Pesto Cauliflower & Buckwheat Pasta and New Excitement!

Before I share my EXCITEMENT — here’s a bit of the back story:) (indulge me please and thank you!!)

Ulcerative Colitis can be debilitating during a flare. And this is my 7th month in this flare :/ Now, the flare itself is nearly under control — about 85-90% — so that’s good!! Progress!! And, theErythema Nodosum cleared up — thank goodness. This is an extra-intestinal manifestation of Ulcerative Colitis, which is an auto-immune disease. E.N. are super painful bumps on your knees, legs, and mine even spread to my arms! I literally couldn’t walk for about 3-4 weeks. But that has cleared and thankfully there were no scars!!

However, now, the obstacle in my healing path is the Candida. Back in my last flare (4 years ago) I took the steroid, Prednesone, at its highest dose. Prednesone is one of the leading culprits in developing Candida overgrowth because it completely wipes out the friendly flora in your gut. I didn’t realize I had it then, because I had a “healthy” immune system and digestive system after I healed. However, now that I’m flaring and have a compromised immune and digestive system, my body wasn’t strong enough to fight. So I’ve developed Candida which leads Leaky Gut Syndrome and Gastroparesis. Thus, I’ve been on the Body Ecology Diet for about 4 weeks, which starves the Candida yeast of its food: sugar! In all its forms: sugar, grains, dairy (because of the milk sugar, lactose), fruit, starchy veggies (like potatoes), sweet veggies (like beets and yams), beans, soy, fermented foods, alcohol, caffeine, mushrooms, tomatoes, night shades, and vinegars (besides raw apple cider vinegar). It’s exasperating — but it’s working. I know this, because I experienced Yeast Die Off — when the yeast go through sugar withdrawal, comparable to a drug addiction withdrawal: I had 48 hours of straight 103-104 fevers, and horrible flu-like symptoms. Ironically, this is good, because it means the yeast are dying, and when they die, they release toxins. Meanwhile, I’m having fun creating new, BED friendly recipes!!

Soooo, now that you know the back story — here’s the EXCITEMENT!

Today, I was awarded a Top Health Blogger for the Digestive Health Community by Wellsphere! I’ve been blogging my journey and recipes in the hopes that fellow GI-sufferers, as well as gluten-free-ers, and others with food-allergies can find hope and help in creating healthy, delicious meals! I’ve seen first-hand the link between diet and health, and I’ve just GOT to share!

I love the nutty sweetness of the roasted cauliflower!

So now onto the food!! :)

gorgeously caramelized cauliflower! mmm!

Tonight I made Pesto Cauliflower and Buckwheat Pasta with Baked Flounder.

This pasta is gluten-free, vegan and BED-friendly! It is SO delicious! I tossed the pesto with buckwheat pasta and bite-sized roasted cauliflower. It was superb!

what a meal:)

Here’s what you need:

1/2 head of cauliflower, broken in florets, and roasted
Buckwheat pasta
reserved pasta water

Pesto:

1 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, chopped
juice of half a lemon
1 tsp – 1 Tbsp EVOO
3-4 Tbsp water
salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Place your florets on an olive-oil-sprayed baking sheet. Then, spray the florets with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, flipping half way through. Meanwhile, make your pesto:

Whirl your pesto ingredients in the food processor until you get your gorgeous, emerald, creamy pesto! Finally, combine your cooked pasta, roasted cauliflower, pesto, and about 1/2 cup of pasta water until it coats everything luxuriously! Delicious!

smokey and spicy crust on the flounder! yum!

Finally, the flounder! Our friends atLobsta Bakes froze their wild, ocean-caught, antibiotic-free fish for us to bring up to the Northwoods! (It’s a staple on the BED). How amazing are they?!! I baked it for about 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven with 1 tsp EVOO, salt, pepper, chili powder and paprika. It was fabulous!

so delicious and SO healthy!

This meal was outrageously delicious! Pesto might possibly be one of my favorite foods! It was so bright and fresh, with a lemony-garlic punch! It coated the pasta and cauliflower in this rich, creamy, luxurious sauce. And the cauliflower became so beautiful after it was roasted: caramelized, with this wonderful, nutty sweetness. It paired perfectly with the nutty buckwheat pasta and the bright pesto. A true 10!

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Did you watch American Idol tonight? Are you Team Jessica or Team Phillip?

This pasta sauce was made possible by my favorite food processor!! Here's the one I use:

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