Erstwhile, my conclusions:

There are six reasons to give coconut flour a crack.

1. It’s sweet tasting, but contains no fructose (as with all coconut products).

2. It’s great for baking – it gives things a dense texture.

3. But it’s grainless, thus containing no sugary starch nor toxins (phytic acid etc). Which is why it’s the paleo’s “flour” of choice.

4. It’s efficient. It’s the natural byproduct from making coconut milk – the dried coconut meat that’s left over. I like this. It’s using up stuff that would otherwise be chucked.

5. It curbs cravings. It’s rich in protein, fiber and good fat. As well as manganese, which is craving-curber.

6. It’s nourishing, especially for autoimmune disease sufferers: containing lauric acid, a saturated fat that supports the immune system and the thyroid as well as manganese, which also supports the thyroid.

But you need to know this:

1. This stuff is DRY, so don’t substitute with other flours one-for-one: 

1 cup normal flour = about 1/3 cup coconut flour.

2. I read somewhere that when baking with coconut flour,

for every one cup you need to use six beaten eggs + one cup of liquid.

I keep some coconut milk and coconut oil nearby and splash it in to get a batter to the right consistency.

3. It can also be used to coat meat (dredging) or fish. But remember, it does have a “sweet” flavour.

4. It seems to work really well with almond meal when baking – the consistencies balance each other.

5. It needs to be sifted.

my pumpkin, coconut flour and walnut muffins

So it was my birthday on Sunday. And I had a breakfast barbeque down at The Pass in Byron (after an early morning surf). Such a good way to do a birthday (low-key, mates with kids can pop in, no booze required).

I made these muffins in the morning as I packed the car. They took less than 30 minutes, beginning to end. Here’s how:

• 1 cup of grated pumpkin
• 1/2 cup of coconut flour
• 1/2 cup of almond meal/flour or LSA
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• a pinch of vanilla powder or a dash of vanilla essence
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• stevia or rice malt syrup (I put in 2 tbls of the latter)
• 1/2 cup basil leaves
• 3/4 cup walnuts (roughly chopped)
• 6 organic eggs
• 1/2 cup of coconut oil (melted or just left on the bench if you’re in Australia right now)
• coconut milk or milk to moisten

Preheat oven to 190C. Grease a muffin pan or line with paper liners.

Add the sifted flour, almond meal, baking powder, vanilla and spices to the pumpkin. Then stir in the sweetener, basil and walnuts.

[I grated the pumpkin in a blender, then used the container as the bowl...saving washing up and complications. And PS, apologies for the shocking images...not my forte.]

Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl and using a wooden spoon, stir it into the pumpkin mixture with the coconut oil until the lumps are gone. Then gently stir in the walnuts.

[I then used the same blender attachment, which connects to a stabmixer, to do the eggs...thus, two containers, one appliance in total. Am I the ONLY person who finds this kind of efficiency deeply satisfying?].

I added some extra oil and some coconut milk (you could use plain milk) until the batter was moist (the coconut flour absorbs everything). Divide batter between 12-18 muffin cups.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes. They’re not the most attractive little things. But served warm they’re great. I froze the extras for quick breakfast snacks.

Or you might like to try these paleo recipes:

Coconut flour bread

Blueberry coconut muffins

Coconut flour coated calamari

Do you cook with coconut flour? Any favourite recipes? My friend Violet makes a chocolate and beetroot cake using it…am trying to hunt it down!

Cut to today. Supercharged Food – 90 recipes that don’t contain gluten, wheat, sugar, yeast or dairy – is out now. It’s rare that I’d want to cook every recipe in a book (I’ve already played with several, including lavender tea with almond milk!!), so choosing a few to share with you here was an indecisive’s conundrum. But I thought it might be nice to share two that are perfectly geared for toting on the annual schlepp to the stodge-fest that is family Christmas…so you don’t have to be tempted by bloody mince pies.

butternut cookies

• 150g coconut flour
• 1/4 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons stevia powder, plus extra to dust
• a pinch of sea salt
• 200g cashew butter
• 4 organic eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 1/2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons coconut milk (try Lee’s homemade version, recipe in her book)

Preheat the oven to 175 C and grease a baking tray.

In a bowl, mix together the coconut flour, baking powder, stevia and salt.

Warm the cashew butter slightly, then mix with the eggs, vanilla, coconut oil and coconut milk until smooth. Add to the dry ingredients and mix well to form a dough.

Roll the dough out between two sheets of baking paper to a thickness of 6 -8 mm. Cut out shapes using your favourite cookie cutter, and place on the greased baking tray. These cookies won’t spread during baking.

Bake for 20 – 25 mins, or until cookies are crisp and golden. Leave them to cool on the tray a little before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with extra stevia if required. Cookies will keep in an airtight container for several days.

Makes 24.

gluten-free nut loaf

• 150g almond meal
• 30g walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 95g arrowroot (tapioca) flour
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 organic eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon stevia powder
• 3 tablespoons grape seed oil
• 2 tablespoons coconut milk (try Lee’s homemade recipe, in her book)
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 180 C and grease a 20 x 9 cm loaf tin.

Put the almond meal, walnuts, baking powder, cinnamon, arrowroot flour and salt in a large bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon.

Crack the eggs into a separate bowl and whisk using an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 1 1/2 mins. Add the stevia, grape seed oil, coconut milk and vinegar and mix gently. Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Spoon the mixture into the greased tin and bake for about 40 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove the bread from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes, before turning out onto a wire rack and cooling completely.

Enjoy the bread melt-in-the-mouth warm, or at room temperature with your favourite topping.

Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to six days, or wrap tightly and freeze for up to six weeks.

Makes one loaf.

Recipes and images from Supercharged Food by Lee Holmes, published by Murdoch Books. You can get your copy here.
Lee is a regular columnist for Wellbeing magazine, and a writer for Miranda Kerr’s Kora Organics blog. Check out her website and blog.

Anyone else want to share some treat ideas from their blog? I’ll be doing some reader recipes in the coming weeks! Shoot through your work below.

photo by Johnny Abegg

Now, once again, our measurements are VERY imprecise. Claire and I literally “added a bit of this, added a bit of that”. And it simply worked. So have faith! Feel it with your fingers!

Sarah + Claire’s sugar-free nut cheesecake

First make the base (meals and nuts can be substituted for any others you have lurking in the cupboard):

• 100g of dessicated coconut
• 110g of shelled pistachios
• 150g of almond meal
• 4 “generous” tbls of butter…which is to say, keep adding more butter till you get a nice gooby consistency

Preheat the oven to about 160 C. Stab-mix or blend pistachios until they are semi-fine chunks, add to a mixing bowl with the coconut, almond meal, and room temperature butter and rub until the mixture is an even, thick consistency. Then press into a baking paper lined spring form pan. cover the base and sides with your mixture to an even thickness  - you may need more or less of the mixture depending on the size of your pan. Try to keep it an even thickness – about 1/2-1cm.

Place in oven for 8 minutes or until slightly firm. Don’t wait for the base to brown as it will continue to cook once the filling is in. We made this mistake…but not before dropping the whole tin on the floor and repressing it back into place. This recipe is bombproof, I tell you!

Then the filling:

• 2-3 boxes (250g each) of Philadelphia cream cheese
• one egg
• a dash of natural vanilla essence or vanilla powder
• 2 tbls of natural yogurt
• 1/4 cup coconut cream
• 1/2 cup-ish of rice syrup (or add more/less to your individual taste). And, yes, rice syrup is fructose-free.

In a large bowl add the cream cheese (room temp), egg, vanilla, coconut cream and rice syrup and yogurt. Mix until it’s an even, thick consistency. Don’t over mix and try and keep aeration to a minimum while stirring – it will make the thing puff up, then collapse. Add your mixture to the base and return to the slow oven for 20-30 mins or until the mixture is puffy on the edges and the centre slightly soft and custard-like – (don’t overcook). Put in the fridge until it’s firm, otherwise it’s way tooooooo egg-y. We made this mistake in our impatience.

Then eat.

While I’m at it, some of you wanted to know how to make kale chips. Here goes:

kale chips

• 1 bunch of kale (cavalo nero)
• 1 tbls of olive oil
• sea salt

De-stalk the kale (never eat the stalk of the kale – it’s too hard to digest. The easiest way to do this is to grab the end of the stalk and then literally run your fingers down it, shearing the leaf off), then tear into 4cm x 4cm bits. Toss in the oil and salt, lay out on a baking tray and cook in a 200 C oven for 5-10 mins, until crisp. An easy pre-dinner hit!

Please do share any of your sugar-free bloggings/recipes…I’ll be only too happy to share it with the readers here! And remember, for more recipes (chocolate mousse, shortbread and more) you can download my I Quit Sugar ebook for $15 here.

photo via scandi foodie

sugar free coconut granola

For my original recipe, go here.

grain free, sugar free breakfast muffins

For my original recipe, go here.

For Maria’s adaptation, go here.

activated spiced nuts

For my original recipe, go here.

sweet potato spelt muffins

Thanks again Maria for your gorgeous interpretations. Go have a play on her blog…real food, made pretty.

And if you want to do the sugar free thing, too, my I Quit Sugar ebook is still the very do-able, just-a-few-lattes $15. An 8-week program. With detox tips, recipes, shopping list and tricks for making the transition actually better than chocolate.

If you’ve cooked up any of my recipes and want to share the pics, or if you’ve developed your own, please attach your links below. We’d love to share the sugar-free love…

Over the weekend, my partner in “Sunday mornings on the deck eating eggs + reading the papers” crime Lizzie and I made nutballs. This is them…

Three things you need to know:

1. These balls of goodness are so healthy and anti-oxidising that you can eat them for breakfast. And just to test the theory, I did so this morning.

2. They are not addictive and you won’t eat the whole lot in one sitting. How so?

They contain ZERO sugar

They are rich in good fats that fill you up pleasantly and fast. Seriously, no desperate hankerings afterwards.

3. Lizzie and I are the two most impatient women on the planet: we whizzed these together in three minutes, including the taking of pretty pictures.

my sugarfree nutballs

• half a  jar of almond spread
• 250g or so of organic nuts. We used almonds, brazil nuts and walnuts for their hormonally healthful properties. We tried using a stab-mixer, but it turned them into a powder, so promptly switched to a large food processor).
• 1/2 cup of raw cacoa powder (to taste)
• 2 big handfuls of shredded coconut
• 1/2 a stick of organic salted unadulterated butter. Or use the whole packet (200-250g) if you don’t have coconut oil.
• 4-5 heaped tbls of coconut butter (coconut oil)

• vanilla powder (or use vanilla essence)
• licorice root tea (gives it a very distinct sweet kick)
• stevia (Natvia granules) -  2-3 teaspoons
• cinnamon
• Nora suggests some bee pollan
• Nora also suggests organic cacao nibs  – adds chocolaty flavor without adding sugar.  Also, cacao nibs have roughly twice the antioxidant content of green tea.

One or more of these, to adjust the consistency, if you need to or want to and have them in the fridge anyway:

• almond meal
• LSA
• protein powder – we used one called 180 Natural Protein Superfood which contains organic whey, flaxseeds, coconut and psyllium husks…about 1/2-1 cup
• a small handful of chia seeds
• maca powder
• acai powder

Blend the above in a bowl, using a metal spoon to “splodge” the coconut oil and butter through the dry stuff. Don’t be precise – chuck in what feels right. You can’t go wrong. It will go quite “wet” – this is because the coconut butter turns to oil. Add some extra dry “filler” stuff to adjust the consistency. The chia seeds will do this super well.  Grab little handfuls and form into “balls” and plop (seriously, this is probably the wrong word given what they look like) on wax paper on a metal tray.  Stick in the fridge for an hour, or if you’re impatient like us, in the freezer for 20 minutes.

Lizzie The Lizard in the field beyond the breakfast balcony

Some observations from Lizzie and I:

They really don’t need any sweetener. We chucked in licorice root and some stevia and regretted it a little. Vanilla and/or cinnamon does the job better.

We also tossed in some maca. We’re glad we did.

As Lizzie says, this is “real food” eating. No fuss. Basic ingredients. No sugar. Good, nutritious, female-loving fat.

PS Lizzie and her sister run Spell Designs. She’s wearing their gear above. You can buy online here and follow her blog here.

PPS For more sugar-free sweet treats, check out my I Quit Sugar Ebook. You can buy it here.

PPS Feel free to contribute your own recipe amendments below!

From an ayurvedic POV, it’s all about enlivening kaphic energy (spring needs an alert kaphic energy to withstand the dampness). (I’ve written rundowns on ayurvedic doshas, and the vata effect previously)

Personally, I’m not a massive fan of full-on, restrictive eating detoxes. And, indeed, it’s the principle behind the new show I host Eat Yourself Sexy, which launches THIS THURSDAY!!! Our bodies naturally detox far better when fed good food, aided with a few tricks. Honestly, eating our way through a clean out is soooo much more fun.

If you feel like cleaning things out ready for the warmer weather, a few tricks and recipes (and please add your own ideas at the bottom…these are just the things I’m going to be doing):

1. Get plenty of sleep – our bodies detox throughout the night. We need to get to bed by 10pm to align with the detox/cell regeneration processes throughout the night.

2. Eat ginger. And other digestive herbs and spices as much as you can: cumin, fennel, cayenne pepper, turmeric.

3. Drink digestive teas. Licorice, fennel, mint, dandelion…

4. Eat green. As much as you can. Green cleans. Silverbeet, spinach, kale, broccoli…and be sure to start to move into the cooler green things as the weather warms: avocado and cucumber, mint and parsley. I love this recipe for rawvocado soup from wholeliving (pic above). It pretty much combines the top cleansing ingredients in the one little package….

Chilled ‘Rawvocado’ Soup with Coconut Water

This recipe makes two servings.  If you want more soup, double the amounts accordingly.

• 2 large, ripe avocados
• 1 cup coconut water (you could also use nut milk or filtered water)
• juice of 1 lime (about 4 tablespoons)
• ½ cup coriander leaves
• ¼ cup chives
• 1 shallot, minced
• pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Cut open and pit avocados. Scoop out flesh, reserving a small portion of one half for garnish.

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend on high until smooth. If the soup is too thick, add more coconut water until the desired consistency is reached (it should coat the back of a spoon, but not be solid).

Pour into a large jar with a tight-fitting lid and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Serve when cold. Garnish with avocado cubes and chives or coriander.

5. Chlorella is great. The benefits are these:

• strengthens the immune system
• promotes bowel health
• helps to detoxify the body
• cleanses the blood stream, liver, and kidneys
• increases oxygen to your body’s cells and brain
• fights infection
• slowing cellular damage
• aiding wound healing by stimulating new cell growth
• builds blood
• helps to eliminate mouth and body odors
• helps raise the pH of your body to a more alkaline state
• promotes the production of friendly flora in your gastrointestinal tract
• helps to counteract the fatigue and mood swings associated with PMS

But be careful…it’s quite strong and can sweep things out a little too fast. You can read about my experience here. I love that mynewroots has developed some recipes for incorporating it into meals….

Green dream chlorella cream

Start with just a teaspoon of chlorella, taste, and work your way up to your flavour tolerance. Start slow and build your taste for it. Your body will tell you when you’re ready to up the ante. 

•  ½ cup raw liquid honey (sugar-free kids, you might like to use stevia)
• 1-3 tsp. chlorella
• 2-4 Tbsp. raw tahini

Place honey in a bowl and whisk in chlorella until thoroughly combined.

Add the tahini, one tablespoon at a time and whisk. You can add as much tahini as you like, but I find the cream tends to become quite solid if I put in too much.

Store chlorella cream in the fridge, either in a squeeze bottle for optimal drizzle action, or in a glass jar.

6. Keen for more green, try Vital Greens. I personally love this stuff and it’s soooo good when you’re travelling and finding it tough to get veggies into your gullet (and/or not functioning too well in the bowel movement department…which is what happens for me when I travel…I share my healthy travel tips here). A teaspoon or two in water, or in a smoothie, in the morning and it gets everything slipping through a treat. There are a range of different versions of this kind of green powder on the market…I’m sure they’re all pretty good, but ask the person in the health food shop what they think (and look out for sugar!).

7. And for even more green…herbs are mean. I like this recipe below for a coriander pesto. Coriander is particularly good for detoxing and chelating. Or simply add large handfuls or parsley or basil into your meals. I toss huge handfuls through almost every meal (and heat it a little – sweat it in the sauce – or toss into the stirfry, rather than adding after -   to make it easier to eat).

Coriander Pesto

•  4 bunches fresh coriander
• 1 peeled medium sweet onion
• Juice of 3 lemons
• ¼ cup toasted pine nuts (optional)
• ¼ tsp. ground cayenne
• 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. agave nectar or honey
• Salt to taste

Trim ends off coriander bunches and place them in a large bowl of fresh water, dunking them several times.

Drain water and repeat once more to be sure that all of the dirt has been removed.

In a blender, puree onion in lemon juice.Add coriander (both leaves and stems), and remaining ingredients to blender and blend until mix is uniformly green.Salt to taste.

8. Go alkaline. That is, eat less acidic foods – meat, sugar, tomato, caffeine, oranges, potato, eggplant, capsicum, vinegar. Just reading this list you can see that these foods are cold weather foods. Lemon juice in hot water is a great way to alkalise your system each morning. Or you can use organic apple cider vinegar. Note: lemon juice and apple cider vinegar alkalise the system when consumed. Hard to get the head around, but true.

9. Juice detoxes can work well. They can kick start things if you’ve been over-indulging over winter – they help you switch gears. Be sure to ask that they are not restrictive calorically (ie that they still add up to about 1600 calories a day… starving yourself sets you up for drama) and contain healthy fat (via nut milks and coconut water) and not too much fruit sugar (ie are mostly green veggie juices). For more, I’ve written about some juice detoxes I’ve tried here and here.

10. So can detox retreats and detox food programs. The kind that involve eating, that is. I truly believe the best way to detox is to nourish your body and it will do the work for you. If you restrict yourself too much, the body goes into “freak out ” flight/fight mode and will do strange things. So a retreat, like this one,  or a food delivery program, like Eat Fit Food, is a good way to go because they do just that…with controlled calories. They’re like a run-up for good eating through summer.

11. While detoxing... 1. move. As toxins releasing you need to keep them moving around and out – exercise and get massages if need be and budget affords. 2. sweat. As above – you want to get the crap out. Exercise and steam rooms are great. 3. Drink a shit-load of water.

I know many of you are healthy food types…what do you love to do when going clean and green?

zucchini ricotta cheesecake, via 101cookbooks

Not a sad predicament, but variety is required. Lately I’ve also been experimenting with cutting back on grains overall. I’m not wholly paleo (caveman diet follower); I tend to follow Weston A Price’s eating ideas (although not strictly). I can see merits in not eating so many carbs…doing so does curb my cravings…which I have problems with. I still eat carbs, just not as many.

So back to breakfast…no sugar, no gluten and… less grains. A challenge? Yes, but one I’m up for.

Tell me what you think of these ideas, and please add your own.

Zucchini Ricotta Cheesecake

This one is fresh from 101 Cookbooks. They used a springform pan, but you could use an equivalent baking dish or deep tart pan as well. I did mine in a skillet with less ingredients.

serves 8

• 2 cups zucchini, unpeeled & grated
• 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 2 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
• zest of one lemon
• 2 large eggs, well beaten
• 1/3 cup goat cheese, crumbled
• drizzle of olive oil

Preheat oven to 170C degrees. Butter/oil a 7-inch springform pan.

In a strainer, toss the grated zucchini with the salt and let sit for ten minutes. Now aggressively squeeze and press out as much moisture as you can. Set aside.

Combine the ricotta cheese, Parmesan, shallots, garlic, dill and lemon zest. Stir in the eggs and mix. Now stir in the zucchini. Fill the pan with the mixture and place on a baking sheet and in the oven and for sixty minutes. Sprinkle with the goat cheese and return to the oven for another 20 -30 minutes or until the goat cheese is melted and the cake barely jiggles in the center (it will set up more as it cools).

Let cool five minutes, then release the cake from its pan. Serve at room temperature drizzled with a bit of olive oil and a few sprigs of dill.

Chia Omelette

I stumbled upon this idea when making an omelette where I’d put in too much milk by accident. I added chia seeds to soak up the liquid (I do the same with casseroles and soups…a few teaspoons get everything nice and thick again). Lee Holmes at Supercharged foods, it turns out, does the same, so I thought I’d post her instructions.

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp chia seeds
• Basil and oven roasted tomatoes
• sea salt and black pepper to taste

Beat eggs for one minute then add chia seeds.

Warm olive oil in omelette pan.

Pour mixture in and swirl until thinly covered.

Cook on medium heat and then fold.

Remove from pan and serve with basil and tomato.

Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Spinach “Bread”

Also from Supercharged Foods, this spinach bread recipe is delicious, and with a video to boot!

(Makes approximately 10 slices)

• 6 packets frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (no additives)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius.

Grease baking tray or ceramic roasting pan.

Mix together spinach, eggs, and garlic in a bowl.

Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon mixture into prepared pan and flatten, pressing down with fingers.

Bake for 15- 20 minutes or until set.

Allow to cool slightly then using a knife or pizza cutter slice into 10 rectangles.

Use a spatula to remove individual slices from pan.

Wrap slices in freezer wrap and freeze until ready to use.

Coconut granola

• 4-5 tbl butter or coconut oil
• 3 cups coconut flakes
• 1 cup chopped or ground almonds (pref activated ones…see my recipe here)
• 2-4 tbs stevia (or 4 tbs honey if you’re not doing the no-sugar thing)
• 1 cup each of crispy cashews and pecans or walnuts (see my recipe here)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, spread evenly on baking paper on a tray and bake in a preheated oven at 120 celsius. When golden, pull out and cool immediately (to get it crispy).

Homemade Socca

I’ve been making this recipe for a while. I sometimes make a similar pancake (with eggs and a little milk). Chickpea flour is also called besan flour and it’s not technically flour – you’ll find it at some supermarkets and it’s cheap.  Whole Living posted the recipe below and provided this little tip:

If you have the time and the foresight, I highly suggest mixing your socca batter well in advance to aid digestion. Much like soaking beans and legumes before cooking, soaking the flour (especially if it is raw) will undoubtedly help your body break down the complex starches in ground chickpeas, and will aid in mineral absorption.

(Makes about three seven-inch soccas.)

• 1 cup chickpea flour
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 ¼ cup lukewarm water
• 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Ghee or coconut oil, for pan

In a large bowl, sift chickpea flour, salt, and pepper. Whisk in warm water and olive oil. Let sit, covered, for as many hours as possible (making this before you leave the house in the morning is perfect for making socca for dinner), but at least 30 minutes.

Place heavy (preferably cast-iron) skillet in oven and preheat to 230 C.

Remove skillet from oven. Add a knob of ghee or coconut oil to the hot pan, and pour batter in a steady stream until it reaches the edges of the pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the pancake is firm and the edges are set.

At this point, you can flip the socca, or set it a few inches below your broiler for a couple minutes, just long enough for it to brown. Cut into wedges and serve hot, with toppings of your choice.

Grain-free breakfast bars

• 1 1/4 cup almond flour
• big pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup coconut shredded
• 2 1/4 cups of nuts and seeds (pref activated ones… see my recipe here)
• 1/4 tsp baking soda (baking soda is always gluten-free, baking powder sometimes isn’t)
• 4 tbls of stevia (or 1/4 cup maple syrup)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet in another. Then pour the dry into the wet. Press into a greased baking dish and bake at 180 C for 20 mins. Cool and cut. To make a crispy version, place the “bars” back in the oven (once cut) for another 10 minutes.

Also see a great meffin (meat and veggie muffin) recipe here.

And my frozen spinach and egg creation here. I’m a little obsessed with this right now. I sometimes add mushroom as well (and pop in the microwave with the rest).

And some previous breakfast creations here and here.

Do you have any simple ideas to share?

Pic: Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

So I always have a few staples on hand that can stretch out the random fridge surprise ingredients. Eggs, tinned tuna, tinned sardines,  frozen spinach, peas and broccoli (I steam, bag and freeze myself, as explained here), capers and activated nuts and seeds (which I keep in the freezer…they keep longer and stay crisper).

Me, at the moment I’m loving these ideas:

* Freezer spinach, pea and parmesan surprise: Take two cubes of frozen spinach (I buy the one that comes in a pack of 6 cubes) and a handful of frozen peas in a bowl and microwave (I know, not ideal, but frozen spinach is dodgy in a pot and this meal works best in a microwave) for a minute or so. I drain a little water out and stir through one egg and some grated Parmesan (which I store in the freezer) and heat for another minute or so. Breakfast!

* Mushroom mush: I saute mushrooms in a pan and some shaved ham (I keep a container in the fridge for such moments) and swirl through some lightly forked eggs, a splash of milk and some chia seeds.

* Broccoli and ….: I steam broccoli cut up pretty fine (as mentioned I do this in advance – a head or two at a time – put in containers and freeze ready to grab) and add:  some shredded chicken (I buy 1/2 a chook and use it across 3-4 meals), a few anchovies and some garlic, a tin of tuna and an egg…I swirl it through the hot broccoli and it “cooks” into a cheesy bind. Sometimes I toss in some finely cut celery  and swirl through some whole-egg mayo (sugar-free). And some activated pepitas (again, which I keep in the freezer). And bang. Lunch. Or breakfast (the other day I took it on the plane with me on my way to Sydney at 9am).

* Meffins (meat, veggie and egg muffins): I came across this in a Westin A Price newsletter – brown 500g pork (or beef, but pork is milder) mince in a pan. Set aside. Then saute a cup of chopped leftover veggies – onion, carrot, pumpkin, peas – (using the fat in the pan from the pork). In another bowl beat 12 eggs and add meat, veggies, 1 cup cottage cheese, herbs and spices (I use fresh sage and thyme). Spoon into a 12-cup muffin tin, sprinkle with cheese and cook 15-20 minutes in a 180 degree oven.

This is what I ate yesterday for breakfast: chick peas (again, stored in freezer), spinach, chia, tinned corn and anchovies!

* handy tip: I toss chia seeds through many of these kind of meals…they soak up any excess liquid and make the meal seem weightier and goobier. They also add instant protein and fibre…a boon if you’re travelling a lot and need to make sure you’re getting enough of both.

My favourite new foodie blogger Lee Holmes has supplied this mish-mash recipe for Veggie Omelettes.

Lee says:

Vegie omelettes are boundary free, you can use any vegies that you have in your fridge, or even leftovers from the night before, as well as herbs to create a colourful, nutrient-rich and satisfying meal in minutes. If you’re low on veg then throw in some frozen spinach for added greens.

Chop the vegies into squares, along with two sliced garlic cloves, whisk two large eggs in a bowl add the vegies to the eggs with a pinch of celtic sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Pour mixture into omelette pan and cook on medium heat until set. Turn onto a plate, sprinkle with nutritional yeast flakes and enjoy!

Oh, and a while back I posted seventeen of my best cooking tricks for wellness which prompted a bunch of you shared some fantastic mish-mash meals with me. Here’s a few:

Sarah shared this: I save the tough leek tops, broccoli stems, and any other random bits of veggies (that I would have thrown away) to make stock. When I buy cauliflower, radishes, carrots, beets, or otherwise, I always buy with the greens attached and add them to salads! I add spices to EVERYTHING.

A seriously quick lunch from Narelle Chenery (the chick behind Miessence):  I pour some water (1/2 cup) into a saucepan, stuff it full of whatever leafy greens I have on hand (beetroot greens, kale, spinach, collards, anything green and leafy from the markets, or chopped fennel or celery), lay a piece of raw chicken breast or thigh over the top, sprinkle with herbs and spices (ginger and turmeric powders are a great combo), put the lid on and steam on high for about 5 minutes, or just until the chicken is cooked through. Seriously quick and seriously delicious. Plus, low fat, low simple carbs, high protein, high complex carbs.

Lara said “I stick blend bio yoghurt, rice milk, whey powder, a handful of frozen berries (this time of year I add them first with a little hot water to defrost), chia seeds, coconut oil, and barley greens and blend them up to make a yummy smoothie daily – brilliant breaky or post-workout/recovery drink.’

Here’s a great savoury gluten-free scone recipe from Pip that uses up some mashed pumpkin:

• 1 cup brown rice flour
• 1 cup buckweat
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vege salt
• 1 tbsp grated onion
• 1 beaten egg (or 1/2 cup cold pressed oil)
• 1/2 milk (i use rice milk)
• 1/2 cup mashed pumpkin

Combine, place spoonfuls onto baking tray and cook in hot oven for 10 mins

Tiff listed a few of her favourite tricks as well: To use up leftovers I grate the vegies that lurk in the fridge at the end of the week, and mix with eggs and almond meal to make quick and healthy veggie patties. Sometimes I mash in some lentils or chickpeas. (Can you tell I hate waste!?)  Black swan vanilla bean greek yoghurt is a godsend for the sugar free life. It is naturally sweet because lactase is added to break down the lactose in the milk, making it taste sweeter. Tonight I had some with grilled figs for dessert. Walnuts and goji berries mixed together as a snack, just cos it tastes ahh-mazing! Porridge made from homemade muesli (oats, linseeds, almond, pepitas, sunflower seeds, soya grits).

For more ’clean out the cupboard’ recipes go here.

Feel free to add your ideas too!

Me, basically.

And many of you, I suspect. I made the point in my previous post that contemporary culture has made us vata-ish.

Anyway, this time of year it’s VERY important to eat right for the vata type. That is to eat warm, mushy foods. Root veggies are great. Salads are not. A bit of sweetness is also good (root veggies satisfy this criteria, too). And so it was that I found this recipe on my new favourite food blog My New Roots (thank you to Ness at thelowflygingduck). It combines all the things we Vata’s need right now, PLUS the added bonus of coriander (cilantro).

Why coriander? What’s the big deal? Well, I recently found out I have high levels of heavy metals in my system (remember the toxic cosmetics story? Yeah, well…the toxic reading was quite extensive…I have mercury poisoning, too). To deal with this, one has to “chelate“. I’m doing it with Chlorella powder. Which has been interesting. I spent a week throwing up and racing to the loo in the most violent of manners as it did it’s work. It’s calmed now. And besides this is a Tuesday Eats food post!

The other effective technique is to eat a stack of coriander.

Which is what makes this recipe so good – it makes use of a massive whack of the green stuff…

Rhubarb and sweet potato stew with coriander oil

• 1 cup red lentils
• 2 Tbsp ghee or coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp mustard seeds
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 5 cardamom pods
• 1 star anise
• 1 tsp cayenne (or to your taste)
• 1 ½ cups diced onions
• 2 Tbsp Tamari
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 large sweet potato, cut into bite-size pieces
• 7 stalks rhubarb, cut into bite-size pieces
• 5 cups water
• 1 to 2 Tbsp. honey
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Steamed brown rice, quinoa, millet, or toasted whole-grain pita, for serving

Wash lentils well by covering them with water in a large bowl and swishing around until the water is murky. Drain and repeat until water is clear (usually 3 to 4 times). Set aside.
Melt the ghee or coconut oil in a large pot on the stove. Add the dried spices and stir constantly, ensuring that they do not burn. When the spices smell fragrant, add onions and tamari and cook for about 5 minutes until the onions have softened. Add the garlic and ginger. If the mixture is too dry, add a little water to prevent burning.
Add remaining ingredients, cover and simmer until lentils are cooked, about 30 minutes. Stir in the honey and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve over steamed brown rice, quinoa, millet, or with whole grain pitas. Drizzle with Coriander Oil (below).

Coriander Oil

• 1 cup chopped fresh coriander
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tsp honey
• Pinch sea salt

Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend in high until the sauce is relatively smooth. Season to taste. Serve over stew. Store leftovers in the fridge.

I also liked My New Root’s warm salad recipes, like this one…

Have you chelated? Got any other great rooty, Vata-kind eating ideas you’re trying out now?

It found yoghurt was the best food to eat to lose weight.

Below I’ve outlined the gist of the study, and then shared my favourite ways to eat yoghurt.

via pinterest.com

The study was based on three trials over 20 years. It found

• The quality of food matters more than calorie count!!! So eating organic makes you lose weight.
• The top five most fattening foods were sugar-sweetened beverages, red meat and processed red meat, each associated with half a kilo of weight gain every four years.
• The most fattening food of them all? Potato chips, which led to more weight gain per serving than any other food, the study found.
• The best nosh for your waistline? Surprisingly, yogurt — each extra daily serving prevented half a kilo of weight gain

These studies always involved competing, intertwined factors. But there’s no escaping that eating yoghurt leads to good things.

So, some yoghurt sharing…

What yoghurt do I eat?

I swap between Meredith Farm Sheep’s Milk and the Baramba Organic (full-fat) Cow’s Milk one (this stuff is soooo decadently good). Not to be pious, per se. But because they have the best flavour and consistency. IMO.

Full-fat or low-fat?

I can not say this strongly enough – full-fat only! Three reasons: it tastes better (so you’ll be satiated and eat less of it); when fat is removed from dairy the particular enzymes contained in dairy that help you metabolise milk and milk fats are disrupted (thus you don’t process it as well…meaning, I’ve heard it argued, it winds up more fattening); low-fat dairy is often pumped with sugar. You can read more about that here.

How do I eat it?

I eat yoghurt every day. I mix it up. Feel free to try these ideas…

* A quick dessert snack: Pan-toasted walnuts or pepitas, cinnamon and a teaspoon of Miessence Berry Radical powder (this is a sugar-free chocolate powder) mushed through a big bowl of yoghurt. Just like a chocolate milkshake only crunchy.

* Another quick dessert: I mush frozen berries in a cup of yoghurt. Sometimes I add pure vanilla essence.

* A breakfast smoothie: check my recipes here and here. I often make these when I’m at the end of the container – I stickblend in the container, whack the lid on, put in the freezer for 15 minutes (to get well-chilled) and voila – a portable breakfast. Perfect when I have to head to the airport early, or to a job across town.

* A breakfast idea: I heat left-over polenta and wallop on a dallop of yoghurt with some pesto. And presto! Sometimes I swirl in some flaxseed oil into the yoghurt (I don’t put flaxseed directly onto hot stuff…)

* Another breakfast idea: make grainless pancakes using just eggs and yoghurt and some LSA.

* A Morrocon flavour hit: I blend preserved lemon (mushed up), cumin and yoghurt and add to a lamb dish or to a beetroot and lentil salad.

* Soup savior: I can’t eat soup without a big swirl of yoghurt. It sweetens any flavour.

OK. That’s enough. Over to you… any clever suggestions?