Sandwich Bread

Sliceable bread that holds up for a hefty sandwich and freezes well also.  

Ingredients:

• 4 T. almond flour
• 0.25 c. flax seeds whole 
• 8 T. coconut flour
• 1 T. baking powder (gluten and aluminum free)
• 1/2 t. pink salt
• 8 large eggs
• 1 T. organic butter 
• 1/2 c. boiling water

Grind flax seed in blender or food processor.  Add almond and coconut flours, baking powder, and salt.  Boil the water and melt the butter.  Add the boiling water to the Vitamix (blender) while blending on low speed.  Add the butter and eggs.  Blend on high for 1-2 minutes until thoroughly mixed.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until top is springy to touch.  Let completely cool before slicing and serving

Coconut flax bread

Gluten free, dairy free, grain free bread? I’m sure there are many more trendy labels for this humble loaf. Easy to make in the vitamix. Bring on the butter. Or coconut oil. Or guacamole. Sometimes all three. Who says I’m not ambitious?

Coconut flax bread:
 1/4 c whole organic flax seeds (I use brown)
 6 tablespoons organic coconut flour
 1 tsp pink salt
 1 tablespoon baking powder (I use bob red mill gluten free no aluminum)
 6 eggs, large
 2 tsp organic apple cider vinegar
 ~ 2/3 c boiling water

Spray oil on Pyrex. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For this bread I use the vitamix.
Add the whole flaxseeds first and blend on high until ground (a few seconds). Add salt, baking powder, and coconut flour. Blend until mixed (a few seconds).  Crack eggs in a separate bowl and set aside (I skipped this once in a rush and ground eggshells into the bread. Crunchy. Yucky). Add boiling water and then vinegar while mixing on low. Then add eggs. Cover top and turn speed to high. Blend about 1 minute until completely mixed. Pour into Pyrex and bake 1 hour or until firm and bouncy to touch.  Sliced thin makes 15 slices.

Coconut flax bread. In all it’s half eaten glory

Tastes much better than my pictures look. I’m not into food photography and food porn. I like quick easy and healthy food.  As a note my mother in law has made this with two less eggs and added ground pumpkin seeds with great results.

Sprouted Curry Flax Crackers

Now that Paleo diets and Crossfit workouts are all the rage and soccer moms are packing kale chips in their kids' lunchboxes, it seems timely (or a bit late) to post a quick easy cracker alternative.  Flaxseed is a darling of the natural health circles and is yet another "health food" gone fashionable with the general public.  As a no net carb low carb seed packed with Omega 3 fatty acids and lignan fibers, it is easy to see why flaxseed is a popular ingredient.  

While there is controversy always raging in the Paleolithic community about exactly which food is paleo or primal, flax is considered a paleo hunter-gatherer diet friendly food and flour substitute.  While I love flax mostly for the beautiful blooms of the plant in my wildflower hedges, eating the seeds formed into crackers is enjoyable as well.  Soaking these innocent looking brown and gold babies allows them to sprout making the lignans and nutrients more bioavailable and enzymatically alive.  Rinsing the sprouted seeds before making the crackers removes much of the antinutrients like phytic acid found in nuts, seeds, and legumes.  Flaxseed makes a delicious versatile cracker spiced to your preference and convenient for travel and as a low carb "bread" or cracker replacement.  As always, consume in balance with healthy low glycemic foods and with plenty of water for the optimal benefit!  

ingredients:
2 cups organic (gluten free) flaxseed
about 2 cups filtered water
generous 1 T. raw pink Himalayan sea salt (used only salt not typical tamari or Bragg's liquid amino and salt blend)
 spices to taste: for the curry blend I used about

•  2 T crushed red pepper
• gluten free curry blend- I like the Madras style spicy curry turmeric 1 tsp
• dried oregano

method:

First measure out and sort your flaxseed.  Add the filtered water (I use reverse osmosis water if that matters) and cover.  Let sit at least overnight until the seeds have sprouted.

The sprouting process will make the seed enzymatically active and more bioavailable and thus more easily digested.  The soaked mixture will be a gelatin like sticky goo.  To remove at least some phytic acid, rinse thoroughly with filtered water.  Just do your best, there are no hard and fast rules here.  The final rinsed mix should be gooey but not runny.

Add your sea salt and spices to taste.  Stir well.  It is helpful to spray your dehydrator or pan with nonstick spray or grease lightly with coconut oil at this point.  I use my old dehydrator with craft quilting mats I cut to fit (so the flax doesn't fall through the large dehydrator holes).

Spread the flax on the sheets about 1/8th to 1/4 inch thick.  You want the final product to be hearty enough to hold up to guacamole dip or shredded chicken, say, but thin enough to dry evenly.

You can also use a cookie pan and your oven.  If using an oven, dry around 100 to 125 degrees for about 6 hours.  I dry my chips in the dehydrator overnight until they break apart easily and are crispy.

sidenotes:

In the past few years flaxseed has gotten some bad press about its phytoestrogens and link with prostate cancer.  Is flax some insidious estrogenic food for men (or women for that matter who suffer from estrogen dominance and many hormone imbalance issues, especially after menopause)?  The Mayo clinic gives a short Q&A about this, but suffice to say that eating flax crackers in a balanced diet is not going to pump your body full of evil cancer-promoting cooties.  Taking high doses of flax oil for its ALA vegetarian omega 3 benefits, as once recommended, is probably not the best approach however since the oil is much more concentrated in phytoestrogens and lignans than the edible quantity of seeds.  I don't think Grok had access to high doses of isolated flax oil... somehow I doubt that Grok would drool at the sight of beautiful flax wildflower blooms as he might with a buffalo.   Besides, omega 3 fatty acids are best consumed as part of a whole food and from animal sources (read: eat fatty wild fish).   Lastly, there is evidence that the lignans in flax actually bind to estrogen in the digestive track.  For an interesting discussion on phytic acid and other antinutrient concerns in nuts and seeds, check out Mark's Daily apple.  I emphasize the importance of balance here as to not become overwhelmed by the micronutrient aspect of your food (didn't your mother tell you not to play with your food?!?).   Flax is healthy and fine in moderation- you wouldn't stop eating broccoli because of its phytoestrogen nuances would you?  Crunch on a darn flax cracker rather than a gluten carb rancid omega 6 oil GMO loaded chip, that's all I'm saying.  That and more importantly address your stress and lifestyle (exercise, sleep, diet, social support structure, higher power, etc) in a holistic manner, not just your food.  

On the lighter side, flax reduces inflammation, supports cardiovascular health, helps lower cholesterol, and reduces metabolic syndrome.  (Again, whether low cholesterol is actually beneficial to health is debatable and research shows that higher cholesterol in post menopausal women increases longevity).  

Flax ranks higher than blueberries and spinach in antioxidants and new investigation shows the delicate ALA omega 3 fats are not damaged by baking with flaxseed (and certainly not damaged by low temperature dehydration like here).  

The fiber in flax stabilizes blood sugar levels making flaxseed based crackers, muffins and breads better choices for those  with metabolic syndrome or on a low carb diet.  (Ground flax, hemp powder, and coconut flours make a wonderful hearty low carb high fiber gluten free and vegan "flour" blend.  I make variations of these baked goods and my digestion loves me for it!).   Flaxseed is high in manganese, magnesium, vitamin B1, and tryptophan to name a few nutrients.  Soaking and sprouting the seeds makes the crackers' enzymes and nutrients more bioavailable while the low temperature drying of the cracker makes it a raw food.  Of course the most touted glory of flaxseed is that it is practically all fiber so any food made of flax will be "no net carbs" which is what makes flax based muffins and bread popular in the low carb community. 

The longwinded micronutrient aspects of flaxseed aside, these babies are high fiber no net carbs spicy goodness and make great crackers for my hen's free range eggs from the backyard which I softboil and serve over steamed veggies and greens.  Get creative with your own spice blend- I have made these in various ways but always love a crunchy spicy treat!

Simple Brown Rice Pancake Snackers [Low Carb][Vegetarian]

Well they're not green (what a shame!) but as per phone request for baked gluten free coconut flour 'stuffs', I thought I'd whip up some simple and quick higher protein pancakes.  I also hate random products laying around and I was trying to think of what to do with this rice protein I have in the pantry since I haven't used the stuff in ages (cause it's not green as Jon would say).   The verdict was to cook up something which was edible or feed it to the chickens.... so we have pancake snackers! 

 Of course since I don't usually eat nor do I even like bready foods, these are mostly for snacking on when I get home late from art class- or whenever.  They must meet my requirements of a) using something coconut and b) be low glycemic.  Not my usual style, but hey this loose 'recipe' should be sufficient to get ya'll out there making baking recipe phone requests started.  

Brown rice protein is a very clean protein nonallergenic which is highly bioavailable (well for plant based aminos).  I do always have philosophical musings on any protein since any isolated substance probably isn't good for you in the long run.  At least Grog didn't find canisters of powders hanging out in the fields with the bison.... 

These aren't Paleo but they do fit the low carb and low glycemic vegetarian profile for those of you out there.  I usually use hemp powder or straight coconut flour for pancakes but I thought this would have more mass appeal (the hemp makes nice green brownish pancakes which make even worse pictures believe it or not!).

Brown Rice Protein Pancakes

Serving size: 8 small pancakes or 2 servings

 

Thanks girls! (That's to our hens- the green one is probably from Blackbeard, one of our Americanas)

 

Brown Rice Protein, Jarrow brand 1 heaping Tbsp 2.0 x Custom Food (15g)
Egg, whole, raw, fresh 4.0 x 1 small (38g) (courtesy of our hens)
Leavening agents, gluten free baking powder 2.0 x 1 tsp (4g)
Salt, table 1.0 x 1 dash (0g)
wilderness naturals coconut flour 1 T.

water~2 oz or enough to hydrate batter (remember coconut flour absorbs a lot of liquid!)

stevia glycerite liquid to taste.  I used a hefty drizzle but it is optional

spices: 

cinnamon about 1 tsp

cayenne, dash

turmeric, dash

 

Prep:

Crack and beat the eggs in a small bowl.  Heat frypan and melt in coconut oil for frying.  Mix all ingredients well.  Feel free to add some great low carb berries (blueberry, cranberry, etc) or even some nice steamed spinach (mmm.. there I go thinking green again).  Fry about 2 minutes per side and flip when bubbles appear on edges. 

 

They turn out great- nice and fluffy which was surprising since I improvised the whole 'recipe' this morning wandering around with low blood sugar. I'm looking forward to snacking on them when I get home tonight, well if there are any left.

Rough nutritional info, courtesy Nutrition Data.com

Next pancake or muffin post will be one of my staple (and paleo friendly) hemp and/or coconut creations.  Until then sprinkle on some Himalayan pink salt (mmm, better topping than nasty syrup or HFCS "syrups" for sure!) and munch.

Buckwheat Coconut Caraway Biscuits [Low Carb]

1/2 c. organic buckwheat flour
a generous 1/4 c. organic coconut flour*
1 t. non-aluminum baking powder
sea salt
1 t. organic raw apple cider vinegar
1-2 t. freshly ground caraway seeds (fruit)
onion and garlic powder
punch oregano
2 T. smart balance light, melted or 2 T. organic coconut oil
2 eggs
2 T. agave
1 T. flax (optional)

* You can add water or coconut milk a few tablespoons at a time if yours thickens too much for a biscuit dough

In a medium bowl, mix the eggs (or egg substitute with 3 T. ground flaxseed), melted vegan smart balance (or organic coconut oil, whichever you are using), agave, sea salt, and apple cider vinegar. Add in the coconut flour, buckwheat flour, baking powder, flax (whole or ground) to the bowl of liquids. Stir the batter as you add the coconut flour and flax so that no lumps are formed and the moisture is distributed evenly. You can add a few tablespoons of water or unsweetened applesauce if the dough becomes too thick and tough to stir. The high fiber content of the coconut flour, flax, and buckwheat will absorb the moisture quickly. Grind the caraway seeds in your mortar by hand, with a little coffee grinder or blender, or just use pre-ground caraway. I prefer the smell of freshly ground caraway seeds and it only take a few seconds to take out any morning aggression on those poor whole seeds with my marble mortar :)

Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray and drop the dough onto the sheet. You can also use a regular muffin tin as I did. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. Keep your eye out after 13 minutes so the muffins do not brown too fast. Remember coconut flour tends to need to cook a little longer than other flours, but it remains moist throughout the longer baking period.

Jon's sunflower seed and shredded cheese variation

Coconut flour and flax are excellent low carb, high fiber healthy flours for gluten and dairy free baking. Flax is a great vegan source of essential Omega 3 fatty acids and is more bioavailable to the body in ground form. You can, of course, chew the whole seeds throughly, but if you're anything like me then you tend to gulp your food, so freshly ground flax is a better option. If you do cook with flax, keep the heat to a minimum (I know, I'm using it here! However, when baked inside a dish the temperature is not as high as the crust or outside of the food. This means the flax is somewhat safer baked into a food then otherwise. Ideally, you would not really bake with flax since the high heat can damage the delicate Omega 3 fats, causing rancidity.) Buckwheat flour is also high in fiber and thus low in "net carbs," making it a great nutritious flour to add to your low glycemic index/low carb gluten free pantry.

Most people know caraway better for its use in rye bread, a gluten grain. I love the smell and taste of rye bread, but after more thought I realized that it was only the smell and robust flavor of the caraway seed which I enjoyed. If you are gluten free and remember that rye bread smell with longing, I suggest just adding some fresh caraway seeds to your gluten free bread. It really does give that rye smell and feel (minus the gluten, of course :) ) Rye bread also has an interesting past shrewed in mystery where it is theorized to have caused hallucinations leading to the Salem witch trials whereby the accusers ingested rye bread contaminated with mold (ergot poisoning, like LSD). Its an interesting tidbit you can ponder as you munch on gluten free coconut caraway biscuits in glee, eh?

Banana Spice Pancakes

1/2 c. all-purpose gluten free baking mix
1 egg
2 ripe organic bananas
1 t. vanilla (organic/fair trade)
1/2 t. non aluminum baking powder
dash 50-50 cinnamon/cayenne
1 t. cinnamon
dash nutmeg
1/4 c. water
1 T. organic virgin coconut oil or extra virgin coconut oil (frying)
1 T. honey or agave nectar

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in beaten egg, water, and vanilla, mixing well. Stir in the cinnamon-cayenne and nutmeg. Drizzle in the agave nectar (or honey). Slice or mash in the banana and mix the batter until it is smooth.

Melt the coconut oil (or olive oil) in a large frying pan and preheat the pan to medium heat (5). Once the oil is melted, turn the heat down to 3 or 4 and spoon in batter. Cook 2 minutes until the sides bubble. Flip and cook another 2-3 minutes. Serve with a dash of cinnamon, or your choice of fresh fruit topping, Smart Balance Vegan butter, honey, or agave nectar.

Variations:
1/4 c. porridge and/or 1/4 c. raw cranberries

Gluten Free Granola and Hemp Muffins

These muffins come from the recipe off the Enjoy Life Gluten Free Granola which we found as a new item at Kroger yesterday. I was so excited to try the gluten free granola despite the fact that it is almost $5 for a tiny box (of air! - gluten free air specially manufactured in a facility...).

Very berry sawdust, mmm

I made my first mistake in thinking that I ever I missed granola. This will be a very biased review since I never liked granola, but then again I'm not a carb person. My subsequent mistake was in believing it would taste like real granola... or something other than stale brown rice syrup. I should be fair and say Jon tried it and he said it was decent, but would be improved with milk and lots of cinnamon and honey. If you like or miss granola, this might be ok for you since Jon has a better sense of granola than I do.

I followed up my buying mistake with an entertaining hour-long painstaking irritable dance around the kitchen while I tried to follow their recipe. I hate following directions. I can't do it, so I added some organic hemp protein and organic blackstrap molasses (skipped the brown sugar) to make it more my own. I should have added flax just to spite my dad who responded "No flax! I don't like that stuff, yuck" when I asked what he wanted with his homemade steak dinner for Christmas. Got it dad, extra flax. Double flax for that, but no flax here. Plenty of rice monstrosities masquerading as "granola" though :)

1 c. Enjoy Life granola (I used the berry variety)
1/2 c. brown rice flour
1/2 c. buckwheat flour
1/4 t. sea salt
3 t baking powder
1 T. cinnamon
1 small organic apple with skin, chopped
2 T. organic hemp protein powder
2 eggs
1 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c. lite coconut milk
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 T. agave nectar
1 T. organic unsulfured blackstrap molasses
1/4 c. raisins
1 T. organic raw pumpkin seeds
1 T. raw organic sunflower seeds
1/4 c. shredded organic reduced fat coconut
1 organic banana, chopped

Coat your muffin tins with nonstick spray and preheat oven to 350 degrees. I used a large muffin tin of 12 cups plus smaller 6 muffin tins. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients (except the fruit). In a separate smaller bowl, combine wet ingredients while adding the molasses and agave last. Add in the wet ingredients and stir well. I used a potato masher to squash the banana into the dough. Add the chopped apple, raisins, coconut, and seeds and stir until well mixed. Fill the muffin cups about half full and add extra granola on top if desired. Bake 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm.

Yield: 22-25 muffins

Sundried Tomato Spicy Blue Corn Crisps

1/4 c. organic blue corn meal
1/8 c. organic buckwheat flour
1/4 t. aluminum-free baking powder
2 sulfur-free sundried tomatoes
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 T. water
1 T. organic apple cider vinegar
1 egg (or egg substitute)
dash hot sauce (optional)

Seasonings:
pepper
garlic powder
crushed red pepper
dash cayenne pepper

Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick olive oil spray and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. I finely chopped the sundried tomatoes with kitchen shears directly into the bowl.

Add the seasonings, water, vinegar, and olive oil and mix well. Crack in the egg and beat it in, mixing thoroughly. Spread the batter in a thin layer onto the oiled cookie sheet. Bake at 325 on the bottom oven rack for about 35 minutes or until crispy.

I served these with with some salsa and guacamole as appetizers to our [pre]Thanksgiving meal of Caribbean Pineapple Turkey Breast and Fruity Apricot Quinoa .

Cran-Blueberry Coconut Flour Muffins [Low Carb] [Paleo]

1/2 c. organic coconut flour

~1/4 t. (dash) xanthan gum
~1/2 t. non-aluminum baking powder
dash sea salt
4 packets (single serving) Stevia
cinnamon
3 eggs at room temperature
1 T. organic vanilla
2 T. organic virgin coconut oil (melted or liquid form) OR ~1/4 c. Earth Balance Vegan Butter*
1/4 c. frozen raw cranberries
1/4 c. frozen raw organic blueberries
1 T. agave nectar
~15 T. water, added one T. at a time to adjust consistency

Spray muffin tins with nonstick spray and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients. In a seperate bowl add the eggs and whisk well. Add the vanilla and coconut oil (or melted and cooled butter) to the eggs and beat together. Pour the egg mix into the dry ingredients while stirring so the coconut flour does not clump up. Add the Stevia, agave, and cinnamon and continue to stir. Stir in the water one T. at a time and mix until the batter is not thick and sticky. Coconut flour's high fiber content will quickly soak up the moisture, so go quickly and use your judgment as to extra amounts of water. I would err on the side of more wet (but not runny) batter since the dough thickens as it sits and cooks. You don't want hockey puck muffins!

Add the berries and stir. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. You may need to cook them longer if you had runnier batter; the muffins are done when the tops are brown and slightly firm to the touch, not mushy.

Yield: 6 muffins

My muffins turned out soft and moist on the inside, but next time I'm going to add some apple butter or applesauce for a richer taste rather than full-on water. The rule I've found experimenting with coconut flour is to make the batter moister since a typical (non-coconut) batter consistency tends to turn out too dry due to the high fiber. It is an interesting trial and error baking process since I am adjusting other coconut flour recipes which all call for a ton of butter and/or eggs.

*Note that often vegan butters contain soy, so if you're soy free read carefully

Apricot and Cranberry Biscuits [Vegan][Low Carb Variation]

10 (~ 1/2 c) no sulfur organic apricots, chopped
dash sea salt
3/4 t baking soda
1/2 t. xantham gum
1 T. organic apple cider vinegar
1/2 c. organic brown rice flour
1/2 c. organic buckwheat flour
2 heaping T. potato starch flour
1/4 c. organic raw frozen cranberries
1/2 c. organic unsweetened applesauce
6-7 oz. organic unsweetened apricot jam
2-4 T. cinnamon

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Use kitchen shears to chop the apricots into about quarters. Add the apricots, whole cranberries, and cinnamon to the dry ingredients. Spoon in the apricot jam and stir the mixture thoroughly. Add the applesauce and give everything a final good mixing.

Coat either your baking loaf pan or muffin tins with nonstick spray and spoon the batter into them. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-17 minutes or until the biscuit tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Makes 16 fabulous biscuits!

Apricot Hunks of Biscuit Delight

Low Carb Option:
3 no sulfur organic apricots, chopped
dash sea salt
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t. non-aluminum baking powder
1/2 t. xantham gum
1 T. organic apple cider vinegar
1/4 c. organic coconut flour
cinnamon
1/4 c. organic raw frozen cranberries
1 T. organic unsweetened applesauce
1 T. organic unsweetened apricot jam
~ 1/2 c. water (add more if too dry)

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Use kitchen shears to chop the apricots into about quarters. Add the apricots, whole cranberries, and cinnamon to the dry ingredients. Add the applesauce and stir. Add the water and mix well. If the coconut flour absorbs too much of the liquid and the batter is very thick, add a few tablespoons of water, one T. at a time, until the batter is thinner. Coconut flour's high fiber will continue to soak up the liquid, so on yoceu've settled on a "good" batter consistency, you should bake as soon as possible.

Coat either your baking loaf pan or muffin tins with nonstick spray and spoon the batter into them. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the biscuit tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Makes 9 luscious small low carb biscuits.

Low Carb Coconut Flour Cinnamon Apricot Biscuits [Vegan][Paleo]

Cinnamon Cranberry Banana Bread & Muffins [Vegan]

1 c. organic brown rice flour
1/2 c. organic buckwheat flour
1 t.. aluminum free baking powder
1 t. baking soda
2 t. xanthan gum (optional)
3/4 c. unsweetened organic apple sauce
3/4 c. water
dash sea salt
cinnamon to taste (~ 2 T.)
1/4 c. fresh ground sesame seeds
~1 T. organic raw pumpkin seeds
1/4 c. organic raw (unsalted) sunflower seeds
1/2 c. frozen or fresh whole raw cranberries
2 bananas, roughly mashed
3 T. Stevia powder or natural sweetener of your choice
1 T. agave nectar or organic maple syrup

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a small coffee grinder or blender, grind up the sesame seeds into a grainy paste. Add the ground sesame, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and cinnamon. Stir the mixture as you drizzle in the agave nectar (maple syrup). Spoon in the apple sauce and add the bananas in large chunks. I used a potato masher to roughly mash the bananas into the dough and mix in the applesauce. Add the water and fresh whole cranberries stir well.

Coat either your baking loaf pan or muffin tins and spoon the batter into them. Baking directions follow below:

Bread:

Coat a small loaf pan or a small baking tin with nonstick spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until the top is brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let completely cool before cutting.

Muffins:

Coat a large muffin tin with nonstick spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes or until the tops are golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

Although this recipe is nut free, both the muffins and a slice of the bread go great with a sprinkle of my Caramelized Cinnamon Walnuts and Pumpkin Seeds.

Blackberry Banana Danish [Low Fat] [Pareve]

This "danish" is the product of a sick Cindy cooking (Lord help us all). It tastes fantastic, but when I cook while ill and strung out, my recipes are to be used at your own risk :) Joking, but this was originally banana cookies then coffee cake then ... well, we think it's a great danish. It definitely tastes delicious!

I used unsweetened applesauce instead of (vegan) butter or oil so that this recipe is low fat and higher carb for Jon's body type. The whole danish has a total of about 13 g fat from the 1 egg (~4.5 g fat) and the 2 T. shredded coconut. The coconut adds 8 g of the good medium-chain triglycerides. Remember that coconut provides "good" saturated fat and thus boosts your metabolism and immune system. Since coconut is a MCFA (or Medium Chain [Saturated] Fatty Acid), then it is preferentially burned by your body for energy rather than becoming fat storage. Traditional corn and soy vegetables oils consist of longer chain unsaturated fats. Unlike coconut, these oils are less likely to be immediately burned by the body and are preferentially stored as fat (except olive oil which has many health benefits). In general, any calorie excess is stored as fat, so just remember to stay active on a daily basis (I say this as I have slept, cooked, and typed all day :P).

This recipe makes a large danish with about 6-8 servings depending on how you slice it. This means that there is less than 2 g fat per serving, although I make no such bold claims about the carbs here since we all know that low fat and fat free means either high carb or chemicals (or water, as Jon pointed out) :)

Dough:
1 c. gluten free all-purpose baking mix
1 T. organic brown sugar
1 T. organic turbinado raw sugar
1/2 c. unsweetened apple sauce
1/4 c. water
dash sea salt
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. (drizzle) organic maple syrup (optional)
1 T. xanthan gum
1 free-range fresh egg or egg substitute

Filling:
1/2 c. unsweetened all-natural blackberry jam
2 bananas, sliced
2 T. organic no sulfur shredded coconut
cinnamon, for topping and filling to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and set aside the egg. Mix all of the dough ingredients in a medium bowl. Spread half of the dough evenly across the surface of a greased cookie sheet. Gently spread the jam over the dough on the cookie sheet with a butter knife. Sprinkle over the coconut flakes and sliced bananas as shown below.

You can drizzle this with a bit of organic maple syrup if desired. Use the rest of the dough to top the danish, spreading it gently over the bananas with a spoon and knife. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 27-30 minutes or until the dough is cooked.

If you can do dairy then this would be great either topped with cream cheese or with a cream cheese and kosher unflavored gelatin mixture in the middle for a cheese danish style treat. I'll probably do this sooner (rather than later) since Jon loves these kinds of desserts.

Buttermilk Nut Pancakes

1 c. organic buckwheat flour
1 c. organic brown rice flour
1/4 c. shredded organic no-sulfur coconut
1/2 c. deluxe mixed nuts (ours were mostly brazil nuts and cashews with a few pecans)
1 egg (free range), room temperature
1 banana, sliced
1 t. baking soda
1 t. non-Aluminum baking powder
dash sea salt
1 c. milk + 1 T. organic raw apple cider vinegar (or buttermilk)
4 T. organic virgin coconut oil, for frying

Seasonings:
2 T. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in beaten egg and buttermilk, mixing well. Stir in the coconut, whole nuts, cinnamon and nutmeg. If you are adding the brown sugar then add it now along with the sliced banana. Mix the batter until it is smooth.

Melt the coconut oil in a large fry pan and preheat the pan to medium heat (5). Once the oil is melted, turn the heat down to 3 or 4 and spoon in batter. Cook 2 minutes until the sides bubble. Flip and cook another 2-3 minutes. Serve with a dash of cinnamon, or your choice of fresh fruit topping, Smart Balance Vegan butter, honey, or agave nectar.