Category — 10 - Fun Stuff

Many people try eliminating wheat/gluten and grains from their diet, to find that the gluten-free breads are pretty awful. Here are some really tasty alternatives!

First some quick-bread recipes using almond flour, that are easy to make. They’re all grain-free, although some contain ingredients that are somewhat of a compromise– heated dairy products and honey, for example (which are terrific raw).

But for some people, getting off wheat or grains is an important step, and these can help fill in the gap. Usually you can make some substitutions if you don’t like certain ingredients. These recipes are rather forgiving, not like yeasted breads that can fail miserably if you deviate from the recipe.

See below the recipes for mail-order sources for ingredients.

_____________

Parmesan-Herb Bread
From Lucy’s Specific Carbohydrate Diet Cookbook (posted with permission)

2 1/2 cups almond flour
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoon mixed herbs (oregano, basil, thyme, etc.)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup dry curd cottage cheese or Farmer cheese
1/2 cup water
1-2 cloves garlic, optional

Preheat oven to 325F.

Combine dry ingredients (first 5). In blender or food processor, blend all other ingredients until smooth. Stir everything together.

Scoop dough into 3 small buttered loaf pans, or two larger. Bake 50-55 minutes or until done. Cool loaves before removing from pans.

To make crackers, chill the baked loaf (easier to slice when cold), slice baked loaf into 1/4 inch slices, bake at 200 degrees until very crispy.

This bread keeps well in the fridge or freezer.

_____________________

Cinnamon-Ginger Cookes

4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup honey
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup grated coconut (optional)

Preheat oven to 300F.
Place butter in mixing bowl. Add all other ingredients, stirring flour in last. Form dough into 1-inch diameter balls and place on a buttered cookie sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes, or until done. Watch that they don’t burn around the edges.
You can adjust the spices to taste, or add others like nutmeg, cloves, etc.

_______________________

Almond Spice Cake
From Lucy’s Specific Carbohydrate Diet Cookbook

4 tbsp butter, melted
1/3 cup honey + a little more
1/2 cup homemade yogurt
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Spices: 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp allspice, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/3 cup raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 310F
In mixing bowl, stir together butter, honey, yogurt, eggs. Stir in all other ingredients. Spread batter into a buttered 8 inch x 8 inch baking pan, or loaf pan. Bake 30 min or until done.
Optional frosting:
1 cup cream cheese or dripped yogurt (let yogurt drain through colander)
6 tbsp butter, room temperature
3 tbsp honey
1 teaspoon vanila extract
Combine all ingredients, chill.
__________________________

Banana Bread or muffins
From Lucy’s Specific Carbohydrate Diet Cookbook

3 tbsp butter, melted
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs, beaten
2 ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 cups almond flour
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven 310F
In mixing bowl, stir together all ingredients, adding flour and walnuts last. Scoop batter into 3 buttered loaf pans or two large ones, filling 3/4 full. Batter can also go into muffin pans.

Bake loaves 45-50 min; muffins 20-25 min
Cool before slicing.

______________________________________

ALMOND FLOUR:

Almond flour can be mail ordered through:
Lucy’s Kitchen Shop, 1-888-484-2126 (In WA)
or email Lucy Rosset
Lucy’s Kitchen Shop

Information about the Specific Carbohydrate diet:

The SCD diet is mainly for people with intestinal disorders such as colitis or Crohn’s disease, but is also helpful for all kinds of immune problems and those who don’t tolerate wheat or gluten. It is completely free of sugar and all grain.

See:
Book: Breaking the Vicious Cycle by Elaine Gottschall

Cookbook: Lucy’s Specific Carbohydrate Diet Cookbook (order directly from Lucy)
Lucy’s Kitchen Shop

CHEBE BREAD is a delicious gluten-free Brazilian bread made from manioc (tapioca).

YUMMY AND HEALTHY CHOCOLATE

The basic concept is this:
You mix unsweetened cocoa powder, virgin coconut oil, and raw honey together, refrigerate until solid, and cut into pieces. That’s it! Here are more details.

Ingredients:

1. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (Raw* is best, but if not available, use any kind of unsweetened cocoa powder with no extra ingredients).

2. Virgin Coconut Oil–

Most coconut oil in the store is very poor quality; get “Virgin” oil from the health food store or order from Tropical Traditions. I get the “expeller pressed” kind which has the coconut taste removed, without damaging the oil. Otherwise, I think it overpowers the taste of the chocolate, but that’s just my personal preference, and a lot of people like the regular virgin coconut oil.

3. Raw (unheated) honey. (See below for a source of the most heavenly raw honey).

4. Optional - any of the following:

seeds or chopped nuts, especially hemp seeds are great
a few drops of vanilla extract
shredded coconut.

There’s really no recipe necessary. You take a shallow bowl or plastic container, pour in a cup or two of the cocoa powder, then slowly pour in enough coconut oil while stirring, just as much oil as it takes for all the powder to get mixed in. The consistency is now like chocolate syrup. (But don’t be tempted to taste at this point - it’s horribly bitter!)

Now add a few big spoonfuls of honey to taste, and seeds or nuts if you’re using them. You’ll be surprised how little sweetening it takes, but keep adding honey until you cross the threshold of “ugh, too bitter” to “wow, intense but good!”

If you want measured amounts, try:

1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons of honey, or more to taste

Then when the ingredients are mixed and the sweetening is right, you can use it as chocolate syrup, or put it in the refrigerator and it will harden. Then cut into pieces and enjoy!

If you are desperate, you can put it in the freezer for a few minutes and it will harden up so you can cut it.

Chocolate like other bitters is good for digestion, and it contains lots of beneficial nutrients. Virgin coconut oil is perhaps the healthiest fat there is. See articles on the Tropical Traditions website to to release any last vestige of fear of fats!

All that aside.. chocolate tastes divine and makes you feel heavenly!

If anyone wants to get the most heavenly honey, go to Honey Gardens Apiaries.

Even with shipping, it comes out cheaper than in the store. I’ve known this beekeeper in VT for years, and I’m honored to do business with him. He sends his bees to sunny SC to vacation for the winter!

*Look for “Raw Chocolate Powder” from www.rawfood.com