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.

Excellent Blogs + Spiced Vegan Chai Cocoa

Sorry for the uber long delay here! Thank Cheryl over at Gluten Free Goodness for dragging me out of the blogging closet with her nomination of Cindalou's for an Excellent Blog Award. I begrudgingly (and gratefully, I might add) brushed off our basement office mold and dust to peck yet again at the keyboard. (This time it is not for calculations of the rate of matter spiraling into a black hole or deriving the gauge transformation with the trace reversed metric perturbation ... sorry, that's GR speak polluting my brain from our midterm exam).

This time, however, I can share goodies about Cheryl and her nutrition-packed gluten, dairy, soy, egg, and corn free (whew!) kitchen. Hey, that beats the heck out of ion implantation stuff. How can Neon ions compare with her pesto? Admittedly, I'll need to nut-free that pesto for myself with a heaping pile of extra kalamata olives, but that garlic-y pesto looks deliciously green and appetizing. Alternatively, you may prefer Cheryl's creative Pesto-ed Fish, featuring garlic scapes. If you like healthy allergen free recipes with tons of fresh garden produce, I recommend Cheryl and re-nominate her for an excellent blog award. I don't know if that's possible, but rules are just guidelines anyways ... especially when they come between garlic pesto fish and myself. As an organic gardener and cook, Cheryl makes excellent dishes with seasonal produce. If you have a bumper crop of pears, basil, or veggies, then check out her concoctions for dinner ideas!

Here's the spiel:

The rules that accompany this award are as follows:

“Please find at least 10 more blogs of any kind which you deem to be excellent; but hey if you only come up with 3 or 5 (I chose 8), I don’t mind. Post about the blogs you picked, linking back to me and to them. Once you’ve posted, return here to let me know your post is up, and of course let your 10 award winners know too."

Cindalou's "Excellent Blogs":

Gluten Free For Good: Pumpkin anyone? Beets and Greens? Melissa over at Gluten Free for Good has a fantastic blog (and website) that extends beyond the gluten free community, as she lends her nutritionist expertise to everyone with an ear to hear (eye to read?). Seasonal ingredients (with recipes!) punctuate the health posts and exposes on hot nutrition topics. Melissa also knows how to have a good time, as she often shares her beautiful photos taken while hiking the Colorado wilderness. I can admire those sharp mountain peaks from afar, drool over her Pumpkin Pancakes, and laugh out loud at her humorous rantings on nutritional disasters and the advertising conspiracy. If you haven't seen the high fructose corn syrup commercials yet, read her comments on it and the role of sugar in modern diets versus health. If you have a sweet tooth, don't despair! Even as a bonafide health professional, she makes sweet amends and provides recent Celiac health & nutrition conference updates to the rest of us *unprivileged* non-health pro invitees.

Gluten Free Mommy: Unfortunately Natalie is out of the kitchen blogosphere right now due to her pregnancy (what a great reason, yey!), but GF Mommy is one of my favorite (and NC local) blogs. Her fish stew is reminiscent of one of my favorite quick healthy recipes for cool nights, and her beautiful pictures of gluten free cakes make me pine for dairy and a trip to Raleigh :). Also, if you enjoy Indian food as much as I do, you don't want to miss Natalie's bombay chicken and kung pao chicken. Update: She posted a fantastic Thanksgiving Frozen Pumpkin Pie which looks oh-so-tempting (once dairy-freed, of course).

Book of Yum: Although Sea is already an "E" blog as well, I'm going to jump aboard and give Book of Yum another vote. How could I forget such an expansive multiple-allergen friendly food blogger with a kindred appreciation for turmeric and spinach? I love the exotic Asian-inspired and Indian dishes from Book of Yum, as well as the focus on creative and often vegetarian and/or vegan recipes. Her uncheese nutritional yeast dairy free spinach pie and recent poppy seed goat cheese beet salad are calling my name (darn that goat cheese!). If you are adventurous in the kitchen, check out Sea's creations for great bento (lunch box) and dinner idea. Sea also gives many nondairy (often soy or nut based) "butter" and "cream" recipes for dairy-intolerant individuals like myself.

Great Mastications: Orla dishes up some great gf healthy recipes with a serious Canadian appreciation of healthy hemp, as well as teaching all of us a little more common sense about sustainable green living (see her post Green Business for a great "Stop buying crap we don't need" read). Come spring and summertime, I'll be gorging myself with her hemp seed and green onion dip, mmm!

Gluten Free Bay: Fall is brimming with holiday opportunity to try out a few of the Bay's plethora of creative kosher gluten free recipes. I am looking forward to some matzo balls for chicken soup and some low glycemic sweet potato and leek latkes. If you keep kosher and juggle allergies, the Bay is an invaluable resource for recipes and product updates!

Caveman Food: Elizabeth serves up great Paleo meals like the Sam I Am Eggs (told you Mom!) and Lamb Meatballs. For everyone on a low carb or cavemen-esque diet, I highly recommend her site. It's easy to get stuck in a rut on a low carb diet and eat the same ole ho-hum food, but Elizabeth's meals can appetize the low carber and regular diner alike. Who doesn't like (gluten and dairy free!) chicken fingers? Don't forget your vegetables either! Vital to health and the low carb and Paleo lifestyles, Cave(wo)men do eat their veggies! Restricted diets can be hard without further limiting food groups voluntarily, so check her out for gluten free, dairy free, low carb/Paleo meals.

Aprovechar: I know everyone else has given Sally an "E" already, but I must chime in. Sally's recipes are great healthy recipes for anyone looking for allergen free weight loss dinner ideas, but the real sparkle in her blogging comes from her heartfelt discussions regarding her life experience. Sally harbors the genuine glow of someone who has overcome traumatic health problems through an inspiring recovery. I know many people who can fake optimism, but Sally really has a true light shining from her soul. Besides, she makes tempting gluten free vegan Mesquite Chocolate Chip Cookies featuring flax seed (horrah!) to munch while you ponder enlightenment.

Jeena's Kitchen: Mediterranean cuisine (not all gluten or allergen free) with tons of delicious photographic recipes with everything from lamb and fish to traditional vegetable curries and desserts. The lamb dishes are always some of Jon's favorite objects 'o drool, like her lamb mint meatballs (use gf bread or ground flax).

I'm sure I missed a few excellent gluten free blogs, so my apologies. Other top authors are Cathy Wong and Dr. Ben Kim, both very knowledgeable alternative health authorities and creative cooks. Dr. Ben Kim even has a healthy corn syrup and HFCS free pecan pie recipe stocked full of delicious dates for the holidays! All of these yummy blogs are stirring my appetite for a nice warm mug of cocoa ...

Spiced Vegan Chai Cocoa
[low glycemic to boot]

The onset of brisk cold nights here in NC drags out a plethora of random herbs and unsweetened cocoa powder for a nightly rendevouz with my otherwise shivering hands. I have to make all my own cocoas since commercial AND affordable varieties come complete with a) corn syrup, b) dairy ... and more derivatives of dairy, and c) tons of other crap.

Unsweetened non-dutch processed cocoa is not treated with alkali and is all we use at Cindalou's. Why no dutch processed cocoa? The dutch processing destroys most of the flavonols present in cocoa, as discussed in this Chocolate as a Health Food article. Besides, addition of unnecessary metals to perfectly good cocoa for a milder taste seems .. unnecessary. Curious minds can find a concise description of the sundry varieties of chocolate and cocoa at this Wikipedia site.

All of the cocoa details aside, if you want quick and easy homemade vegan cocoa, gather any combination of the following herbs and ingredients and stir away! (The amounts are approximate, and as such, this is barely a recipe at all. This is an herb-y cocoa based on my old slippery elm tea of healing warmth.)

• 2 T. unsweetened non-dutch cocoa powder
  
  
• 4 drops liquid Stevia (if desired) or agave/honey to taste
  
  
• 1 t. slippery elm - various soothing digestive actions, high in iron and vitamins, helps kidney problems, diarrhea and constipation (similar action to psyllium)
  
  
• 1 t. cayenne pepper - arthritis, pain relief (internal & external), soothes & improves digestion, metabolic booster
  
  
• 2 t. cinnamon - antifungal, antibacterial, improves glucose metabolism (diabetes), anticlotting, helpful for memory
  
  
• dash ground ginger - excellent nausea and digestive aid, antiinfammatory, aids in prevention of cancer, immunity booster
  
  
• 1 t. crushed fennel seeds - very high in Vitamin C, improves immunity, high in folate (a B vitamin) and fiber, helps keep the colon and heart healthy

• dash ground fenugreek - high in fiber and amino acids, lowers cholesterol and regulates blood sugar, helps soothe digestion, loosens mucous, can stimulate the sex drive, and has an interesting folk use for breast enlargement. It also improves milk flow from nursing mothers, may help fight obesity, aids in heart disease, and can ease menstrual pain. It should not be used in high, frequent doses, or by pregnant women
  
  
• 1 t. cardamom (ground) - digestive aid, gas reliever, stimulant, and helps to break up mucous. Add extra cardamom to your tea, soups, stews, curry dishes, or pies if you have a cold or some congestion
  
  
• dash coriander (ground) - helps control blood sugar, useful in diabetes, good source of mucilage, and helps control cholesterol
  
  
• dash cloves (ground) - the active eugenol in cloves aids in inflammation and arthritis, digestive disorders and cancers, detoxification from environmental pollutants, pain relief, and anesthetic. Chew on a clove bud for a toothache and your whole mouth will go numb! It is also high in minerals and contains some Omega 3 fatty acids.

• 2+ cups boiling water or 1 c. boiling water 1 c. hemp milk (or other milk or favorite milk substitute)

Mix all in the mug(s), pour over water and/or warmed [hemp] milk and stir. Dilute and sweeten to preference. Use Stevia or agave for low glycemic (~0 and ~11 glycemic index, respectively), or add honey (~32 a low g.i.) as desired. Honey harbors amazing antimicrobial, antiviral, and antioxidant benefits, so don't fear the honey bee! If you want more health benefits on each ingredient, check out the links above.

Serves: 1-2 (depending on water or "milk" use)

Coconut Milk Yogurt At Last! [Dairy Free] [Soy Free] [Vegan] [Low Carb]

Alas, the coconut milk yogurt has materialized in my kitchen! Sorry for the ridiculously long wait, but as I mentioned previously in my Ginger Sea Bass post, we were waiting on the probiotic and then went to GA for vacation after my exam and blah blah. Yo don't care, right? The yogurt is here in all of its gluten free, dairy free, soy, nut, corn, yeast, yadda yadda free glory!! I am really sorry I am a month late, Seamadien :) Can you forgive me? I am loving your spinach pie and that St. Pats pot pie looks intriguing...

Anyways, back to the coconut yogurt and why I chose Christian from Stephen's Recipes for my adoption way back when. I have a very strong connection to family (at least in my mind, don't ask my mom :) ) and I admire someone who has children and not only devotes their love and energy to them, but also sets aside time to blog about allergen free living for the rest of us! Christian has a sense of humor (see the taste warning at the blog header) and is committed to providing the healthiest environment for her boys. Today in the American age of McDonald's for dinner and tv or texting during a meal instead of family conversation, family values are of high esteem in my mind. I must sound like a crazy fanatical conservative, but sorry to disappoint you Pat Roberson- I just believe in good, ethical, moral living and loving. You chose your flavor of religious, moral, and lifestyle beliefs to suit you, in so long as you do not infringe on others' rights.

In any case, put the tv remote away and don't worry about bringing a Whopper over to dinner at my place. Cindalou's practices good old family mealtime courtesies and stimulating light dinner conversation like "So Mom, what is the exact significance of Jesus being divine for you? Why do people want someone else to die for their sins? That seems like a bit of a break in the personal responsibility chain..?" Ahh, musings of a curious child with really annoying questions and an even more annoying quest for deep, "not canned" responses. I think I offend people with these questions, but I really want to understand. Can you lend me a hand? Or answer? Please..??

And please excuse my politicking; we just met our favorite candidate for NC Congress, BJ Lawson, and "Mr. Liberty" Presidential Candidate Dr. Ron Paul himself is coming to both UNC and Duke on Jon's birthday- May 2nd!! Our amazing Tarheels for Paul coordinator Paige arranged for Jon to have lunch with Dr. Ron Paul, Dr. Lawson, and a few other campaign donors for his birthday too. I'm so excited!! It's not everyday you get that offer since presidential candidates are swamped with supporters at every stop. I believe both Obama and Hillary are in Chapel Hill now as well - I'll have to go check that out. It will just be such a relief to hear something other than McCain being the only Republican candidate on the ticket. This is not true and just shows irritating ignorance. Ergh, enough political frustration - I know everyone feels it in every party (or nonparty) :) How about some gluten/dairy free yogurt goodness?

Coconut Milk Yogurt (half batch)
1 can (15 oz.) organic coconut milk or lite coconut milk
heaping 1/4 t. dairy free probiotic*

Tools Needed:
2 half-quart Mason jars (I used cleaned salsa jars)
large stainless steel spoon
2 large/medium stainless steel pots (I used a double boiler nested pot setup)
kitchen thermometer
a few old clean kitchen towels, a large pot and lid (large enough to hold mason jars) OR yogurt maker

Yeah, we have a wee bit of coconut milk hangin' around...

*I used Culturaid dairy free probiotic since it is free of many of the common allergens: gluten, dairy, yeast, corn, and soy.

*UPDATE* As several of you have pointed out, Klaire Labs has discontinued Culturaid. I've written a length response in the comments section, but to keep it short, we recommend Dr. Ohhira's, Essential Formulas Inc., Probiotic, a 60 capsule probiotic with 12 active cultures, a 5-star rating from 300+ reviews, priced at ~$34.50 - $5 (Referal Coupon Code: JOC350), or $29.50, less than the Culturaid and other competing allergy free probiotics/yogurt starters.

Instructions for Coconut Milk Yogurt
[Gluten, Dairy, Soy, Corn, Yeast Free and Low Carb/Low Fat]

1.) Sterilize your container(s):
I boiled water in my electric kettle to sterilize my yogurt jars and stainless steel pot. After the water boiled, I let it sit for 10 or so minutes while I went onto step 2. When you need two yogurt containers, just discard the hot water.

2.) Pour out the sterilizing water from the pot and pour in the coconut milk. If you didn't shake the can and the milk has separated, just give it a quick stir with a clean/sterilized stainless steel spoon. Turn the milk to medium high heat and keep your thermometer handy. Bring the milk to just boiling with your thermometer in the milk, but not resting or touching the pot (you want the temperature of the milk, not the pot). Continuously stir the milk until it reaches around 160 degrees. I've seen the range of 170-180 degrees for "normal" milk in order to kill the bad bacteria, but the canned organic coconut milk does not suffer bovine growth hormones, animal antibiotics passed into the cow milk, pesticides, or any chemical residues that can hamper regular milk. I am more lax with the temperature for this reason. If you'd prefer to go to the higher temperature, go for it, but make sure to keep stirring so the milk doesn't burn. Several discussions about this post around the internet have questioned my rationale for this step - i.e. "why boil the coconut milk at all? Canned coconut milk ought to be sterilized in the canning process". This is true. The culture requires a coconut milk temperature between 80 - 100 degrees Fahrenheit, so the 160 degrees cited above is likely overkill.

3.) Set up your yogurt-making area.

The yogurt culturing area can be a real yogurt maker or this handy type setup shown below. All that is necessary is that the yogurt stay around 100 degrees (or as close as possible). I placed 2 jars in my largest pot with a few warmed towels on the bottom to insulate the jars. I used 1 jar for steaming hot water and the other jar for the yogurt. Here's a cool site for making yogurt by livelonger on HubPages which gives nice pictures and the incubation idea of a cooler and hot water instead of a yogurt maker.

4.) Let the coconut milk cool. Check the milk comes to around 100-110 degrees before adding the probiotic starter. Once the milk has cooled, stir in the probiotic starter. If you were making normal cow-based dairy yogurt, you could use premade/purchased yogurt with live cultures instead of specialty probiotic starter. For dairy free coconut milk yogurt, we can't do this of course- hence the Culturaid.

Boil some more water and pour into one of your open jars shown above. The hot water in this jar along with the insulating towels and closed pot will help keep the yogurt jar warm so the cultures can grown during incubation.

Pour the inoculated yogurt/coconut milk into the other jar and close the lid to keep it warm. I added a few more towels for jar insulation.

5.) Cover the whole setup or your yogurt maker. I turned my pot to very very low heat (barely on) to keep the setup warm. You may not need to do this depending upon the temperature of your kitchen. It was cold and rainy when I made this (Murphy's law in action). Let the yogurt ferment for 6-10 hours. Mine took more like 10 hours since it was so cold in my kitchen (crazy spring weather). Let the yogurt rest while it ferments.

6.) After the allotted time has passed, check the coconut milk yogurt. It should be firm and more of a yogurt texture. Mine was not as thick as cow milk yogurt (which often has yucky thickeners in addition to the plain old yogurt, especially if you eat the nonorganic kind), but it was definitely thicker. It had a nice slightly sweet-sour yogurt bite to it as well as all those uber healthy (nondairy) probiotics! Now I can down yogurt by the quart like Jon, right? :) Refrigerate the yogurt when it is thick and "finished."

The probiotics in yogurt and fermented foods (kraut, etc) are the "good" guys you want in your intestines to help improve your immunity, keep you regular, build and strengthen your bones, lose weight, and detoxify you. One of my favortie online general health bloggers, Cathy Wong, has a great summary of probiotic health benefits and possible interactions. The Harvard Medical School Health Guide also has a good article with some interesting folk uses for yogurt. Probiotics are especially vital in the healing process for those with compromised digestive systems, like those with IBS, Crohn's disease, and Celiac. In addition to this dairy free yourt, I love homemade red cabbage kraut and NutriWest total probiotics. I've noticed a sincere and immeasurable difference in my digestion and energy. It's just anecdotal evidence, but it does obey my "it works" philosophy. Yet another great resource is USProbiotics.org. A general Google search on the health benefits of probiotics is overwhelming, so I'm barely scratching the surface here. Don't fret, I'll be back ranting about them much more in future posts. My other favored site for health info at World's Healthiest Foods has a great summary on (regular) yogurt. Keep in mind that this coconut milk yogurt is dairy free, but since it is cultured with the probiotics it will contain many of the same fermentation byproducts like some B vitamins.

Oh, and Melissa, I have not forgotten about the 6 line meme! Uhh, I am still struggling with 6 (positive.... or at least not blaringly negative) things to say about myself. Here's a try at 6 words that summarize who I am:

1. independent
   
2. open minded
3. compassionate (my mom might disagree when we get into politics, hehe)
   
4. tenacious (strong willed? what's the difference... it is subtle I guess)
5. assertive
6. principled (to a point of aggravation of others I'm afraid :) )

Do I get another 6 billion words to describe a bride-to-be with a few more weeks until her wedding? Suppose not .. stupid rules! Who makes up these things? Why do we need so many rules... why can't we do fun things, like list the top 6 problems with modeling the cosmic ray muon flux near the surface of the Earth? Come on, please? I could use some help and non-wedding motivation :)

Since this post is already riduclously long, I'll be back with a recipe and/or use for the yogurt later. For now I'll just stop here and go spoon some of the leftover yogurt on some freshly ground flaxseed (omega 3's, high protein, and all carbs=fiber), sliced fresh pear (keeping the washed, organic peel for fiber and vitamins), and a drizzle of blackstrap molasses (high in iron, B vitamins). Hey after writing all of this, I'll a little wiped out for a whole fancy recipe :)

A new recipe using yogurt that looks delicious is from Natalie @ Gluten Free Mommy who whipped up some yummy Yogurt Raspberry Lime Ice Cream. I can't wait to try it or something similar! I use the Vitamix to make many of our ice creams/sherbets, so maybe I'll toss some coconut yogurt into my old Raspberry Smoothie in honor of your ice cream, Natalie! (I don't use the egg protein anymore, its not necessary with the coconut yogurt and protein powders are NOT health foods- they're more like weight-building short term tools (I am still trying to gain weight & muscle) and not long term health or meal replacements. The only powder is still love is Manitoba Harvest's Organic Hemp powder- it comes in protein powder, powder plus fiber, and good old hemp seeds- all with the perfect balance of Omega3:6 fats for optimal health! It makes a killer blueberry smoothie, Yum!

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

Vegan Holiday "Eggnog" [Soy Free] [Low Carb] [Low Fat] [Paleo]

This "eggnog" is my vegan low fat and low carb substitute for traditional dairy eggnog. I used to drink the Silk Soy Nog, but since I am (mostly) soy free now and avoid added sugar if possible, I had to invent my own nog-like substance. This turned out fantastic and I am really looking forward to using it in my holiday eggnog espresso "lattes" and even as a dessert sauce as well as a great nog substitute. Adjust the molasses and Stevia to your liking. I think this is fairly sweet as is.

The sweeteners I used here were Stevia and organic unsulfured blackstrap molasses. Look for the molasses at Whole Foods or your local health food store. It is currently on sale for the season. Unsulfured blackstrap molasses is an excellent source of iron and many other minerals. The sugars in the molasses are only partially digested in the stomach as well, so they do not cause a spike in blood insulin. The leftover sugars slowly digest in the intestine and provide nutrients for the good bacteria in the gut. I love the molasses now and I have found that it does not aggravate my blood sugar levels (at least so far; being a physicist, I cannot help but to take many sugar level readings with my meter -> more glorious data points which I can analyze and compare :) ). I would consider this diabetic friendly, but use your intuition and common sense if you are sensitive to molasses. This nog is egg free, dairy free, gluten free, soy free, low carb, low fat, and low glycemic impact/load. It does contain nuts (almond milk) and lite coconut milk. I apologize if anyone else out there has a recipe like this already, I haven't seen one yet so I'm really excited that this worked out so well. I hope you all like it!

~300 mL. unsweetened original almond milk
200 mL. unsweetened lite organic coconut milk (or regular for non-low fat version)
~1/4 t. cinnamon
nutmeg
1 t. organic (gluten free) vanilla (not imitation vanilla or other vanilla with corn syrup)
1 heaping T. organic unsulfured blackstrap molasses (~1 T. +1 t.)
2 packets Stevia
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half for garish

Combine all ingredients except the cinnamon sticks in a shaker cup or blender. Mix briefly and serve cold with cinnamon stick garnish. As I mentioned before, this would be great in espresso or even just warm alone. This is nonalcoholic, add spirits or rum to your liking.

Coconut Cinnamon Roasted Apples [Vegan]

2 medium organic apples (I used fuji)
~1/4 c. no sulfur organic shredded coconut
3-4 T. organic raw (unsalted) pumpkin seeds (unshelled)
~5 oz. organic coconut milk (or lite coconut milk or whichever "milk" you prefer. Hemp milk would be a great substitute here.)

Seasonings:
cinnamon (a lot, it is great tasting and lowers the glycemic index of the apples)
nutmeg
ground cloves
ground ginger

If you have five minutes to chop an apple and sprinkle on your favorite healthy seeds, holiday spices, and shredded coconut, you might try this. First preheat the oven to 400 degrees (350 will work also, but you'll have to bake them longer). Coat a small loaf or other baking pan with nonstick spray.

Slice or chop the apples and toss them into the pan. Cover with the raw pumpkin seeds and pour over the coconut milk. Shake on the spices to your liking; I use a ton of cinnamon since it helps improve insulin response, blood sugar levels, and tastes great! Sprinkle over the shredded coconut and place the dish in the oven. Bake for at least 10 minutes or until the apples are soft. I am an energy-conscious multi-tasker; if I am using the oven for a main dish such as Baby Rosemary Purple Potatoes, Fruity Sweet Potato Casserole, or my Black Bean and Roasted Squash, I often pair these with little oven-required side dishes such as these roasted apples. You could alternatively cook these apples in a fancy convection toaster oven. Since I baked this along with other longer-cooking recipes, this batch of apples bakes for ~ 20-25 minutes. I took the apples out once I smelled the cinnamon "baked" fragrance, the apples were soft, and the coconut was toasted brown.

Anyway you choose to do it, this is an easy and healthy dessert. The roasted apples are similar to the innards of an apple pie or reminiscent of apple crisp (minus the "crisp"). My shortcut version here avoids all the added simple sugars, carbs, and bad fat which are typical of a real pie or crisp. I use the coconut, a great source of healthy short chain fatty acids, to help boost metabolism and heal the body. The fat from the pumpkin seeds and coconut help slow the digestion and absorption of simple sugars (here, the natural apple fructose). This means you don't get a sugar spike followed by a hypoglycemic low after munching down on this already low glycemic index and ~ low carb dessert. Leftovers from these baked apples make a great base for another dessert or even great additions to breakfast porridge.

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

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.

Flourless Dark Chocolate Espresso Cake [Low Carb] [Paleo]

This absolutely divine chocolate cake is a birthday gift for Mom and David. Happy birthday guys!! This recipe comes from my somewhat-recent obsession with low carb chocolate desserts and from Karina's Flourless Chocolate Cake recipe. Thank you Goddess! I am really excited to try this ... if there is any left after the birthday folks devour their share :) Karina, I hope you are doing better. I know you can't have this recipe with the eggs and probably not even the vegan butter (?) :(

Since I was always one of those kids who failed the basic "read and follow directions" quizzes, I decided to alter Karina's basic recipe to be lower carb. I omitted the organic cane sugar entirely and substituted Stevia, unsweetened pineapple juice, a tad of organic brown sugar for texture, and cinnamon instead. I'll tell you that the batter is fantastic, so I think it will be sweet enough.* I also decided to lump in extra espresso grinds as I blended the batter since fresh espresso grinds can't possibly make it worse. Can't possibly, no way jose.

*This cake is absolutely delicious - it has a rich, fudge-like consistency and deep dark chocolate taste. I will definitely be making this again - possibly for our wedding.

Chocolate Espresso Heaven by the Slice
1 12 oz bag Sunspire unsweetened dark chocolate chips (or your favorite dark chocolate bar)*
1/4 c. hot fresh espresso **
~1 T. fresh espresso grinds (optional, but man its good)
1 T. organic vanilla***
1 T. cinnamon
4 heaping T of unsweetened baking cocoa powder
1/4 c. (powdered) Stevia
1 T. organic brown sugar
1/4 c. unsweetened pineapple juice
6 free range organic eggs, room temperature
2 sticks Earth Balance Vegan light butter, room temperature (I know that's a lot, but it makes the consistency for a flourless cake. See the bottom for a butterless variation.

My first remark is that I used the Vita-Mix for the whole grinding and mixing process. You can use a food processor or your blender if you prefer. The Vitamix made the preparation very fast and fun. I love to watch it go!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and coat either two cake pans or preferably a large springform pan with nonstick spray. First, add the Stevia, brown sugar, cinnamon, espresso grinds, and chocolate chips to the Vitamix. I did this as I made my second double shot of espresso so I just so happened to have extra grinds to add. It is not as if I used the cake as an excuse to make more espresso, nor as if I used the espresso as an excuse to make the cake - nope. In fact, if you believe that, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell .. call me. Anyway, grind the chips and dry ingredients up for about 10-15 seconds as shown below. I did this for a very sort time since I wanted to preserve a few whole chips for the cake.

grinding the chocolate chips

Add the pineapple juice and hot espresso. Blend for ~5 seconds until creamy. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla, eggs, and vegan butter. You may wish to scrape off the sides with a spatula before you start blending again to make sure no dry powder is stuck. I just cracked the eggs and poured everything right into the Vitamix as shown below, but if you're not using the Vitamix, beware. The Vitamix has a very large container ( ~8 c.) which makes it perfect for batters like this, smoothies, and soups. However, your blender or food processor may not be this large so be careful not to overflow it.

all batter in the Vitamix, ready to rock n' roll

Replace the lid and mix on variable medium-high for about 30 to 45 seconds until smooth. Again, you may need to use the spatula (or the Vitamix damper) to scrape the sides as you go.

Pour the batter into the greased springform or two cake pans. I made the mistake of only using 1 cake pan and it almost overflowed. We had some tense moments baking, having to quickly slide a cookie sheet under the cake pan to prepare for an overflow. After all, it didn't overflow - thank goodness! If it had, I probably would have been a moron and tried to lick the bottom of the oven after it cooled since it smelled so good :)

I said pour and scrape out the batter Jon, not eat it!

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes (for 1 cake pan). You will need to shorten the time for 2 pans - I estimate about 30 minutes or so. Bake until the middle is set and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside to completely cool - hands off (that's a reminder for me). Once cooled, cover and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours or longer so it is nice and firm, thick, and deliciously lip-smacking chewy (think fudge texture but better). My cake edges fell a little but it isn't a problem. Karina recommends pressing the cake gently with the spatula to even out the surface after cooling, but I am too lazy for that so, as I like to say, to each his his/her own. Serve cooled with obnoxious birthday hats :) The hats are optional. I wonder if Burger King still gives out paper crowns for birthday kids?

GF DF Chocolate Cake

No butter flourless dark chocolate espresso cake:
The butter recipe is the exact same, minus the butter. I made a tiny single serving of the batter without the vegan butter as an experiment. It baked for about 12 minutes. Omitting the butter does change the consistency by a fair amount. This variation is sticky and reminiscent of very moist fudge, but still tastes phenomenal. I think both recipes make delicious desserts and I am going to make both again.

No butter GF DF chocolate cake

Rants/ Sidenotes:
* These are gluten and dairy free, but always read the ingredients anyways

** I used freshly ground Newman's Own French Roast beans. They are organic, free trade and shade grown (and on sale at Harris Teeter, yay!)

*** Watch for sales on the fancy organic spices and extracts. We found this organic fair trade vanilla on sale and with a coupon at our local co-op. Getting fair trade spices, herbs, and extracts is important if you can manage it. Supporting the local farmers is vital since usually large haciendas or companies take over the market and either under pay and overwork, or put the locals out of business. Also, the quality of more local fair trade products is better in my experience. Judge for yourself, but just so you know. I might do a post on fair trade issues later.

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.