Detox Winter Detox: Light, Fluffy, Coconut Flour Pancake, Paleo, Vegetarian

I love a pancake but it's something I have not eaten for years.  This recipe is for a version made with coconut flour but you could use millet flour instead but would need more flour. This coconut version is lovely and light and fluffy.

You Need

1/4 Cup Coconut Flour

1/8 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda

Pinch of salt

2 teaspoons of avocado oil

3 eggs

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

Butter/Avocado oil for cooking

Method

• Whip the eggs and avocado oil together.  Don't over whip.
• Add the coconut milk and vanilla extract (Use the coconut milk that comes in sachets, it's nicer than the tinned version)
• Add the coconut flour (best to sieve it first) and bicarb.  
• Leave to stand for five minutes then add the pinch of salt and stir again.
• Heat a little avocado oil and butter in a pan.  I had my hob at mark 6.
• Add a ladle of the mixture to the centre of the pan.  You may need to gently spread it with a fork.
• You won't see many bubbles rising so keep checking the bottom by lifting the sides.  When it's golden brown on the bottom, flip with a spatula.
• Eat straight away.

Serving Ideas

I made a little ginger jam.  It's really easy.  I have a tiny food processor (from Morissons).  Four Medjool dates, 2 tablespoons of pure water, grated fresh ginger.  I used about an inch of ginger which I grated on a fine grater and then squeezed the juice into the dates.  It does not matter if you get a bit of the fibre in too.  Process until smooth and then put on top of your pancakes with a little coconut cream and enjoy.

You could also top your pancakes with the avocado chocolate mousse.  To ring the changes you could:

Add some ginger juice
Add toasted hazelnuts for your own healthy version of the well known chocolate spread
Add a couple of sprigs of mint for choc mint
Add some orange extract for chocolate orange.

"Rice" Pudding: Quick, Easy, Tasty, Filling and Good For Your Gut!

This is a really quick and easy recipe.  It tastes great and as it is made with Konjac "rice" it's a great source of nutrition for the good bacteria in your gut.

You Will Need

1 Pack Miracle Konjac "Rice" (approx 250g)
2 Large Eggs
2 Dates
1 200ml Pack  of Coconut Milk
1/4 teaspoon of Pure Vanilla Extract

Method

Drain the Miracle Rice, put in a collander and rinse in clean water.  Leave to drain.  The dryer the Miracle Rice the better.  Put the eggs, coconut milk, dates and vanilla in a blender (I used my Nutribullet) and blend.  Put the Miracle Rice in an oven proof dish and pour over the liquid mixture.  You will need to keep an eye on it as it will brown very quickly.  I baked at 150 for 45 minutes and stirred it through half way through. Make it nice and brown on the top for extra flavour.

This pudding is super filling.  I loved the taste.  Not crazy about the texture of the rice but since my gut will love it, I can get used to it.

Detox Winter Detoxers Are You Missing Porridge?

The Detox Winter Detox Porridge

There is nothing like a hot breakfast on a cold wintery morning to warm you up.  Porridge has long been a staple winter breakfast in the UK for aeons.  This version is just as easy and quick as standard porridge. It's full of fibre and packed with vitamins and minerals.  Your gut will love it and so will you. To make two small servings or one large.

You Need

1/2 cup of Millet Flakes 
2 tablespoons of ground almonds
1 tablespoon of desiccated coconut
1 cup of pure water
1/2 cup coconut milk
A pinch of salt
Toasted Hazelnuts and left over chocolate mousse from yesterday

Method

Add millet flakes, ground almonds, desiccated coconut, water, coconut milk, salt to your pan and heat on a medium setting.  Don't leave it as it catches easily.  Stir the mixture until it starts to get thick then remove from the heat and continue to stir.  I like my porridge quite thick so you may need to add a little more water for a thinner consistency.

Top with a teaspoon of leftover choccy mousse and a teaspoon of toasted hazelnuts.

Enoy!

The Detox Winter Detox - A Healthy Nutritious Chocolatey Treat! Vegan Avocado Chocolate Mousse.

We all like a sweet treat.  Well at least I know I do.  This is a super simple recipe that you can adjust to suit your own taste buds and it only contains avocado, coconut cream, dates, a dash of coconut milk and raw cacao.

What's the difference between cacao and cocoa?  Cacao is raw natural chocolate and it's packed with vitamins and minerals.  Cocoa on the other hand has been stripped of all it's nutrients.


You Will Need

Medjool Dates
Raw Cacao Powder
Coconut Cream
Coconut Milk
2 Ripe Avocados 

Method

Scoop the flesh out of the avocados. Chop four dates.  Put the avocados, chopped dates, 2 tablespoons of coconut cream, a splash of coconut milk and two tablespoons of the cacao powder into a blender and blitz until smooth and the dates are combined.  Taste it.  If it's not chocolatey enough then add another tablespoon of cacao.  Too dark chocolate tasting for your tastes, add another tablespoon of coconut cream.  Not sweet enough, add another date.  

When you get the taste you like, put the mousse into four small serving dishes (you could use small glasses) and chill in the fridge for an hour.  I put about half the mixture into my bowl and to be fair it was too much.  I sprinkled bee pollen on top to add extra nutrients and a little dash of sweetness.  You could sprinkle toasted hazelnuts or flaked almonds instead.

I hold my hands up!  I had intended to add a little pure vanilla extract but completely forgot.  You might like to try adding some but go easy and add a very small amount at a time.  Make sure, when you buy vanilla extract that it states it's from vanilla pods.  You don't want to be getting the stuff that's made from a secretion from beaver's butts!

The Detox Winter Detox - Super Cheesy Vegan Kale Chips

I love kale chips!  They taste so naughty.  Normally I would make them with cashew nuts but for The Detox Winter Detox I've switched to macadamias and they work just as well.

The kale will take a lot of flavour and seasoning so keep tasting the "sauce" until it's right for you.

Ingredients

• 1 cup macadamia nuts

• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast

• 4 tablespoons olive oil

• squeeze lemon juice

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup water to get the right consistency - it wants to be like cheese sauce: thick and creamy
• 1 bag of ready shredded kale (wash it well but dry it even better)

Seasonings

• 1 tsp Himalayan or good quality natural sea salt

• 1 tsp onion salt

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp hot smoked paprika (leave this out if you are doing The Detox Winter Detox)
• If you are not doing the detox you can also add a little chilli powder to taste

Instructions

Wash your kale and remove all the thick stems.  Make sure you dry the kale well as it will take much longer if its wet.

Toss all the other ingredients (not the kale) into a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.  Add water, a little at a time, until you get the consistency of a cheese sauce. 

If you like strong flavours feel free to amp up the seasonings as the flavour will get diluted once the mix is on the kale. 

Put the kale in a large bowl and pour on the sauce.  Mix it with your hands to make sure all the kale is well covered.  If you have a dehydrator use that otherwise spread the cheesy kale in a thin layer on baking parchment and bake in a low oven checking it regularly.  When the kale is dry on top, turn it over and bake the other side.  It's ready when it's dry and crunchy.  It takes a while to dry out but it's worth the effort. 

I also sometimes make a Wasabi version using Clearspring Wasabi powder, the macadamias, olive oil and water.  It does however take a lot of wasabi to get any heat.

This is a recipe I have made many times but I have not made any recently so apologise there is no picture.

The Detox Winter Detox - Yummy Millet and Veg Burgers

Although the Detox Winter Detox includes meat for the carnivores, everyone can benefit from having more plant based meals.  I've put this millet burger together today so hope you like it.  The burgers are soft but they held together well in the pan.  You can fry them or bake them in the oven.  They freeze really well and this recipe made 8 decent sized patties.

1 cup of millet
1 medium sweet potato grated
1 large organic carrot - grated
1 small onion chopped finely
2 cloves of garlic chopped (add more if you love garlic)
2 large chestnut mushrooms finely chopped
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon pine nuts
4 large kalettes chopped (you can just use finely chopped kale but the kalettes are more tender - you can substitute any green such as flat leaf parsley, spinach, chopped brocolli etc)
2 tablespoons coconut flour
1 tablespoon of tahini
Salt & Pepper

Add the millet to a pan of boiling water and place the grated sweet potato and carrot in a colander and put over the millet with a lid on. Bring to the boil then simmer for ten minutes approximately.

Add some extra virgin coconut oil to a frying pan, melt and then add the spices, onion, garlic, mushroom and cook gently, stirring often, until the onions are soft then take off the heat. 

Drain the millet and then add all the ingredients to a large bowl and mix thoroughly.  Add i teaspoon of salt and a few twists of pepper.  At this stage I added two of my stock ice cubes (just celery, carrot, spices, small onion, bouquet garni - cook until soft, boil until liquid reduces and then blitz the lot.  I then put it into ice cube trays and freeze).  Leave the mixture to cool.  Dust a cutting board with coconut flour and then form handfuls of the mixture into patties.  Bake in the oven or heat in a frying pan until they are browned on both sides.

I had two burgers on a bed of watercress, spinach and rocket with garlic mushrooms.  Enjoy :-}

PS I have been experimenting with making coconut flour flatbreads but have yet to create the perfect example.  I will crack on as I think they would be nice with these burgers.  There's a job for the weekend for me.

Easy Peasy, Foolproof, Delicious Vegetarian/Vegan "Bread" From The Detox Winter Detox

This bread is beyond easy and, it seems, almost impossible to spoil.  It's wheat, corn, dairy, egg free and very low in lectins.  I created this recipe for Phase 2 of The Detox Winter Detox which you can download from my Facebook page.  This bread could deliver Poophoria!*

You Will Need:

Almond Flakes
Flax Seeds
Hazelnuts
Hemp Seeds
Millet Flakes (available from health food stores)
Coconut flour
Dessicated Coconut
Psyllium Husk
Fine grain sea or Himalayan salt
Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

Recipe

1 cup of almond flakes (crunched up a bit)
1/2 cup of flax seeds
1/2 cup of hazelnuts
1.5 cups of millet flakes
1 tablespoon of hemp seeds (can leave out but they give a nice crunch)
1 table spoon of coconut flour
1 tablespoon of dessicated coconut (to reduce ingredients you could use two tablespoons of either dessicated coconut or coconut flour - it works either way)
4 tablespoons of psyllium husk powder
1 teaspoon of fine grain salt
4 tablespoons of extra virgin coconut oil
1.5 cups of warm water (you may need to use a little more)

Method

Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl and give them a good stir.

Melt the Extra Virgin Coconut oil by standing the jar in warm water for a few minutes.  Add the oil to your warm water and whisk then add slowly to the dry ingredients (keep giving the oil and water mix a whisk so you get the oil distributed evenly).  I find mixing the dough with my hands works best.  You want the dough to all come together in a ball and be firm but not too stiff.   You can add a little extra water but you don't want it too wet as it will take longer to cook.  Put the dough into a bread tin (I used a silicon tin last time but bought a metal one and it works well) cover with a clean tea towel and leave to stand for a minimum of two hours but ideally overnight.

Preheat your oven to 350F/175C.  Place the loaf on the middle rack and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the bread from the loaf pan and put it upside down directly onto the rack and bake for a further 40 minutes.  Baking times will vary between ovens.  The best way to tell if it is ready is to tap both the top and the bottom.  When it's cooked it will sound hollow on both sides.

Allow the bread to cool on a rack completely.  It is important not to slice the bread before it is cool.  It tends to sink in the middle if you do.  Store in an air tight tin and it will be good for up to five days.

Enjoy!  The bread freezes well (slice it first, freeze then toast from frozen when you want it).  It is delicious spread with butter, extra virgin coconut oil, hummus, squashed avocado  and the perfect accompaniment to soup.

You can change the recipe around to use what ever is cheapest when you buy the ingredients, just make sure you keep the ratios the same.  I made another version and it was just as nice:

1.5 cups of millet flakes
1/2 cup hemp seeds
1/2 cup flax seeds
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup whole hazelnuts
2 tablespoons dessicated coconut
and the rest is the same as the previous version

*Poophoria!

This bread may deliver Poophoria! A feeling described by researchers who discovered that a large poo stimulates the vagus nerve leading to a sensation, for some people, akin to a mini orgasm! 

It will most definitely produce bigger, easy to pass stools with reduced wiping owing to the combination of soluble and insoluble fibres.  Your gut will love it!  And, hopefully, so will you.