Tag Archives: Coconut Oil

SIMPLE BUCKWHEAT PANCAKES (gluten, sugar, dairy free)

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Here’s a delicious, nutritious pancake recipe you can use this Pancake Tuesday!
I’ve listed some savoury and sweet filling ideas below. Remember that choosing a sugar-free breakfast is crucial in keeping insulin levels balanced and keeping you fuller for longer. It also helps you better tune in to what your body truly needs – sugar often craves more sugar so watch out!
Ingredients
  • 1 cup coconut or rice milk
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup buckwheat flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Coconut oil to grease the pan

Savory filling ingredients

  • Sauteed spinach and grated courgette
  • Scrambled egg with turmeric
  • Avocado and mixed leaves

Dessert filling ingredients

  • Stewed apple
  • Smashed blueberries and almond butter
  • Raspberries and coconut cream
Directions
  • Preheat a non-stick chemical-free pan / cast iron pan.
  • Whisk all the ingredients together.
  • Turn the heat up – moderate to high.
  • Grease the pan with a decent amount of coconut oil. Pour in the batter to fill the pan, cook, flip, plate, stuff with your choice of filling, consume.
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PLUM CREAM (dairy, sugar, grain & gluten free, paleo, vegan)

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I’m always trying to find healthier options for desserts as a way to help with sugar addictions and sweet dependencies among us all! So I’ve come up with the below recipe which I think is a great alternative to the normal sugar laden ice-cream or yoghurt. Of course you can play around with different fruits – ideally choose what is in season – or if you are fructose sensitive then berries are a good choice.

Ingredients: (serves 2)

  • 2 plums (or nectarines are delicious too!)
  • 2 TBSP water
  • 2 TBSP coconut oil
  • 4 TBSP almond flour
  • pinch of salt

Directions:

  • Blend with a hand blender into a smooth creamy mixture then leave to set in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Consume as is, or as an accompaniment for crumble or cake! It is also really lovely with a sprinkle of  toasted coconut, nuts or seeds for a healthy breakfast option.

SWEET POTATO & COCONUT PORRIDGE (gluten, grain, sugar & dairy free, paleo, vegan)

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For those of you struggling for breakfast (or pudding!) ideas due to a restricted diet, or for those of you wanting to get some nourishing anti-inflammatory meals into you or your children’s diet, give this a try. With a  healthy mix of naturally occurring fats, sugars, carbs and protein, this meal is satiating, energy-boosting, comforting and incredibly tasty!

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Ingredients

  • 1 pre-baked and peeled sweet potato (bake at 180 for 40 mins keeping the skin on)
  • 1/4 cup of coconut milk OR rice milk
  • 1/4 cup desiccated coconut
  • 1 tbsp almond butter OR coconut cream OR butter
  • pinch of salt

Directions

Place all the ingredients into a pot and mix together well (if you prefer a creamy texture then use an electric blender before transferring the mixture into the pot for heating)

Cook over a low heat until thick and bubbly (add more milk if you prefer it a bit thinner).

Serve, pour a little extra milk over the top and enjoy 🙂

Variations

Top with a sprinkling of cinnamon / nutmeg / ginger / mixed spice

APPLE & GINGER MUFFINS (paleo, gluten, grain & sugar free)

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IMG_9793This recipe might be a little tart for those of you with a sweet tooth, but please give it a try. I think the sweetness from the apples is more than enough, and if you work on cutting down your sugar intake, I promise you will too with time!

I understand sugar addiction intimately after eating copious amounts of it throughout my life. In recent years I have learnt how to reduce it, and now don’t miss it at all, especially given the number of delicious and healthy recipes out there. I also feel much better mentally, physically and emotionally without it.

I believe everyone should be very careful when it comes to sugar consumption. Parents are in a powerful position to help break the “sugar = treat” cycle. Children are a blank canvas, they don’t associate sugar with happiness like us, unless we train them to. To understand more on sugar, take a read at my previous blog on it here.

My favourite way to serve these muffins is straight out of the oven, cut in half with a good dollop of butter.

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Ingredients (makes around 8 small muffins)

  • 2 organic/spray-free apples grated
  • 2 organic eggs
  • 4 TBSP coconut oil OR butter OR ghee
  • 2 TBSP almond butter (or just add more coconut oil)
  • 2 TBSP of fresh grated ginger OR 1 TBSP ground ginger
  • 4 TBSP cup of desiccated coconut
  • 4 TBSP of coconut flour OR double the amount of almond flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • pinch of salt
  • dash of apple cider vinegar (optional, just helps the texture)

 

Directions

Set the oven to 160 deg C

Whisk the wet ingredients together

Fold in the dry ingredientsm being careful not to over-mix

Spoon the mixture into muffin cups

Bake for 15-20 minutes (until they spring back on touch)

Enjoy!

Recipe: HOT CROSS BUNS (gluten, grain & dairy free)

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Tis the season: indulge in this delicious paleo-friendly recipe for hot cross buns this Easter. Free from gut-irritating gluten grains, artery hardening hydrogenated vegetable oils and the mind twisting sugar! These were a total hit with many readers last year so I’m re-posting! Enjoy!

 

Ingredients:

3 cups of ground almonds or 2 cups of ground almonds and 1/2 cup of coconut flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 pinch of Himalayan or sea salt

1/4 cup of coconut oil (melted)

2 tbsp honey – ideally raw or locally produced

zest of 1-2 oranges (depending on how much you like that citrus zing!)

1/2 tsp of vanilla essence

2 organic eggs

1 tsp cinnamon

80g of dried cranberries or barberries or sultanas (make sure they are 100% berries with no vegetable oils!)

25-50g or dark organic chocolate (no less than 85% cocoa!)

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Preparation:

Preheat oven to 160C

Combine all ingredients and mix well

Roll into small bun shapes – about 14 small portions and place on a lined baking tray

Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until golden

Melt some dark chocolate and paint on the crosses!

Happy Easter!

Recipe: SQUASH TOAST WITH ALMOND BUTTER, COCONUT & FRESH BERRIES (gluten, grain, dairy & sugar free, vegan)

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This is such a yummy healthy breakfast or dessert! Quick to prepare and cook, so no reason to choose cheap, nasty, sugar-laden breakfast cereals or prepackaged puddings over this delight!

You can choose winter or summer squash as both are loaded with vitamin C & A, and have a small impact on your blood sugar. Furthermore, cooking the squash in the stable fat options below means the already low starches and sugars are taken slowly into the bloodstream. The reason I’ve chosen to cook the squash in either coconut oil, butter or ghee instead of vegetable oils or margarine spreads is that heating unstable vegetable oils causes havoc on our systems. Not only do oils such as corn, soy, safflower, sunflower and canola increase the likelihood of having fat stored on your body, but they also stimulate an inflammatory response in the body (water retention, painful and stiff joints, thickened arteries, etc). In addition, remember while olive oil is a brilliant vegetable oil, you must avoid using when cooking with high temperatures – stick with the suggestions I’ve listed below:

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Ingredients (serves 1):

1/4 squash (the end without the seeds)

1 TBSP almond butter

1 TBSP coconut oil / ghee /butter

3 TBSP desiccated coconut

handful of blueberries

Pinch of pink salt

Preparation:

Preheat two pans (one small, one large) on a low heat or if you’re grilling switch the grill on to 180 deg

Directions:

Thinly slice into the top end of the squash, as if you were cutting a loaf of bread. Cut as many slices as you feel hungry for (I usually cut around 4 pieces that are around 1/2cm thick).

To the small pan add the desiccated coconut and stirring occasionally toast this for the duration of time you’re frying the squash.

Spread coconut oil on both sides of the squash pieces.

 To the large pan add the squash pieces and turn the heat up to a high medium (or place under the squash pieces under the  oven grill). Fry (or grill) for 5 minutes, then flip the squash pieces over and toast the other side.

Plate the squash toast,  spread generously with almond butter and add a pinch of salt. Then to finish, dress with the toasted desiccated coconut and  blueberries.

Enjoy!

Variations:

A quicker version – pre-cook the squash in hot water for a couple of minutes then pan-fry on a high heat for 2 minutes on each side. Keep the desiccated coconut un-toasted.

A more filling version – substitute berries for sliced banana

A more decadent version – serve with raw cream, coconut cream or yoghurt.

For the carnivores – add 2 rashers of bacon chopped into small pieces and fried until crispy (this is delicious!)

Recipe: SEASONS CHANGING SALAD! (gluten, grain, dairy & sugar free, vegetarian)

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It’s a transitional time for us all at the moment – whether shifting into Spring or Autumn/Fall, this half-cooked / half-raw salad should help ease into whatever the weather is bringing for you next. What I love about this salad is the combination of protein, fats and fresh greens. During seasonal changes some people can really struggle to digest raw vegetables and others can find fats and starchy root vegetables to cause bloating and gas. So striking a balance between ingredients and the manner in which they are prepared can make all the difference.

In this salad coconut and olive oils will provide high quality fats; protein from the egg will satiate, nourish and provide a strong source of building blocks; the greens will boost your nutrient and vitamin count, and their fibre will help clear out your gut on their way through; and the apple cider vinegar and sauerkraut provide excellent probiotics to help the full digestive cycle (breaking the food down, absorbing the goodness, cleaning the gut walls and eliminating waste).

This salad is free from any starchy vegetables so should feel very gentle on the tummy – perfect for those suffering from hormonal imbalances where digestion and energy levels are negatively affected.

  • Cold-pressed coconut oil: helps heal the gut, is anti-fungal, antibacterial and an amazing energy source. Read more from me here.
  • Cold-pressed olive oil: packed full of antioxidants it boosts the immune system and helps fight off all sorts of nasties
  • Organic broccoli, spinach, rocket: help to detox and cleanse the gut, curbing sugar cravings and fighting off candida
  • Apple cider vinegar: the best salad dressing! Amongst a whole host of other benefits, I love ACV as it stimulates stomach acids, so acts as an incredible digestive aid
  • Sauerkraut: just a little bit goes a long way in helping to balance your gut flora. Read more from me here.

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Ingredients (serves 1):

  • 1 stalk of celery
  • 1 tsp coconut oil
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 pinch of pink / rock / sea salt
  • 1 organic egg
  • 8 stalks of tender-stem broccoli
  • 1 large handful of baby spinach
  • 1 large handful of rocket
  • 1-2 tbsps sauerkraut
  • 1 tbsp cold-pressed organic olive oil
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (with the mother)

Preparation:

Heat the coconut oil in a small pan on a low heat

Bring a small pot of water to boil

Set aside a large salad bowl

Directions:

Finely chop the celery and add it to the fry pan along with the cumin and salt. Cook on low for 5 minutes.

Add the broccoli to the pot of water. Cover and turn the heat down. Steam for 5 minutes.

In the large salad bowl add the baby spinach, rocket, sauerkraut, apple cider vinegar and olive oil and mix well.

Once cooked add the celery and broccoli and mix well.

Lightly fry or poach your egg – keep the yolk runny for the best health benefits and yummiest flavour!

Top the salad with the egg and consume!

Egg substitutions:

Vegan – add some lightly fried tempeh (avoid tofu if you can)

Pescetarians – pan-fry or grill a piece of wild salmon or makarel

Omnivores – chop a chicken breast or bacon strips into small pieces and pan fry or grill in coconut oil / butter /ghee/ lard

Recipe: DARK CHOCOLATE & BANANA DESSERT (sugar, dairy & gluten free, paleo, vegan)

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The great thing about preparing paleo meals is the massive room for experimentation – once you’re used to the new set of rules and the ingredients at hand, there are so many ways to approximate paleo versions of old favorites, or invent entirely new meals. Here’s a dessert I made up a few weekends ago that was absolutely delicious – a perfect complement of flavours with the dark bitterness of the chocolate, the sweetness of the banana and the richness of coconut. After freezing, the hard/soft textures really come into play too.

To echo the preface of my last “treat” recipe (chocolate coconut rough) – it’s so important to know your sweeteners and avoid the nasty ones (cane sugar, HFCS, agave etc). As always, don’t reward with sweets as this only reinforces the reward and pleasure triggers in our brain. If you’re craving sugar fill up on proper, whole foods and fats. When you do feel like a treat, stick to healthy recipes like this one:

Ingredients (serves one):

  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1 tbsp desiccated coconut
  • 1 banana

Preparation:

Line a small bowl or large coffee cup with a square of baking paper (about 10cm x 10cm)

Directions:

Put a small pot on a low heat, add the coconut oil and water and slowly melt them down. Add the cocoa and stir until smooth. Turn the heat off and add the desiccated coconut and stir well.

Thinly slice the banana and stir into the chocolate mix.

Spoon the mixture into your cup or bowl and place in the freezer for at least an hour.

To serve:

Take your pudding out of the freezer 10 minutes before you plan to eat it.

Pull it away from the baking paper and return to the mug or bowl.

Take a teaspoon to CONSUME & ENJOY!

Recipe: ROOT VEGETABLE SALAD (vegan, paleo, gluten & dairy free)

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Yet another super quick and easy but truly nourishing recipe!

Enjoy for breakfast, lunch or dinner, this salad won’t leave you hungry with its satisfying amount of grated raw root vegetables and variety of good quality fats. And with the inclusion of apple cider vinegar all will be more easily digested and absorbed – ACV is fabulous at helping stimulate stomach acids which assist in breaking down your food and easing the effort required by the digestive tract. Take note and give it a go!

Ingredients (for 2 people)

  • 1 large carrot
  • 1 large beetroot
  • 2 large handfuls of baby spinach
  • 1 handful of long stem broccoli
  • 1/2 an avocado (optional)
  • 1 TBSP melted coconut oil / cold pressed virgin olive oil / MCT oil
  • 1 handful of walnuts
  • 1/4 cup desiccated coconut
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar / freshly squeezed lemon
  • salt

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Preparation

Grate the carrot and beetroot and finely chop the spinach – set aside

Chop the avocado into small cubes – set aside

Bring a small pot of water to the boil

Heat 1 tsp of oil in a small pan on a low heat

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Directions

Place the broccoli in the pot of hot water. Cover and cook on a low heat for 4-5 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.

To the heated pan add the walnuts, coconut, turmeric and pinch of salt. Stir occasionally for 5 minutes or until the ingredients are toasted/crispy then take off the heat.

In a large bowl combine the beetroot, carrot, spinach, raisins, avocado and brocoli. Pour over the oil and apple cider vinegar and using your hands mix well. Lastly add in the pan ingredients and mix well again.

Enjoy this delicious salad as it is, or accompanied by some roasted vegetables, or pan fried fish or chicken.

…and remember the wonders of turmeric and its super ingredient curcumin!

  • aids memory function – is used to treat and prevent Alzheimer’s disease
  • aids the immune system – is used to disrupt cancer causing cells
  • relieves joint inflammation – is used to help arthritis
  • speeds up wound recovery and post work-out muscle soreness
  • aids digestion
  • promotes healthy glowing skin
  • incredible antioxidant properties – surpassing vit E and C