GF Blueberry Coconut Pancakes

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coconut pancakesHere is a perfect weekend breakfast for you. It is gluten-free, grain-free, wheat-free, and sugar-free. Can you believe the pancakes are this good for you? You don’t have to feel guilty having sweet pancakes in the morning. I used yogurt made of goat milk (better for your digestion if you are sensitive to dairy), blueberries and Canadian maple syrup for topping, but add any of your favorite fruits, sweetener, nuts or dried fruits on top.

Do you have a jar of coconut oil in your pantry? I hope so. I used to use olive oil and canola oil for cooking, but all I have now is coconut oil for cooking and e.v.o.o for salad dressing. When I started studying nutrition, my eyes almost popped out when I looked at the fat components of different types of oils. OMG! coconut oil has 90% saturated fat! It must be bad for you, right? We are all brainwashed by the media saying “saturated fat is bad for you” and we are driven to buy “low-fat” “no-fat” products. The answer is actually No.

Coconut oil is made up of medium chain fatty acids which is more stable on heat, light and oxygen compared to long chain fatty acids in olive oil. When you heat up the olive oil in a pan, for example, you are exposing the oil to heat, light and oxygen. The structure of the long chain fatty acids then get unstable and oxidated, which will put our body under stress when eaten. The major saturated fatty acid in coconut oil is lauric acid, which is believed to increase the total/HDL (good cholesterol) ratio. Other health benefits of coconut oil include hair and skin care, weight loss, increased immunity, better digestion and metabolism. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying you all need to throw away other oils and buy coconut oil. What I do and believe is use coconut oil or ghee in cooking and using high heat. Oother types such as olive oil, flaxseed oil, avocado oil and macadamia oil are best unheated in sauce or salad dressing. Keep all oils away from UV and heat as much as you can, as well. If you have any other opinions or suggestions on oil, feel free to comment below to share 🙂

The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV and cancer, dental care, and bone strength. – See more at: http://scepticalnutritionist.com.au/?p=844#sthash.jvLFUmsi.dpuf

Ingredients (serves 2)

1/4 cup coconut flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup coconut milk or yogurt
1/2 tsp vanilla bean powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
a pinch of Himalayan salt
2 tbsp coconut oil
yogurt, blueberries and maple syrup to serve

Add all pancake ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Let it sit for 5 minutes so that the coconut flour absorbs all liquid. Heat coconut oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Spoon the batter into a pan and cook the pancakes 1-2 minutes each side until golden brown. It is easier to keep them small and carefully flip with a spatula. Serve warm with thick yogurt, blueberries and maple syrup on top.
coconut pancakes1

Posted in: Breakfast, Gluten Free, My recipes, Snack, Vegetarian

Baked Oats with Prunes and Grapes

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Food obsession is the kind coming out of nowhere, the kind you fall asleep with and wake up in the morning. It takes control of mind and refuses to leave until it has been absolutely satisfied. Oh my food obsessions! I’ve been eating breakfast muffins for months now, then the weather change getting into chilly mornings makes me feel like a bowl of porridge. This baked oatmeal has been dressed up in cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom, adorned with grapes and prunes to start the day with a symphony of aromas and flavors. I cannot wait until next morning to have this again. Or would it be naughty of me having it before bed again?

Oats are generally low in calories and fill up the stomach longer (more so rolled oats, not quick cooking oats), so you will have less food cravings. They’re also high in fibre, protein, but low in fat, and contain plenty of amino acids and vitamins (vitamins E, folic acid, biotin and magnesium, zinc, iron, copper, selenium and manganese). Oats also help to lower bad cholesterol and help to reduce high blood pressure. If you are gluten intolerant like me, make sure you get the organic gluten-free oats since regular oats might contain gluten.

baked oatsIngredients (serves 2)

100g rolled oats
1/2 cup almond milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cardamom
1 large egg
grapes and prunes for topping
maple syrup to serve

Mix rolled oats, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom in a bowl. Gently combine egg and milk in a separate bowl and pour into the oats. Stir to combine and transfer to a baking tin. Top with grapes and prunes. Bake in the preheated oven (180) for 30 minutes. Serve warm with a drizzle of maple syrup.
baked oats1

Posted in: Baking, Breakfast, Gluten Free, My recipes, Vegetarian

GF Carrot and Carob Cake

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Carrot Carob CakeTop layer carrot cake is moist, chai-spiced and savoury whereas the bottom layer carob cake is nicely bitter sweet and rich. I ended up creating this layered cake cause I like both carrot and chocolate cake. I’m a big fan of using a mix of coconut flour and almond flour which has a good amount of fibre, protein and healthy fat, yet low carbohydrate. It is totally gluten-free, grain-free and refined-sugar free. It tastes awesome and leaves you feel healthy, not heavy!

When you use coconut flour, you need to add more liquid and binding components in the batter cause it absorbs quite a lot of liquid. Normally the rule is 1/2 cup of coconut flour needs about 4 eggs. I used only 3 eggs because I had carrot puree in the mixture as well. Secondly, you need to stir well because it tends to get clumpy in the beginning. So keep stirring until you get a smooth consistency. Let the mixture sit for a bit before you bake to make sure coconut flour has absorbed all the liquid. I made this one big loaf, about 8 servings. Feel free to add any nuts or dried fruits or frosting if you like. Happy baking x

Ingredients

Top layer
1 cup of carrot puree
3 eggs
1/3 cup almond flour
3/4 cup coconut flour
1 tbsp coconut sugar
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
a pinch of Himalayan salt

Bottom layer
1 tbsp of carob powder
3 eggs1/3 cup almond flour
3/4 cup coconut flour
1 tbsp coconut sugar
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla bean powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
a pinch of Himalayan salt

In a large bowl, gently beat 3 eggs, sugar and oil. Add all dry ingredients for the bottom layer and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a loaf tin and spread evenly with a spatula. For the top layer, beat 3 eggs in a bowl. Add pureed carrot, sugar and oil and stir. Add all dry ingredients and stir to combine. Spread the mixture over the bottom layer. Bake in the preheated oven (180) for 50 minutes or until cooked.

Posted in: Baking, Breakfast, Gluten Free, My recipes, Snack, Vegetarian

Banana Bread

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Banana BreadPeople buy nice yellow looking bananas for a snack and then when it goes bad, they make banana bread. Me? I buy bananas to make this banana bread. Sometimes I have to wait for days until the black dots appear on the skin. Yes, Time for baking! This recipe is so simple and quick to make, no technical baking skills required. You need to mash the bananas, mix all ingredients and bake in the oven. I like chunky bits of bananas, nicely browned outside and moist inside. No refined sugar or butter used here, so relatively healthy. It is even more delicious next day as the flavour develops. Well, only if you can wait:) Try whipped cream cheese with cinnamon and honey on the slice of toasted banana bread for your breakfast or with your morning tea. It is to die for!
Banana Bread1Ingredients

200g self-raising flour
2 ripe bananas
2 eggs
50g of coconut sugar
50g of rolled oats
1 tbsp of flaxseed meal
1/4 cup of coconut oil
1 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp of cinnamon powder
a pinch of salt
dash of milk if mixture is too dry

Mash the bananas with a fork in a large bowl. Add eggs, sugar and oil and whisk to combine. Add all dry ingredients and fold to combine (batter is thick and chunky). Pour the mixture into the loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven (180) for 45-50 minutes until cooked. Cool it down and serve with cinnamon-honey cream cheese.

Posted in: Baking, Breakfast, Dessert, My recipes, Snack

GF Anti-inflammatory Acai Berry Loaf

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There are so many ways to reduce the inflammation in your body through the foods that you eat. Remember that foods high in sugar and saturated fat are going to encourage inflammation because the balance between omega-6 from processed fast foods and omega-3 from fish, nuts and healthy oils becomes out of whack. In short, a diet high in omega-6s and low in omega-3s increases inflammation in the body. So try to eat fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains which are naturally low in fat. Eat a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish and nuts. Avoid refined foods and processed foods. Love your spices such as ginger, turmeric, cinnamon and curry. This gluten-free, dairy-free loaf contains three anti-inflammatory ingredients below- superb!

  • Chia seeds: Chia is one of the most potent sources of plant based omega 3. Omega 3 is the ultimate anti-inflammatory food.
  • Nuts: Almonds are possibly the strongest fighter of inflammation, but all nuts have essential fatty acids and Omega 3.
  • Berries: Acai contains anthocyanin, a powerful antioxidant, which is also common in red and purple colour fruits such as grapes and blueberries. Blueberries are fantastic for preventing intestinal inflammation while raspberries can help with arthritis.

I love baking with flaxmeal, coconut flour and almond meal, which are essential in my pantry. Coconut flour is amazing! You get a nice coconut-y flavour and extra fibre which makes you full longer, but remember it absorbs a lot of liquid and the loaf gets quite crumbly and dense. Have fun baking x

Acai Berry Loaf1Ingredients

20g flaxseed meal
100g water
75g coconut flour
35g almond meal
30g chia seeds
1 tbsp of Acai berry powder
1 tsp of vanilla bean powder
3 tbsp of maple syrup
1 tbsp of coconut oil
100g coconut milk
a pinch of salt
1 tsp of baking powder
goji berries, cacao nibs and buckwheat for garnish

Mix flaxseed meal with 100g water and set aside for 10 minutes to make flax “eggs”. Add maple syrup, coconut oil, coconut milk into a bowl and combine with flax “eggs”. Add other ingredients in and mix well. Pour the mixture into a loaf tin, sprinkle goji berries, cacao nibs and buckwheat on top and press gently into the batter. Bake in the preheated oven (180) for 45 minutes or until a skewer comes out dry.

Posted in: Baking, Breakfast, Gluten Free, My recipes, Snack, Vegetarian