A Vegan Meal for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet

If you are a vegan, or are one of hundreds suffering from digestive distress aided by the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), you know how hard it is to accommodate your friends by making tasty foods that everyone will enjoy. But what if both a vegan and an SCDer are coming to the party? What now?

Vegans have made a choice to stop consuming animal-derived products in any form. Unlike many vegetarians, this means that fish, eggs and dairy are both off the menu. By contrast, dieters on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet rely on dairy, eggs, and meat to obtain enough variety in their diets. People on SCD suffer from crohn's disease, celiac disease, autism and other conditions that are affected by diet and digestion. Dieters on SCD cannot eat foods containing complex sugar molecules, virtually eliminating all grains and most starches (vegan staples) from the dinner table.

Where a vegan may be perfectly happy to eat soy protein and quinoa sweetened with brown rice syrup, an SCDer may be happier with chicken soup and honey-sweetened goat cheese. Vegan baked goods contain flour, fruit and white sugar, while SCD muffins are made with almonds, eggs and honey. Cooking a single meal to accommodate both is quite a challenge. To simplify the task for those charged with cooking such a meal, the following menu provides three recipes to satisfy the most restrictive of diets. This menu should feed three big people (adults) or four to five little ones.

Please note that these recipes are best for people who have been on SCD for at least three months and have no recent signs of inflammation. People on the SCD introductory diet should not attempt to eat navy beans, lentils, figs, tahini, spices or raw vegetables without showing marked improvement first, as these foods may delay your recovery time. If you are not certain whether this applies to you, please reference Breaking the Vicious Cycle. http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/

Appetizer: White Bean Hummus with Pita Chips and Veggies

Adapted from SCD*Recipe.com

1lb bag of dry navy beans
½ cup sesame tahini
¼ cup olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 dash cayenne
1 tsp sea salt

The night before, place the beans in a large bowl and fill with clean water. Cover with a cloth and leave overnight. The beans will expand, so be certain there is at least twice as much water as beans in the bowl. The next day, drain and rinse the beans, then boil for two hours. (Watch the pot to make sure the water does not boil over!)

Place the cooked, drained beans into a large food processor with all other ingredients (crush the garlic or use a garlic press to ensure even distribution). Process until fully blended. You may need to stop the machine occasionally to stir, using a spatula to push the ingredients on top toward the blades.

Place the needed amount oh hummus in a serving bowl, and any extra in a container for the fridge for tomorrow's snack. (Zap for a few seconds in the microwave to reheat.) Drizzle a little extra oil on top. Serve with lots of raw veggies, plus some pita chips for the vegans. Be sure to separate the chips from the other foods to prevent flour cross-contamination. For SCDers who can handle tomatoes, try quartering roma tomatoes lengthwise and removing the seeds with a spoon - hummus scoops!

Lentil Cakes

Adapted from Institute for Integrative Nutrition

1 cup red lentils (brown may be problematic for some SCDers)
½ medium onion
1 TB olive oil
2 cloves garlic
½ cup cilantro, fresh
2 TB tamari (wheat-free) soy sauce
1 TB umeboshi vinegar

At the same time that you set the navy beans aside to soak, do the same with the lentils. Red lentils typically do not need to be soaked overnight, but when you have SCDers to feed, safe is better than sorry. The lentils should not need as large a bowl or quite as much water to soak.

Cook the lentils uncovered, using 1 ½ to 2 cups of water, until soft. If cooking earlier in the day, put the lentils (drained if necessary) in a bowl in the fridge.

About 40 minutes before mealtime, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, and move the bowl to the freezer. While the lentils chill, prepare remaining ingredients: measure liquids, mince or press garlic, chop cilantro. (Now is a good time to introduce the hummus and veggies to your guests!) Remove the bowl from the freezer, add all ingredients, and mix (clean hands work fine for this).

Form the mixture into little cakes and place onto oiled baking sheet. Make 5 to 6 cakes for 3 adults, or as many as 10 smaller ones for kids. Bake for 10-15 minutes (a little less for smaller cakes). (While the lentils are in the oven, make the salad below.)

The cakes may crumble, so use two spatulas to move finished cakes from sheet to plate. Flavored with the cilantro, tamari and vinegar, these do not need any spicing and are now ready to eat!

Melon, Avocado & Fig Salad

Adapted from Institute for Integrative Nutrition's official Facebook page

½ cantalope or honeydew melon
1 small or medium avocado
4 to 6 figs, fresh
2 TB flax seed oil
1 TB rice vinegar
Pinch of salt
Honey to taste
1 TB mint, fresh

Slice a whole melon in half lengthwise and reserve the other half in the refrigerator with plastic wrap for future use. Thinly slice the remaining melon, and place slices on a platter or large plate. Repeat process using the whole avocado. Wash and quarter figs lengthwise, and add to the platter.

Place oil, vinegar, and salt in a small bowl and blend. Add a few drops of honey, mix, and taste, then repeat as desired, adding up to 1 ½ tsp. Drizzle sauce over the fruit. Slice the mint into thin strips, and sprinkle it over the salad.

Voila! A light, wholesome, nutritious and best of all - Delicious - meal for everyone, but especially vegans and those on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.