa butter. There are a few different styles on my recipe blog.

Gummy stars are lovely for a GAPS child or any child on a special diet. Just check with Mum that they are ok on honey, gelatin and lemon juice. That's all, just 3 ingredients.

GAPS Gingerbread men or cookies make a nice gift - but just check the ingredients with the mum.

Or how about Egg-free Paleo Macaroons from Elana's Pantry?

This Superfood Chocolate Bark looks fun, though isn't GAPS. I'd be inclined to replace the goji berries with other freeze dried berries, as goji are nightshades.

Gift vouchers:

We can arrange a gift voucher to whatever value you require. If you want a different amount than those shown, make a note in the Comments section of your order.

 

Menu ideas:

Most of these recipes are from Deb's DietNet website or her recipe blog,
but some are from other people's blogs and we may not have tested them.

I may post new ideas to my recipe blog or my Pinterest Festive recipes board,
even if I don't have time to try them out or post them here, so check in periodically.

Unless stated, these recipes are suitable for GAPS, SCD, gluten free and in most cases dairy free diets.
But we believe that "special" food should taste good, so family members not on special diets might not even notice they're different. But make sure you test the recipe before Xmas Day, so you can tweak to suit your own tastes.

If you're doing Autoimmune Paleo (AIP) even some of these recipes might not work for you, but check out The Paleo Mom's Holiday Recipe summary

Choose 2-3 from each group and you've got a feast!
 

Christmas cake

This is a beautiful dark cake, but because it's a boiled cake, you don't need to mature it for a month. It will improve with maturing, but can be eaten the same day, and still be delicious.

Gluten free version

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup brandy, rum or extra water
• Juice of one orange
• Rind of the orange, plus rind of a lemon, finely grated
• 170g butter or coconut oil
• 1 cup rapadura, muscavado, shakkar or other unrefined sugar (optional)
• 2 tsp mixed spice & 1 tsp ginger
• 900g-1kg dried fruit. (Use a packeted mix, or choose your own mix, eg: 250g raisins, 250g sultanas, 150g prunes, 150g figs, 100g dates, 100g cherries)
• 1 cup ground almonds
• 1/2 cup white rice flour
• 1/2 cup arrowroot
• 2 tsp pectin, guar gum or xanthan gum
• (or replace the last 4 ingredients with 2 cups of Gluten Free Goodies Cake & Biscuit mix)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3 large or 4 small eggs

Finely chop the fruit. Take a large pan, and melt together the water, brandy, orange juice, citrus rinds, butter or coconut oil, sugar and spices.

Add the fruit to the pan & simmer for 5-10 mins, stirring often, till the fruit has soaked up all the liquid. There may be some of the fat not soaked in, that’s ok. Leave to stand for 30 mins, stirring periodically, while you prep the rest of the ingredients.

The full recipe fills a 8” x 8” (20cm x 20cm) square tin. Line tin with a double layer of brown paper, which comes to about double the height of the tin. Then line with a double layer of baking paper. (You can also make a half-mix & bake in a loaf tin, or make muffin sized)

Sift together the dry ingredients in a large bowl, and mix well. Beat up the eggs in a medium sized bowl.

When the fruit mix has cooled to lukewarm, stir the beaten egg through. Then mix in the dry ingredients. The mixture should be a thick batter and quite hard to stir. If it 's too runny, add a little more flour. Spoon the mixture into the pan, press it down firmly and bake at 150C for 1.75 - 2 hours (or 1.5 - 1.75 for the half recipe, about 45 mins for muffin sized).

Use the usual skewer test, or listen - when it stops sizzling, it 's ready. Cool completely before removing from tin. Wrap in some baking or greaseproof paper, then in a teatowel and store in the bottom of the fridge. It’s easiest to cut when it’s cold, straight out of the fridge, then nicest to eat at room temperature (if you can wait that long).

Starch free version

 To make a cake that is compatible with the SCD or GAPS diets, make the following adjustments:

• Replace the brandy with water
• Omit the sugar. (Or stir in a little honey after the fruit has finished simmering, but it’s not needed.)
• Replace the white rice flour and arrowroot with 1/2 cup coconut flour (it soaks up more liquid than other flours, so less is needed)
• Omit the pectin / gum
• If you’re being very strict, you can omit the baking soda, but for most people that small amount is ok

Dairy or Egg free version

• The coconut oil option works fine for dairy free
• If you need to leave out the eggs, it will still work, it will just be a bit heavier and more crumbly. Or try dissolving a couple of tsps of gelatin in the water and juice, before adding the fruit. It's on my list to see how this works. Here is a comprehensive description of how to use gelatin to replace eggs.

Icing

I don't usually bother with marzipan and icing. If they are already a decorative shape, they are festive looking enough.

When I've made a square or loaf shaped cake for Xmas with my (Std NZ diet) family, they often insist on icing. I usually just buy std marzipan and royal icing from the supermarket - it's only one day of the year, after all. Or I've used pre-made cake decorations made from icing. Here is one online stockist http://www.cakestuff.co.nz

If you prefer to make your own almond icing, there's a recipe here. Still full of sugar, but at least you know there's no other dodgy stuff in there.

If your family are on special diets, and are hankering for marzipan icing, here is a recipe for honey marzipan from the Paleo Mom.

Here is a version made with maple syrup and no egg whites. I've tried this one - it's easy, and suitable for WAPF & Paleo diets, though not GAPS.

Or try this coconut marzipan recipe.

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