Category: Recipes

That Dark Chocolate Brownie

This is so far my favorite brownie recipe! Even the skeptics to paleo or gluten free recipes don’t believe the recipe is this simple and healthy, and often they ask me for THAT brownie recipe, so here is goes:

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of sweet potato (cooked)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1 cup of cocoa powder
  • 1/2 to 1 cup of xylitol
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 2 tsp baking powder (aluminum free preferably)
  • Sea salt or walnut (optional)

 

Pre heat the oven to 350F

Mix all ingredients together (except salt or walnuts) in a food processor until the dough is smooth.

If you like, add walnut pieces to the dough and mix gently.

Grease a square baking tray or oven proof dish with coconut oil, and add the dough.  You can sprinkle the dough in the tray with course sea salt if you like. The dish need to accommodate the dough to leave it about 1 1/2 inch tall, since the dough will not grow much.

Bake for aprox 35 min depending on the oven.

When done, remove from oven, let it cool and cut in squares.

You can use any kind of sweet potato, the Japanese type is my favorite, play around and see what is yours! Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Bread for Gut Health?

So far this is the healthiest and most yummy bread recipe that I have tried, not to mention that is very easy to make.

I came across this through Dr Berg’s website, full of insightful information about health, worthy to check it out as well.

Besides it’s nutritional value and ingredients that do not trigger inflammation such as gluten in common bread, the chia seeds and psyllium fiber keep your bowels moving. While most of people can be prone to bloating and constipation with conventional bread, this recipe is gentle to your gut, which is particularly good for people like me dealing with hypothyroidism/Hashimoto’s disease, that have a tendency to a slow digestion and constipation.

Here is how to make it:

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 1 cup arrowroot flour
  • 1/3 cup coconut flour
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 2 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1 ½ tbsp very finely ground chia seed
  • 2 tbsp organic psyllium husk powder
  • 1 ¼ cup filtered water
  • 2 tsp maple syrup 
  • 1 egg
Heat the water until lukewarm ( not too hot, no too cold, so it can activate the yeast without killing it). Ass the maple syrup and stir, then add the yeast and let it stand for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile mix all the 3 flours and sea salt in a large bowl.
After 10 minutes, the yeast mixture should have a foam layer on the top, if not, it didn’t work, so start all over again.
Add to the ground chia and psyllium powder to the yeast mixture, let it stand for 1 minute to thicken and mix well.
Add the chia mixture to the flour and mix well, knead for a minute.
Let the dough rest in a bowl covered by a damp cloth in  a warm place for about one hour.
Pre heat the oven to 425oF/215oC
Split the dough in two balls, shape it into round shapes with wet hands, brush with the egg and cut a criss-cross patter on top if desired.
Place the dough into a oven stone or tray covered by parchment paper, bake for average of 45 minutes (internal temperature should be around 210oF/100oC).
Let it cool on a rack, otherwise the interior will be gummy.
 Let it cool completely on a wire rack. (Not allowing the loaf to fully cool before cutting may result in a gummy interior.) When completely cooled, slice and serve or store in an airtight container. To re-crisp crust, toast or reheat at 375 °F for 5-10 minutes.
This paleo bread recipe has more fiber and lower glycemic index that most breads. If you have gut issues, this recipe is unlikely to cause inflammation and aggravate leaky gut, at the same time the fiber content feeds the good bacteria in your gut. No, it does not substitute of veggies for such thing, but allow you to enjoy some bread guilty free!
Enjoy!

Turkey Stuffed Pepper

Easy and convenient, this recipe is packed with protein and micronutrients, fitting well paleo, keto and low carb diet styles.

Ingredients:

  • 2 organic red pepper
  • 1 lb of ground turkey
  • 1 onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tbsp of ground paprika
  • 1/2 cup kalamata olives
  • 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 cups of grated carrots
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp Avocado or coconut oil

Pre-heat over at 420oF. Wash the peppers and cut each in half, removing the seeds and placing in a oven proof dish greased with coconut oil. With a brush, cover each pepper half with a bit of coconut oil inside and out. Take to the oven for about 20 minutes.

While the peppers are roasting, add the remaining avocado or coconut oil to a pan, and take it to the medium heat. Chop the onion and add to the pan, stir a bit until soften. Add all the remaining ingredients, mix well and cook for about 10 – 15 min until meat is fully cooked. Remove from heat.

Remove peppers from oven, and fill each one with the cooked meat. You may add Ginger & Avocado Dressing on the top, of some goat cheese to vary.  It goes well with a side of saute kale or spinach, enjoy!

 

 

Ginger & Turmeric Avocado Dressing

Ginger & turmeric are well known as two potent anti-inflammatory bombs, which fits so well the fall and winter approaching, with the increase of colds & flu cases.

Since being healthy is a combination of steps and choices you do on daily basis, so including healthy food options with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties like ginger and turmeric, adds on to keep your health at its best through the winter.

This recipe is easy, made by mixing all ingredients below together in a mixer:

  • 1 avocado
  • 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/8 cup water
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1/2 – 1 tsp fresh ginger (grated)
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Adjust to your taste with more or less ginger, salt & pepper, and you can also make it more dense or fluid by adding more or less water.

This dressing goes well not just on salads, but hot dishes too, or as a dip. Enjoy and let’s keep healthy!

 

Paleo Zucchini Bread

Another fall recipe you don’t wanna miss is this zucchini bread! Fall has the best comfort food recipe ideas in my opinion, and most of them are quite flexible too, in case in you  like  to play with ingredients like I do.

Although this recipe is paleo, it’s not low carb, but can be. If you prefer less sugar, just use 1/4 cup of xylitol instead of honey and ta da! You have now a low carb recipe.

  • 1 1/2 cup of almond flour
  • 1/4 cup of honey or maple syrup (or xylitol for low carb version)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 tsp ground all spice
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 pinch of sea salt
  • 1 cup of grated zucchini
  • Optional: vanilla extract, cardamon, walnuts

Pre heat oven to 350F/180C. Mix all together, except the zucchini (and walnuts if you choose so), in a blender. Add the zucchini and mix gently, stirring with a spoon. If you choose to add walnuts (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup), add them at the end with the grated zucchini and stir gently. Drop the dough in a loaf tin greased with coconut oil or covered with parchment paper. Bake for approximately 1 hour, let it cool for  a bit and enjoy!

Banana Bread, Simple & Healthy

We just entered fall and the subtle lower temperature calls me for recipes like this: simple, fulfilling, comforting and packet with nutrients.

Ingredients:

  • 3 bananas
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup of oats
  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
  • Coconut oil to grease
  • Optional: ground cinnamon, honey, dark chocolate chips.

Pre heat oven to 350F / 180C. Mix all ingredients together in  food processor, until the batter is smooth. Grease a loaf tin or small oven proof dish with coconut oil, or cover with parchment paper. Drop the batter into the greased/covered tin and bake for approximately 35 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy!

You can play around with this recipe. If the bananas are not too ripe, you may add some honey, maple syrup or xylitol to sweeten the recipe to taste. You may add dark chocolate chips to the dough, or just cover the batter already in the oven tin with a bit of honey and cinnamon to make a crust.