Beet leaf Salad with salmon and blue cheese
If you buy whole beets, you can cut off the stems and leaves and use them in a salad. Slice the beets very thinly and top them with blue cheese and olive oil to make beet carpaccio.
Frozen Yogurt – Ninja Creami
Summer is here, so it’s time for a treat! This recipe for frozen yogurt makes smooth, soft-serve-style yogurt with real fruit and an allulose health upgrade. Start with any in-season fruit, such as spring strawberries. Try to find organic, local fruit if you can. The thinnest yogurt is goat, slightly thicker is sheep, and thickest is A2/A2 cow. Allulose adds sweetness without sugar and is a natural GMP1 enhancer. Place your fruit and yogurt in the Creami container. There’s no need for a separate blender. See the fruit combinations below. Set the machine to a full container and run it for a four- or five-minute cycle. It doesn’t matter which cycle you choose, as the machine will blend the fruit and yogurt. Run a second cycle if there are still chunks of fruit. Freeze overnight. To finish, allow to sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Add a couple spoons of fresh yogurt. Set the machine to BOTTOM HALF and run for a 4 minute cycle like Ice Cream. Scrape the sides and bottom with a butter knife. Taste and add a couple teaspoons of allulose to sweeten and balance the tartness if desired. Add more fresh yogurt if too powdery or thicker than desired. Run again for another cycle like Lite Ice Cream. Enjoy. Strawberry: Add 5-10 berries to fill to the freeze line, top with half a cup of yogurt. Blend for 2 cycles back to back. Kiwi: 3 kiwi, whole or cut, leave the skin on. Add 1 cup of yogurt on top and blend for 2 cycles back to back. Half size is 2 whole kiwi and half a cup of yogurt. Add seeds from half a pomegranate with a half to full cup of yogurt. Blend one cycle. Also consider blueberries, blackberries etc. Get creative as long as it is in-season and organic, preferably local.
Home-made Butternut Squash Puree
Homemade butternut squash puree. Use this in place of tomato puree (Passata) for great nutrition and lower lectin content. Start with an organic butternut squash if you can, peeled, cubed, de-seeded. Pressure cook on high for 16 minutes, rapid decompression. Puree with an immersion blender or regular blender, adding water to make an applesauce like consistency. Reserve in refrigerator until needed, up to a week.
Aloo Gobi – low inflammatory Dr. Dan style
Aloo Gobi, Low Lectin Style Start with homemade butternut squash purée or canned organic pumpkin purée. Use one large cauliflower or two small ones. Cut out the base stem and break the florets into moderate-sized pieces by hand. Trim off any black areas, but do not cut the florets off. The stem is also edible and can be cut into bite-sized pieces. Place them in a pot of water to soak. You can jump to the traditional recipe with a pot on the stove top or continue here with a 6- or 8-quart Instant Pot pressure cooker for an even lower level of lectins. Turn the Instant Pot on to sauté mode on high with one tablespoon of ghee and one teaspoon of cumin seeds until toasted. Peel and cut a medium white sweet potato or Japanese yam into chunks. Place it in the pot to brown. Allow the potato to brown on at least one side. Do not stir often. Thinly slice one medium red or yellow onion. Add one teaspoon coarse sea salt. When the potatoes are browned, add the onions and cook until translucent, about five minutes. While the onions and potatoes are frying: Measure out one cup homemade or organic butternut squash or half 150z can (400 to 400 mL) pumpkin purée. Add two teaspoons apple cider vinegar to the purée and set aside. Grate one finger of fresh ginger and set it aside. In a cup, combine the spices: 1.5 teaspoons of turmeric 3 teaspoons Kashmiri chili powder (omit for an even lower lectin content), 6 teaspoons of coriander powder, 3 teaspoons of roasted cumin powder. 1.5 teaspoons garam masala When the onions have softened and become translucent, add the ginger and stir for about 30 seconds, until the ginger becomes fragrant. Add the butternut or pumpkin and adjust thickness to a sauce consistency, about 1 cup water for butternut and 2-3 cups for pumpkin. Stir well. Cook and stir until the color darkens and the vinegar odor disappears, about 2–4 minutes. Stir in the dry spices and mix to form a masala sauce. Add more water as needed to thin. Let the masala heat up to bubbling, then cancel the saute mode. Drain the cauliflower and add it to the pot. Add extra water, if needed, to ensure there is enough sauce to easily coat the cauliflower when stirring. Pressure cook for two minutes on high. Rapid decompression. Stir, then pour into a glass storage container and allow to cool. The flavors will intensify and the sauce will thicken as it cools. Reheat in the microwave or in a covered pot with a tablespoon of water.
Hydration
JUNE 2025 NEWSLETTER June, 2025 Newsletter Hydration – Deep Dive into Water Let’s talk about how to get hydrated the right way. Hydration is not optional, yet how do we do it right? Read on. Hydration Facts Most people know when they are “dehydrated.” That dragging, sluggish feeling. It’s easy to get there during a busy day. Many are not aware of a lesser level called under or subhydration. This is when we are drinking but not enough. This is a sneakier version yet still increases health risk such as cardiovascular event and lowers our ability to think! Being Hydrated Hydration is mostly independent of body weight. The typical adult needs about 2 to 2.5 liters (60 to 80 ounces) of water daily, along with basic and trace minerals. Salt facilitates water movement in the body, and it is actually harder to digest pure water than water with some salt. A popular salt mixture is Baja Gold sea salt, which contains about 70% sodium, with the remainder consisting of trace minerals. To prepare a half liter (or 18-22 ounces) of this mixture, add 1/2 teaspoon of Baja Gold fine sea salt to still or sparkling water. Drink this quickly first thing in the morning. You can also prepare additional batches to sip throughout the day to meet your daily hydration requirement. For Option 1, add 1/8 teaspoon of potassium chloride. If you are exercising or working out in the heat, adding potassium is a good idea. For Option 2, add 1/2 teaspoon of Magnesium BisGlycinate to your morning and evening drinks or to all of the bottles to boost magnesium levels. This is especially useful if you are experiencing signs of low magnesium, such as random muscle twitches and spasms, eyelid spasms, or a generalized feeling of low energy. You can even combine everything—Baja Gold, Magnesium, and potassium—for a full electrolyte replacement. The Dr Dan website has Amazon links for the items listed if you want to mix your own hydration drink.
Aloo Gobi – Restaurant Style
This is the traditional aloo gobi recipe, which is potatoes and cauliflower. It is not a low-inflammatory recipe, but it is included for reference. If you want to avoid nightshades, such as potatoes and tomatoes, check out the low lectin version. This version can also be made substituting tomato puree with pumpkin puree and 2 teaspoons applecider vinegar and sweet potato or Japanese yam in place of potato. Use one large cauliflower or two small ones. Cut the base stem, then break the florets into moderate-sized pieces by hand. Trim off any black areas, but do not cut off the florets. The stems are also edible and can be cut into bite-sized pieces. Place the florets in a pot of water to soak. Use an 8- to 12-quart stockpot large enough to hold all the cauliflower. Heat the pot with one tablespoon of ghee and one teaspoon of cumin seeds. Peel and cut two medium or large potatoes into chunks. Add the potatoes to the pot. Let the potatoes brown on at least one side. Do not stir often. Thinly slice one medium red or yellow onion. When the potatoes are browned, add the onions and one teaspoon coarse sea salt. Set aside one cup of Italian passata, or tomato purée—I like the Mutti brand. Grate one finger of fresh ginger and set it aside. In a cup, combine the following spices: 1.5 teaspoons of turmeric three teaspoons of Kashmiri chili powder, six teaspoons of coriander powder, and 3 teaspoons of roasted cumin powder. 1.5 teaspoons of garam masala. When the onions have softened and become translucent, add the ginger. Stir for about 30 seconds until the ginger becomes fragrant. Add the tomato passata and ½ cup of water. Cook and stir until the color darkens and the tomato aroma diminishes, about 2–4 minutes. Drain the cauliflower and add it to the pot. Add extra water, if needed, to ensure there is enough sauce to easily coat the cauliflower when stirring. Keep the pot on medium heat and cover it. Cook for 11 minutes. Stir and check for doneness of the cauliflower and sauce thickness. Adjust the water as needed. Cover and cook for eight more minutes. Repeat until the cauliflower reaches the desired texture. Remove from heat. Remove the lid and allow it to cool. The flavors will intensify and the sauce will thicken as it cools.
Pressure Cooked Brussels Sprouts
Recipe: Pressure cooked Brussels Sprouts Brussels sprouts are a family favorite, and the pressure cooker makes fast work of them. They can be made soft and easy to digest or firmer if your microbiome can tolerate it. These are great vegetables to start with as your gut is healing. Start with organic Brussels sprouts if you can find them. No need to cut or trim the stem at all! The pressure cooker will soften everything and it’s completely edible. This also saves a huge amount of time. Rinse and drain the sprouts. Place in the steamer, add 1-2 cups water, check the lid seal, set the steam valve to closed, rotate top into lock position and pressure cook on high for 8 minutes for very soft. Adjust the temperature in future batches based on your cooker and your preference for doneness. Note that 1 or 2 minutes in either direction makes a large difference in outcome. Also note that some sprouts are small and some are very large. The very large ones need much longer to cook. I prefer the smaller ones as they are easier to control
Pressure Cooked Broccoli, Cauliflower, Asparagus
Recipe: Pressure cooked broccoli/cauliflower Broccoli and cauliflower are great staples for almost everyone. Pressure cooking is a fantastic way to lower the lectin content even more and make them easy to digest. These are great vegetables to start with as your gut is healing. Start with two to four stalks of broccoli or one cauliflower. The way to cut both without making a huge mess is to trim the individual stalks at the stem for broccoli and to pull the florets apart by hand for cauliflower. The stems of both are edible too but the outer tough skin of broccoli needs to be cut off. Only use the tender inside of broccoli. Rinse and drain the pieces. Place them in the steamer and add 1-2 cups of water. Check that the lid is sealed and that the steam valve is set to closed. Rotate the top into the lock position. Steam the broccoli for 1 minute and the cauliflower for 0-1 minute. One minute will result in a firm texture, but you can cook it for up to three minutes for a softer texture. Yes, you can cook for zero minutes because the pressure cooker still needs time to bring up the temperature and pressure. This is the amount of time at pressure, so even zero minutes is still cooking. Your pressure cooker may require different times, but start with these. BROCCOLI: 1 minute ASPARAGUS: 0 minute CAULIFLOWER: 0 to 1 minute
Mashed Sweet Potato and Yams
Recipe: Mashed sweet potato/yams Mashed sweet potatoes are a fantastic way to fun-up your meals while keeping inflammation low and nutrition high. Avoid the lectins found in traditional potatoes and switch to the family of sweet potatoes and yams. Purple, red, orange, Japanese, and white are commonly found and organic versions often available too. Read to the bottom for the carbohydrate trick to make them more resistant, lower calorie and more nutritious! Start with 2-3 lb (1-1.5kg) of any type of sweet potato. Peel, slice into random size cubes. It is better to be random for the pressure cooker so that the hot steam can penetrate all the pieces. Rinse and place in the cooker with 1-2 cups water. Pressure cook for 16 minutes on high. Remove to a bowl and mash with a spatula. A masher should not be needed if cooked long enough. Add one full container of sheep, goat or A2/A2 cow yogurt. The sheep yogurt is the most tart and gives a sour cream like flavor. The goat yogurt is in between tartness and the cow yogurt is the creamiest. Japanese yam with A2/A2 cow yogurt is the closest to standard mashed potatoes and will fool most everyone. For even better nutrition, refrigerate overnight and reheat from cold over the next few days. This chemical conversion reduces the starch and increases the fiber just by changing the temperature. These easily last a week in the refrigerator. The refrigerate/reheat trick works with all the starches like potatoes and rice and will convert the starch to a more resistant form that feeds the microbiome and reduces glycemic response.
Fermented Vegetables – Krauts and Kimchi
Fermented Vegetables, A.K.A. sauerkraut, kimchi Please don’t leave! It may be easy to think that you don’t like fermented vegetables like sauerkraut or kimchi but hold on! Those mass-produced restaurant and store brands are nothing like the home-made version I can show you here. I never thought I liked fermented vegetables either until I saw a YouTube video on making sauerkraut and realized how easy it is. Once I tried it I couldn’t believe the flavors and crunchy fun it is to eat these foods. In addition, the health benefits are through the roof. Fermentation knocks out most of the inflammatory lectins while adding in K2 and other vitamins along with amped up flavors. Please give this a try before you pass on fermented vegetables. Basic sauerkraut. Any combination can do and the photo shows one of the more exotic combinations, purple cabbage, carrot, bok choy, celery and cauliflower. I recommend for your first batch use green cabbage. The amount you need depends on the size of your container. A 1-liter fermentation jar uses about 1 Kg of chopped cabbage. I know, I know, metric system. Sorry folks but for these recipes you really want to use metric. It will make more sense later. A 1.5L jar uses 1.5Kg of cabbage (or total vegetables). See how easy it is? In ounces that would be a 34 oz jar uses 2lb 3oz of chopped vegetables. Stick with metric here. Next is the salt, about 2% salt by weight. This does not have to be precise. In metric this is also super easy. A 1000g (1Kg) amount of chopped vegetable needs 20g of salt. Weigh your vegetables, multiply by 0.02 for the amount of salt. It does not need to be precise and up to 3% is fine. I like to use the iodized Aegean Sea salt. Don’t use anything with a large amount of potassium or magnesium as these will allow the wrong bacteria to grow. I found this out the hard way. Next get your grip workout in by hand mixing and crunching the vegetables with the salt. If you want to add a tablespoon of dill or other herbs, now is the time. Squeeze and mix the chopped vegetables and salt mixture until it starts to wilt and becomes wet. Scoop everything, including the liquid, into a fermentation jar. I like the wide mouth funnel and wood “sauerkraut pounder” to make it easier. Leave at least 2 inches of air above the vegetable. I like to cut a large cabbage leave into a circle and place on top of the chopped to keep small pieces from floating up. Then add the weight (this comes in the fermentation kit if you bought one), and if the top is dry then make up a small amount of brine to top up. Do not use plain water. Using a coffee scale, add 100g of water and 2g of salt, mix well and use this to top up so that all vegetables are submerged in liquid. Label the jar with the date and any special treatment like herbs and place the airlock on top. You can fill the air lock with regular water. Only fill the airlock halfway. That’s it. Leave it alone for 10-14 days. You’ll see bubbles starting day one and the colors will change dramatically if you use colored vegetables like radicchio or red cabbage. Note radicchio requires a three week fermentation. A radicchio with bok choy blend is one of my favorites and has almost a wine like flavor. When ready to eat, take the airlock off, close the hole and place in the refrigerator overnight. The next day dump into a container and let it gas off for a couple of hours. There are sulfur producing bacteria that are making some of the amazing compounds. The finished kraut will last for weeks in the refrigerator but will likely be eaten long before that time. Check out the equipment page to find the jars, funnel and pounder and make your own amazing fermented vegetables! Some favorite combinations: radicchio (x2) and bok choy stems (leaves are great for salad), 2-3 week ferment green cabbage x1, green onion white including roots, thin sliced ginger (3 or 4), go easy on ginger as it gets very powerful when fermented.