08.19.2012

Coconut Flour Banana Bread

Its about time I show you this Coconut flour banana bread! For those of you who follow me on Facebook, I gave you a big tease about 1 week ago. Sorry about that!

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We LOVE coconut flour banana bread

Now I have to admit that this recipe was voted as the “favorite” in my house. This coconut flour banana bread outdid my last GAPS banana blueberry bread! For those of you who tried my first recipe, you know that it is hard to top. After making way to many loaves of banana bread, I finally got the PERFECT recipe!

Texture

No too dry but not mushy in the middle. Its JUST right, spongy yet moist! The texture of this coconut flour banana bread reminds me of the kind my mom used to make when I was little. That one was full of flour, which we don’t eat anymore, due to my severe sensitivities. I use the Wilderness Family Naturals (WFN) coconut flour (my favorite) or Bob’s Red mill Organic Coconut Flour (make sure you sift it first)I feel like the WFN flour is slightly fluffier then the other brands I have tried. This fluffy characteristic makes it easier to bake with because it leaves the finished product light and fluffy. Though no need to worry if you don’t have WFN coconut flour. I also use Organic Coconut Flour and it works (I sift and then measure). This is surprising, because coconut flour is known to make baked goods dry. Not this bread! It is moist and oh so perfect.

Coconut flour banana bread nutrition

Coconut flour has a reason to always be tooting its horn! It is paleo/nut-free/gluten/grain-free/celiac/GAPS/SCD/anti-candida friendly! It is full of protein and fiber and low in carbs. Coconut flour is also full of good minerals. A plus side to its density, is that you don’t have to use as much!

Butter it up!

Not to mention, the butter and honey just add in a powerhouse of good nutrients as well. Who can argue with butter? My mom spotted the pieces of banana bread covered in butter after my photo shoot. I happily gave her the 2 pieces, though she spread about 4 more pats of butter on each . She always says, she like to “have a little bread with her butter”. 🙂 Do I have to convince you any more? I think these pictures will do the talking! Happy GAPS baking!

INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS:

*Preheat your oven to 300 degrees

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1. Oil or butter your bread pans (I used 2 mini). Line with parchment paper. Cut 2 pieces and fit them in the baking pan. (It is easier to oil it first, so the paper kind of sticks to the sides of the pan)

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2. Smash the bananas. These are nice and spotted!

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3. (In the banana bowl) mix in the honey, butter, vanilla, eggs, and *stevia until combined.

4. In a sperate bowl mix the coconut flour, baking soda, sea salt, and cinnamon. **If you are using a more dense coconut flour like Bobs Red Mill Organic Coconut Flour, it will turn out much fluffier if you sift it first. (WFN seems to be already sifted and fluffy). Use 1 cup of sifted coconut flour. This step is added so you remember to sift the flour. 

5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined.

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6. Spoon the batter into your lined bread pans.

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7. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. The top and edges should be a golden brown color. Remove form oven and let it cool for 15 minutes in the pan. Store in a nontoxic container in the fridge.

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8. Slice an serve.

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9. Spread on some extra butter or have “a little butter with you bread” like my mom likes to say 🙂 Eat!

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08.03.2012

GAPS Coconut Milk Yogurt! (dairy free)

Yum Yum yum.

GAPS coconut milk yogurt is the answer to your dairy free yogurt dreams!

Here is a recipe I know a lot of you have been waiting for. Thanks for being so patient!

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The road to the perfect recipe…

I have been experimenting with coconut milk yogurt for quite some time. After trying recipe after recipe, I decided to just go with my gut, and do what I thought would be best. Coconut milk yogurt experimentation should not be taken lightly! I don’t know about you, but for me, gelatin is hard to  get the hang of. Its tricky to find the exact consistent you want and you won’t know until many hours after you add it into the yogurt. I know that on GAPS many of you still cannot have dairy, even though it is fermented. It can take many months to heal your gut so you can have dairy again. In the mean time, don’t deprive yourself of your favorite foods! If you were once like me and loved your big bowl of yogurt and fruit, then giving yogurt up was hard! This is where coconut milk yogurt soars into the rescue 🙂

My big coconut milk yogurt flop!

I tried all types of dairy free yogurt but they were all filled with wired gums and goos. I thought to myself..why not make my own?! Well the first few times it was a big flop. I didn’t know that coconut milk doesn’t thicken like regular yogurt, so mine turned out exactly like cultured liquid coconut milk. I tried putting it through a cheesecloth..and well I got like 1/2 cup worth. I then brought out the Unflavored Grass fed Gelatin, and voila, this recipe was born. *confession: I actually put too much gelatin in and I didn’t want to waste it so I used beaters to see if anything would happen…YEP it made the perfect yogurt! I hope you like it as much as my friends and family do 🙂 Your effort will be well worth it.

Is coconut milk good for you?

YES! Coconut milk is one of natures best foods for your body! Think about the old days where you would find a coconut in a tree and it could be a whole meal. No wonder why there are so many different coconut products!

Coconut milk is filled with…

  •  lauric acid which is a fatty acid that is found in mom milk.
  • It promotes brain development and healthy bone growth.
  • It is a super anti viral, anti fungus, anti microbial. That means it can kill off the bad guys that make you sick or give you candida.
  • Coconut milk helps to control you weight, because fat does not make you fat.
  • It is filled with minerals so your skin, hair and even attitude should be better.
  • You bones will benefit from the phosphorus and iron will pump into your blood…and I am just getting started 🙂
  • Better yet coconut milk is great for the immune system and it easy on the gut. So if you are sick or on GAPS, coconut milk is a good choice.

Ferment it!

Whats better than plain coconut milk you ask? Fermented coconut milk. When you make this yogurt you are adding cultures to it. Anything fermented is always easier to digest for your body. Adding the grass fed gelatin is just an extra bonus. Really, this is one of the perfect GAPS foods. I consider this a truly gutsy food 🙂

Recipe Update: I want to make an update on this recipe. Many people have expressed how this recipe is time consuming, which I would have to agree. I have found that you can completely skip the fresh young coconut part and just used canned coconut milk, gelatin, an a starter or probioitc powder. Steps 7-12 are optional. I find that the young coconut just adds more nutrients and minerals but it actually tastes almost the same. I hope this helps 🙂

INGREDIENTS:

* I list using both coconut milks in this recipe because I find that the canned stuff is creamier, but more expensive. So I mixed the two. Feel free to just use one if you would like.

4 cups homemade coconut milk

1 ½ cans / (20.25 oz) / 2.5 cups :  coconut milk (BPA free) or this brand (no additives)

1 pureed young coconut meat (optional)-  This doesn’t really change the texture much. I like to use the water for young coconut water kefir, so I always have left over meat. Adding the young coconut meat also helps feed the fermentation process.

pinch of sea salt

3 TBS organic sugar or raw honey

8 tsp Unflavored Gelatin (grass fed)

1 T vanilla (optional)

(Bacteria options): 1 packet of vegan yogurt starter, ½ cup premade coconut milk yogurt, open a few probitoic capsules or few scoops of this powder.

DIRECTIONS:

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1.  Make homemade coconut milk

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2.  Heat the 4 cups of homemade and the 1 ½ cans of canned coconut milk together in a stainless steel pot on the stove. Heat to 180 degrees. Use a candy thermometer.

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3. Take out 1 cup of the warm coconut milk, sprinkle the gelatin on the milk, and stir the gelatin until dissolved all the way. (This step is important so you don’t end up with gelatin clumps).

4. Add the 1 cup of dissolved gelatin/coconut milk back into the pot of warm coconut milk.

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5.  Add the sugar into the warm milk and stir until dissolved.

6. Let the milk cool down to 100 degrees. This takes a few hours, so I just left it on the stove to cool. Don’t put it in the fridge or ice bath because remember it has gelatin in it, and if you forget it, it will gelatinize.

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7. (optional step) While the coconut milk is cooling, crack open a young coconut. Learn how here!

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8. (optional step) Take 1 cup of the cooling coconut milk in the pot. (It doesn’t matter the temperature) and pour it into a blender.

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9. (optional step) Spoon your reserved young coconut meat from step 7. into the blender as well.

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10. (optional step) Blend away until smooth. It will be liquidly and easy to pour. DSCN2422
11. (optional step) Once the big pot of coconut milk is cooled down to 100 degrees, add the blended coconut meat minxture from step 10.

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12. (optional step) Stir.

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13. Sprinkle over your culture starter (or premade coconut milk yogurt) into the coconut milk. I like to pour my coconut milk out of the pot and into a bowl with a spout.

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14. Stir

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15. Pour coconut milk into 2 quart ball jars and screw on metal lids.

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16. Keep at a constant 110 degrees for 7-10 hours to ferment it. I put mine in my Excalibur dehydrator. But an oven would work too. You need the heat so the bacteria grows.

17. Check and taste after 7 hours to see if the sugar has been eaten up. It should not be as sweet anymore. If you want it sour, keep it going a few more hours.

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18. After it has been fermenting, you will see the liquid separated at the bottom. You will also see that it has not thickened. This is normal.

19. Refrigerate for 7-10 hours until firm.

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20. Take out of the fridge. The coconut milk should be solid like Jello. This is good!

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22. Spoon both coconut milk yogurts into a bowl.

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23. Beat the jello consistency coconut milk, until it is smooth and has no more clumps. This takes a few minutes. It will go through stages. Jello cubes, chunky, and then creamy.

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24. If yours creamy enough? If not keep beating..

24. Transfer the fluffy smooth coconut milk yogurt (should be a pudding texture) into a bowl (to eat) or back into the jars (to save for later)–> I like to use these single serving jars. It will be a little thicker once it has been refrigerated again for a few hours!

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25. Enjoy your yummy hard work!

Topping ideas:

 

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~Stay Gutsy, Caroline

 

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07.30.2012

GAPS Banana Blueberry Bread

I have an exciting recipe to share with everyone today! Let me introduce to you, GAPS banana blueberry bread! I have been experimenting with almond and coconut flour to reach the perfect consistency for a banana bread recipe. Whatever I did worked! Yipee. This one is for sure a keeper.

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Seriously, this bread is too good to be true. Your GAPS diet/grain free dream has come true..bread! Nothing is better than fresh blueberries in banana bread! Mmmmm….
 

A Family Tradition

Every since I was little, my mom used to make banana blueberry bread. She had 1 recipe, and at that time we considered it to be SUPER healthy. It had whole wheat organic flour, honey, banana’s, butter, and, all the other stuff you put into banana bread. It is pretty healthy, other than the whole wheat flour. I am not saying that wheat is bad, but if you are on GAPS, then it would not be a good idea. Sometimes she would even put in chocolate chips or blueberries (my favorite!). Whenever she used to put blueberries into the bread I would always pick them out 🙂

My GAPS Life

Things have changed, and now that we are on GAPS, whole wheat is no longer an option. My brother and sister who are not on GAPS have a wheat allergy, and eating it makes my brother act grumpy so my mom tries to keep it away from him. I bet he needs some repairing of the gut too, but he first had to go off of wheat and sugar. One step at a time. I don’t see any wheat coming into our kitchen for a while because I also have a SUPER sensitivity to it. My body has an allergic reaction to floating flour in the air. I have not really discussed my health problems a lot yet, but I plan on sharing them here in the future.

To make my long story short, if I get exposed to a crumb of wheat (I have never gotten tested for celiac, because I would do the same things anyways) I will swell up and lose my coordination. The gluten affects my cortex of my brain so I have a hard time walking without tripping over myself. It is quite unusual, especially because corn and potato do the same thing to me. The molecules are so similar to gluten that my body just recognizes the shape as the same.

GAPS Banana Blueberry Bread

Ok, I think I got a little side tracked there, don’t you think? Lets get on with the part you have all been waiting for….GAPS banana bread! Oh, by the way you can switch out the blueberries for cranberries (really good), GAPS chocolate drops, soaked/dehydrated nuts, or anything that is yummy to you in banana bread. To make it easy on you, I separated the ingredients into wet, dry, and egg whites. You will need 3 bowls for this bread.

You may be wondering why I put apple cider vinegar (ACV) and baking soda into it. The ACV and baking soda react when they come together to produce more air bubbles = a lighter banana bread. The egg whites whipped also help fluff up the bread. Once you have everything combined, act quick so the batter does not “fall”. If you cannot do baking soda on GAPS, then just skip it. But still keep the ACV in for flavor (it just enhances the banana flavor).

INGREDIENTS:

wet:

3 medium very brown bananas

3 egg yolks

3 TBS melted coconut oil or ghee

1/4 cup real maple syrup or honey or vanilla honey

2 tsp ACV

10-20 drops of stevia (optional if you like your bread a little sweeter)

2 tsp of vanilla extract

 

dry:

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 1/2 cups of almond flour (I use Honeyville)

2 TBS of coconut flour

2 tsp of cinnamon (add a few extra tsp if you want cinnamon banana bread)

 

egg whites: 3 egg whites

 

 

DIRECTIONS:

**I have gotten some comments that this bread is too wet. Remember, your ingredients and oven are not the same as mine. If the batter seems too runny, add another TBS of coconut flour. 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. DSCN2511 2. Grease your 2 small or 1 big bread pan with coconut oil generously (I used a pastry brush, but your fingers work too). Measure and cut the parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper DSCN2471 3. Smash bananas in a mixing bowl. I used my hands..but you can use a fork or potato masher.

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Don’t forget the vanilla!

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You can tell that one egg was fresh from a local farm (right) and one was form my coop (left).

4. Add in all your wet ingredients into the smashed banana bowl and mix. DSCN2483

I love my Spicily spices! They have no cross contamination with anything!

DSCN2475 5. In another bowl combine your dry ingredients

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  6. In another bowl whip your egg whites into stiff peaks with beaters. DSCN2495 7. Swiftly add your wet ingredients int your dryingredients (or other way around, which ever bowl is bigger). Don’t over stir, but make sure it is all combined. DSCN2500 8. Fold in your egg whites until fully combined.

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These were picked fresh from a local farm by my bother and sister.

9. Mix in your blueberries! I used 1 1/2 cup of fresh blueberries DSCN2513

Sprinkle a little cinnamon on top!

10. Pour your batter into your bread pan. DSC_0403

11.

  • (Big bread pan) —> I use this glass bread pan. Cook for 50 min at 350. Turn down your oven to 250 and cook for 25 min. Take out of the oven and let it cool in the pan for 15 min.
  • (2 small bread pans) –> I have not found one yet that is not “non stick” (which is very toxic). Cook for 50 min at 350. turn down your oven to 250 and cook for 10 min. Take out of the oven and let it cool in the pan for 15 min.
  • (muffin tins)—> I have these stainless steel ones. I did not make regular muffins but just keep an eye on them and insert a tooth pick. It it comes out clean, they are done. I would suggest to check them after 30 minutes. Let them cool for 15 min in the pan before yo take them out. Line with unbleached baking cups.
  • (mini muffin tins) —> I have these stainless steel ones. Cook for 15 min at 350. Let cool for 15 min before taking them out. Line with unbleached mini baking cups. **Since ovens still seem to vary, a rule of thumb would be to make sure the top is golden brown. Once the muffins are golden brown they are probably done. Since the bread is thicker, it takes longer to cook. So that is why I reduced them temp to 250, so the bread can cook more without it getting too brown.

12. Carefully run a knife or mini spatula around the edges so it comes out clean. I do this many times to ensure that it won’t stick to the sides when I go and flip it out. Place a plate onto of your bread pan and hold it in place with your hand. Carefully flip the bread and plate upside-down so the plate is on the bottom. Lift up the bread pan to release the bread. Flip the bread back over onto another plate or cutting board. This is how I take bread out of a pan, If you have a better way, feel free to do that instead.

 

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13. Cut into it with a bread knife, and Eat! It is good warm, or cold. Keep leftovers (if you have any..my bother ate 1/2 the loaf when I made it!) in the fridge.

~Stay Gutsy, Caroline

 

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07.12.2012

Celery Root Bacon Hash Browns (GAPS)

YUM! GAPS friendly savory smoky hash browns for breakfast!

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Potato craving

There are a few things that my family misses most when on the GAPS diet. One of them is potatoes. Honestly, I have never liked potatoes, but that is probably because I am very allergic to them, and my body knows better. Before half of us started GAPS, my dad always used to make a big batch of skillet potatoes on the weekend and people would nibble on them right off the stove. By the time they were all done, there were hardly any left :).

Now when my family has potatoes, those of us on GAPS (who like potatoes) sometimes feel left out. Being on the GAPs diet should not leave you feeling like you are missing out. You are gaining so much from doing this diet! Someday you will be able to have potatoes again, but you need to heal your gut first!

“Hash brown”

So, to ease the potato craving, I decided to create a sort of substitute, using celery root (which is GAPS friendly). At my house, those hash browns are always good to have on hand for a quick meal for my brother, dad, or younger sister not on GAPS. I wanted to make something kind of like that for of us on GAPS.

Since potatoes are usually a breakfast thing at my house, I wanted to create something unique with breakfast flavors. That is when I thought of celery root bacon hash browns! Celery root makes a good stable alternative to potatoes. When you are shredding the celery root, the smell will be strong, but don’t let that stop you from making these. When celery root is cooked, the texture, taste and smell resemble potatoes. The bacon really adds a nice flavor that helps cover up the “vegetable” taste of the celery root.

I designed the recipe so the celery root hash browns can be kept in the freezer for an easy breakfast. I pre-cooked them and then froze them into squares. So, when breakfast or lunch comes around, all you have to do is pop one out and put it on the stove or a baking sheet until golden brown!

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium celery root

1/2 onion

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 lb bacon (4 big pieces)

4 TBS fat (lard, tallow, coconut oil, ghee)

 

DIRECTIONS:

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1.Dice your bacon and add to the skillet.

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2. Dice your onion and add to the same skillet.

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I used leftover bacon fat.

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3. Add the 4 TBS of fat to the skillet and brown everything together.

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4. Wash the outside of your celery root.

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5. Cut the skin off of the celery root. *Save the skin for your chicken or vegetable stock!

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6. Quarter the celery root to fit into your Cuisinart (I use this one).

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7. Use your Cuisinart (thick shredder side) to shred the celery root. * You can also use a normal grater.

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8. Add the celery root to the skillet and cook down for a few minutes.

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9. Scoop the mixture out of the skillet and press down onto a baking sheet (I only used 1/2 of baking sheet. The flat sheet makes it easier to cut on than a baking pan).

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10. Freeze for about 1 hour until hardened and cut it into squares.

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11. Separate the squares with a knife or spatula.

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12. Store in a container or plastic bag layered with unbleached parchment paper.

13. Prepare:

Heat up a skillet. No extra fat needed!

Add your frozen hash brown and cook until golden brown.

or

Heat your oven to 400 degrees.

Place your hash browns on the baking sheet and cook for 15-20 minutes.

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This is what the “hash browns” look like when you take them out of the freezer. A nice perfect square!

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This what the hash browns look like when you cook them. They fall apart into a little pile of yummy breakfast goodness! This looks like a very little pile, but they are rich and nutrient dense!

 

14.Eat!

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~Stay GUTSY, Caroline

 

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01.24.2012

GAPS pancakes

Pancake Time!

This morning I made pancakes for my mom! She too is on GAPS but she can have almond flour, squash, and the whole egg..lucky her! I love to cook and she doesn’t have much tim,e so I got started. (I had a little fun making the picture as well!)

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Step by step:

I always like to look at recipes with step by step pictures, I think it helps a lot and is more fun! This recipe was revised from the Internal Bliss cookbook. I changed up a few things: almond flour instead of almond butter, and pureed pumpkin instead of squash.

Taste like “donuts”!

They were “so good” my mom said and even my younger sister who doesn’t like my food (meaning GAPS food) loved these pancakes. She said they tasted like donuts and was shocked when I told her they had pumpkin in them!

Give these a try if you can have all the ingredients on GAPS or even if you are not on GAPS these are delicious!

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INGREDIENTS:

5 eggs

1 cup of almond flour

1 cup pureed pumpkin (use this canned pumpkin or puree your own)

1/2 tsp Sea salt

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1/4 cup dried shredded coconut

3 Tbsp Butter/ghee

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DIRECTIONS:

1.) Separate 5 eggs into yolks (small bowl) and whites (medium bowl).

2.) Measure out 1 cup of almond flour and 1 cup of pumpkin ( I cheated and used this can, but normally we puree our own-learn how to here) into a big bowl.

3.) Add in 1/2 tsp of celtic sea salt and 1 Tbsp of cinnamon into the big bowl.

4.) Start to beat the eggs until they look like this, nice and stiff!

5.) Add in egg yolks and 1/4 cup of dried coconut (optional) into pumpkin/almond flour mix (big bowl).

6.) Fold in the egg whites-fold until incorporated fully.

7.) Get your cast iron pan buttered, this is big pan and I used about 3 Tbsp, you need a lot so they don’t stick. Be generous with the butter (otherwise they will stick)! Keep your pan at medium heat.

8.) Pour in a spoonful, don’t make them huge because they can be messy to flip, sometimes I make really small ones for fun!

9.) Flip when they start to turn brown on the bottom (this happens after about 1 min of bubbles forming around pancakes). I flip mine and then flip them back again because they always seem to ooze out more batter the first time I flip. They cook quick so watch out! **

10.) Serve and eat! I sprinkled them with dried unsweetened coconut and cinnamon- you can also top with coconut whipped cream! YUMMY! they make the kitchen smell wonderful too.

I always make the whole recipe and it ends up making a good amount, about 20, but it will vary on the size.

Notes

** after each batch of pancakes put an extra 1 tsp of butter on the pan to keep the pancakes from re sticking and they taste better too

These were the extras, perfect for a snack anytime of the day. You can also use them like bread and spread some almond butter and whole fruit jelly on them, or some coconut butter, or a drizzle of vanilla honey! get creative

You can substitute pureed squash for the pumpkin and use almond butter- (learn how to make it here) instead of almond meal. Lard, coconut oil, or any other kind of fat can be substituted for the frying part. You can also add in dried or fresh fruit, more spices, lemon poppyseed, or even make it savory with some crushed bacon bits and chives, again..get Creative..this is just your canvass! ENJOY

leftovers 🙂

 

 

~stay gutsy, caroline

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