COCO-ROASTED-CAULIFLOWER

     Cauliflower is one of the most delectable and diverse vegetables I discovered since I started this Gluten free diet.Not that I didn't know about cauliflower before,I just didn't know all the things one can make from it-from eating it just raw,roasting,making raw humus,or pickling it-it will show all it's deliciousness and diverse ways to flavor it.I have to give credit to the Almost vegan chef blog, for giving the base of my cauliflower recipe.

    Here is the first one I tried and it turned so warming and hearty!

COCO-ROASTED-CAULIFLOWER with GARLIC GARNISH 

Ingredients: 

.1 head cauliflower, stem removed, 

Oven ready 

cut or broken into florets

.1 tablespoon melted coconut oil 
.1 tablespoon curry powder

.a dash of cumin powder 

(optional; I love everything 

with cumin and it gives it 

a heartier, meaty taste)  

.1/4 teaspoon sea salt 

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 F.Place the cauliflower florets into a large ball or directly in your baking pan;drizzle on the coconut oil first, so florets are fairly well coated on all sides;sprinkle on the salt,toss;evenly sprinkle the curry powder and the cumin powder.I also sprinkle with a few tablespoons of water,to keep it fresh and not sticking to the bottom of the pan.

    Cover the baking pan with aluminum foil. This keeps all the aroma in, cooks faster and steams them a bit before roasting.Place in oven for 10 minutes;after that remove the foil and toss gently. 

    Return to oven and roast until the cauliflower is lightly golden, or until tender when checked with a fork, anywhere from 5-10 more minutes.I prefer mine on the raw,crunchy side,sometimes, and other times-just well roasted, melt-in-your-mouth florets.

Just out of the oven 

    

GARLIC GARNISH:

In a mean time prepare your garlic garnish for tossing over the cauliflower.I make sure to always have this made-I use it on many things-salads,spaghetti squash, humus, even yogurt; I just love sprinkling garlic on anything. And the benefits of having garlic are so numerous, it will be a big task to mention them all here. But just this one- it is a great system cleanser and immune booster especially in the winter months. Fresh garlic kills viruses, bacteria, yeast and parasites almost instantly after consumption.Just make sure that it is organic and raw, and eat it soon after mincing or crashing it, or it looses its powers along with its aroma. Now, this might be a throw back for some,but the rewards are well worth it. 

Ingredients: 

.a head of garlic or just a few cloves (make more if you wish to have for a few days) 

.juice of one lemon

.1/2 tablespoon sea salt

Mince or crash the garlic,cover with the lemon juice and salt and stir.  

You can sprinkle the whole mixture on the roasted cauliflower or store in a closed jar in the refrigerator for later use. 

This one is for me,very garlic-y with pine nuts on top

To enhance the already nutty taste 

of coco buttered cauliflower, 

sprinkle with any seeds or 

nuts you like.I find it very 

compatible with sunflower 

seeds and pine nuts.  

Garlic-free for my going to work husband

                

    

                                     
NOTES: I can easily use this for a main dish. It works equally well for a side or garnish to a main dish. I find it goes well with fish, or other vegetables like Yams.
also you can put any left overs in the food processor and make it into a humus for next meal.


ENJOY!
                                                             

COCO PANCAKES-GLUTEN FREE,SUGAR FREE-VERY LOW CARB!

GO COCO-NUTS!!!

   There is one thing I am so thankful for since being on a Gluten free diet-it is my personal discovery of COCONUTS!Their healing properties,numerous products and uses,go along great with the calming, cozy taste they give to each recipe.    
There is so much you can make with coconut,that I am going to devote a whole entire category on coconut products and recipes. 
   Today's one is a real gem, especially after I though I can never have pancakes anymore...

COCONUT FLOUR PANCAKES

My girl prefers them with only honey

Ingredients:               

.1/2 cup coconut flour
.6 eggs
.6-8 Tbsp Coconut milk or heavy whipping cream.
.1/2 tsp. sea salt
.1 tbsp Xylitol or agave (you can use honey or maple syrup,if you can have sugar)
.coconut oil or butter for frying the pancakes.

Makes 6-7 large pancakes, or up to 10 small ones (I prefer the small ones for this recipe- 4'-it is a bit capricious mixture, so it makes it easier to turn them) 


Directions:

Whisk the eggs and milk together,blend well.Mix the dry ingredients separately. Add the egg/milk mixture slowly to the dry mix and whisk well till there are no lumps.Allow to sit for a few minutes. 

NOTES:
-usually the notes go at the end, but this needs a special attention-coconut flour is highly absorbent.If you overdo and put more of it you have to add more moisture-a good rule of thumb is-one extra tablespoon of coconut flour requires one extra egg or more milk.Keep this in mind if you decide to make extra.The mixture should not be runny as with a regular pancake batter. 

-these pancakes do not bubble, but I add a dash of seltzer water  to the batter (BTW,I do that with any pancakes I make) That makes them fluffier, and it is especially good for this ones.
- you have your choice of diary free-with a coconut milk and coconut oil,or rich with a heavy cream and butter.I do use dairy,so I often mix this ingredients for even better taste. 

These are 4' diameter 

In a heavy skillet preheat a spoon of coconut oil or coat heavily with a butter stick-liberal amount,because of the high absorbency of the coconut flour.

NOTE: heat should be really low under your skillet;gently test bottom to see when it's time to flip. 


      

Stack them up or spread them out, enough for the whole family

REDUCED JAM RECIPE:

  This sugarless jam is a real gem,too,and so easy to prepare: 
  Use any berries you have in your fridge. Right after the pancakes are done in the still hot skillet cook the fresh or frozen berries for about 10 minutes, add sweetener if you wish and stir till there is a caramel aroma.
Poor over pancakes. 

ENJOY!

Good morning sunshine...! 

COCO YAMS, YUMMY YAMS....

       I don't know where the word "yummy" got it's origin, but I won't be surprised if it comes from yams-these humble tubers are very deserving of it. Yams also called sweet potatoes are not related to the potato at all-they are the tuber of a morning glory climbing plant and one of the oldest vegetables known to men.
I would not have known how good they were if it wasn't for my nutritionist recommendation. Yams were the only starchy food allowed in my Gluten free sugar free diet.It is because  the benefits of having yams outweighs the starchiness,the sugars and the calorie intake.Yams are loaded with vitamin A and potassium, calcium and number of minerals,as well as powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant elements.   

Here is two of the simplest and yummies recipes I have ever made:


1.COCO YAMS: 

  My nutritionist recommended this for a french fries substitute.I was not big on yams or sweet potatoes till then.It was so well worth the try and it became one of my personal favorites now for side,desert and small snack. And it cannot get any simpler than that.

 Products:
.2 large yams
.a big spoon of coconut oil. 

Heat oven to 350 F.
Cut the yams as thin or as meaty as you like them to be (I prefer the meatier version)
Lay them in a baking pan and roll them with a large teaspoonful of coconut oil.It might seam like lots of oil, but they really sock it up and sizzle in it, so they get this french fries feel to them.
Cover the baking pan with aluminum foil.
Bake for 30 min, then remove the foil and bake for another 15 min. 

These are best right out of the oven

2. BAKED YAMS

   This one is even easier, and you can do it at the same time you do your Coco Yams. Just wrap 1 to 3 medium to large yams in aluminum foil and roll them in the bottom of your oven (this is what I do, but you can put them in a baking pan as well, because the caramelized juices of the baking yams sip through the foil on the bottom of the oven; however, I love the pleasant aroma)
    The yams can handle some baking, but generaly I keep them for about an hour on 350 F. Depending on whether they are soft or hard it will take different time to completely bake, so check with a fork right through the foil to see if they are soft enough.  

Humble root but so good...!

    NOTE:Baked Yams make for a great side,but I really prefer them for a healthy desert and a snack on the go.I stock up with a few for the week, since they are equally good steaming hot with butter or after a few days in the fridge. 

Here is your nutritious desert 

  

                                                     

                                      

KALE CHIPS

IF THERE WAS EVER A HEALTHY CHIPS, this is it!

Fresh kale leaves chips. Giving up on so many things when faced with a condition or just to loose weight, or for the sake of health in general can seem challenging,and often is experienced as mourning. But with this recipe this crunchy salty craving for chips can be easily satisfied, while getting one of the most nutrient dense foods on earth! This recipe could be dehydrated or baked. My version is a combination of both,since I still don't have a dehydrator and also for saving time (dehydrating can take up to 8-10 hours) I'd like to give credit to Chef Amber Shea for this and lots of other recipes, which I am trying and will keep posting my versions here.My husband discovered Amber while searching for Hashimoto's diet for me.Her blog came up, since she,like myself,was diagnosed with Hashimoto's recently. Amber has been a great influence and even if she is almost vegan and almost fully raw chef,(which I didn't find suitable for myself), I have adapted many of her raw techniques and her lively attitude towards cooking and overcoming health obstacles. 

Without further adieu: FRESH KALE CHIPS 

Products: 

Kale chips out of the oven 

.kale of your choice(I like the dark kale for its superior powerhouse nutrition qualities) Choose as little or as much as you'd like to make.  
.Celtic sea salt-pinch or more, depending how salty you prefer. 
.1 tbs olive oil
.1 tbs fresh lemon juice
.coconut oil

1.heat up oven to 300 F
2.remove kale from stems, cut roughly
3.in a small ball mix olive oil, lemon and salt
4.gently massage kale leaves with the mixture, till they soften a bit 
5. grease pan with coconut oil and lay kale leaves on it, so it is just a single layer.
6.put in the oven for only 10 min (please, watch not to burn, happens fast)
7.remove, turn leaves on the other side, turn oven off.
8.return into warm oven and let sit there till it gets crunchy.
9. remove and serve 

I sprinkled this one with cheddar cheese for my girl, to add some familiar taste to it 

                
NOTES:
-I over-salted my chips the first time-next time i will try just plain, no salt.
- really watch out for the 10 min. time and turn your leaves over and the oven off, or they will burn.
-you can store the chips in a paper bag and use it as a spice, just crumble with your fingers in soups and stews to add more nutrition.     
-this is just the "naked" version of this chips; you can create variety sprinkling with different cheeses, butters and spreads. Being a purist i love the basic one :)
Enjoy!  

BATTLING HASHIMOTO'S HYPOTHIROIDISM WITH DIET AND NUTRITION

SOMETIMES in life we come upon our most important decisions and make a leap for the better due to hardship and suffering. This is how I came upon my new diet- I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Hypothyroidism- an autoimmune condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid gland,causing an array of different symptoms,from fatigue,to number of deficiencies,to total exhaustion.It is not my intention here to describe the disease, since I'd like this blog to celebrate fun, enjoyment of life and positivism. After doing a huge research and working closely with a certified nutritionist to figure out what is the best diet for this condition,I found out that my diet is a combination of Raw and Paleo diet, only it excludes all nuts, that raw foodies and Paleo enthusiast alike love and use abundantly. I do love nuts, but due to a secondary condition-Systemic yeast infection, which was compromising my state even more-I had to avoid them for the time being.I can still use seeds and seed butters, which are often a great substitute for nuts.My personal favorite is MaraNatha sunflower seed butter, which a splat on anything- fruit slices,gluten free pan cakes,mix it with coconut oil  and hemp seeds for a quick snack on the go.After being on this diet for 4-6 week I started to FEEL GREAT for a change, after months and months of low energy, depression, disturbed sleep, just to mention a few.And, besides eating PLENTY of fats- from coconut oil (I went through almost a quart a week!!),olive oil,meats and eggs, I was LOOSING WEIGHT! This was a rather unwelcome side effect for me,since my intention was not to loose weight. May be I did have a few extra pounds, but after the 3rd week I was really shedding those pounds.I even asked my Nutritionist how can I add some calories to my diet, since I started to feel that I am going dawn of my ideal weight. She suggested to add more avocados and a few more spoons of coconut oil.For those who are concerned with loosing too much weight--do not get dissuaded, keep it up and your body will adjust to your new weight, while feeling great.I was glad to shed that old diseased tissue and fat and substitute it with new vibrant tissue and muscle.Also for those who are trying to loose weight-I was not starving on this Gluten Free Sugar Free diet, because the recommendation was to eat every 2 hours in the beginning; so,I never felt hungry or starved, and nevertheless I kept loosing weight. Later,as my condition and energy level were improving, I was able to go for longer periods of time between meals. But in the beginning I was also to work on a low blood sugar that also had with this autoimmune condition. I am so happy to say that all of my symptoms started to disappear one by one, slowly but surely I was on my way to health!
CHEERS TO YOUR HEALTH WITH ALL THE DELICIOUS RECIPES,PRODUCT AND INFORMATION LINKS!

Enjoy!     

PALEO BREAD

      When you give up gluten the first thing that has to go is bread. All bread. Every kind of bread--organic, sprouted, whole- it has to go! So, after a month and a half of bread mourning, I rejoiced to find this bread recipe and rejoiced even more when it turned so good the very first time I tried it.I had GLUTEN FREE GUILT FREE BREAD I can dip in the olive oil and make a toast with!It is amazing how one comes to appreciate the little things in life...

So, here it goes:

It feels and cuts just like a real bread, which it is
So here it goes: 

Ingredients:
Dry:
.1 1/2 cup Amaranth flour 
.3/4 cup Arrow Root flour 
.1/4 cup Golden Flaxseed meal
.2 tablespoons Coconut flour
.1/2 tablespoon baking soda
.1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
.1/2 tablespoon xilitol or agave. 

Wet:
. 4-5 eggs
. 1 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar
. 1/4 cup Coconut oil.

1.In a ball mix all dry ingredients together
2. In a separate ball mix the eggs, vinegar,coconut oil, and agave or xilitol.   
3.Mix dry ingredients into wet (some recipes call for a food processor to mix, but I prefer this hand mixing for this dough-gives it a more authentic feel)
4. Grease a pan, no larger than 8'X 8'with coconut oil or butter and scoop batter into to the pan (I loved how this 8X8 Good Cook pan worked for me) 
5.Bake at 350 F for 30 min or until a toothpick comes out clean. 
6.cool and serve.

PALEO BREAD Right out of the oven 

    Notes:
   -You can substitute amaranth with another gluten free flour like quinoa,tapioca,sorghum,teff,almond or other nut flours; I used amaranth for the sweet nutty taste, and because I was also on a nut-free diet for the time being. I do not use the generic gluten free all purpose flours made of rice,corn,potatoes,and other starches, because they transform directly to sugar upon digestion, which I was also to avoid; best stick with the one kind seed flour. Also, adding a couple of spoons of maca powder gave the bread softer texture and more flavor.  
   - since I discovered Coconut flour I am such a happy person-it  is an excellent gluten free baking product,with numerous health benefits; only make sure that you don't put more then it is by recipe,since it is highly absorbent and for every spoon of coconut flour you'd need to put more wet ingredients; say 1 tablespoon more of coconut flour would require one more egg to the mixture; if, however you'd like to make bigger bread, go ahead and add up more of it in that proportion.
   - the arrow root is great for gluten free baking-it acts as an yeast agent; however, this bread does not rise, it is a flat bread, so do not expect it to come out of the pan. 
   - when baking watch your bread-it might get done earlier and you don't want to over dry it; it would be better to be on the fresh side then over baked, leaving a chance for toasting. 
   -to preserve- put in a plastic bag or wrap and keep in the refrigerator; mine held up for almost a week, all though it is hard to keep this delicious bread treat for that long :) 

Enjoy!