Gluten-Free Bread and Healing Benefits of Coconut

Over the past few years, I've come to realize that coconut is a superfood! Coconut is amazing in nearly any form. You can use it in nearly every type of food preparation imaginable, including baking, as a skin and hair moisturizer, oral rinse, anti fungal, etc. In recent years, many different coconut products have emerged on the market with the presence of a grass roots nutrition campaign demanding real foods in our grocery stores! At your local Whole Foods they now carry coconut: cream, flakes, flour, ice cream, milk, oil, and sugar. All of our Greenville health food stores carry at least some of the coconut products! 

Coconut is rich in medium chain triglycerides, which is a type of fuel for the body that can be used immediately. Coconut is also low in carbohydrates and glycemic index making it accessible to those on a candida, diabetic, gluten-free or low-carb diet. Coconut also contains a plethora of minerals and vitamins. Eating healthy sources of fat from plant and animal sources helps the body to function properly, and aids especially in the function of the brain. Your brain controls the functions of the body and even your emotions. The health of your body is partly a reflection of the health of your mind! 


According to 40+years of nutrition research, eating a diet rich in anti-inflammatory fat may be one of the pinnacles to being happy, healthy, and lean. Consuming a diet rich in fat, low in carbohydrate and moderate in animal protein helps to nourish the body and mind, as well as balance the body's blood sugar. When the body's blood sugar is high or low, you can experience many types of suffering, including: insomnia, weight gain, fatigue, nausea, headache, depression, and many other conditions.  For balanced moods and blood sugar eat fat throughout the day! Enjoy sources of fat that are anti-inflammatory, for example: coconut, 100% grass-fed butter, avocado, nuts, seeds, non-fried  and minimally processed animal products, etc. 

Gluten-Free Bread
Candida Diet, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, Nut-Free, Paleo, Primal

This recipe is a delicious alternative when you need to stay away from standard bread products and is one of the few bread options that actually fits on a low-carb diet! Yes, it does have a mild coconut flavor... but guilt-free sandwiches with homemade chicken salad and romaine lettuce is worth it for me. Hope you enjoy! :-) 

Ingredients:
8 pasture-raised eggs
1/2 c. melted coconut oil or grass fed butter
3/4 c. coconut flour**
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
fresh ground black pepper to taste (optional) or your favorite ground spices


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease two small bread pans with coconut oil. 
2. Whisk eggs in mixing bowl, then add in all remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.
3. Divide the batter into the two baking dishes and smooth the tops with a spoon.
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through and cracked on top. Refrigerate once cooled in an air-tight container. 

*Photo and recipe by Keri Rogers. 
**Coconut flour is available at your local health food store.

Keri is an internationally Registered Yoga Teacher, Creator of Yoga Props, and Nutrition/Wellness Educator.  She owns and operates BAYA Wellness, LLC offering Yoga and Nutrition Education Services.  Keri teachers both privately and publicly around the Greenville area offering on-going classes and special events.  Her path as a nutritionist is all about making healthy living approachable... she teaches the components of healthy cooking, eating, and thinking while also offering specialized services like menu planning.  Healthy living is about the whole pictures of wellness... find your path to living well.

BAYA... Be As You Are!Contact for details: Website  BAYAWellness@gmail.com or 864-430-1275

Salmon, Goat Cheese, and Dill Pizza

Recipe yields 8 small
slices.  Double it for a
family of four.  

Pizza is one of those foods that no matter how healthy my diet is on a day-to-day basis... I still crave it once and awhile!  This recipes features coconut flour which is a versatile flour and can be used to prepare a variety of dishes (even as a thickener in soups).  Coconut flour is very mild and surprisingly you don't even taste it!  It has a low glycemic index and doesn't raise your blood sugar as fast as normal or whole grain flour.  


The texture of the crust is really lovely and it's actually stable enough to pick up and eat. Don't let the number of steps fool you this recipe is quick and easy to prepare.   Hope you enjoy it as much as we did! :-)  

Grain-Free, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Paleo, Low-carb

We used fresh dill and
cucumber from the garden.
Fresh local foods are
highest in nutrient value
and enzymes.  

Ingredients:

Coconut Flour Crust:

1/2 c. coconut flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. himalayan pink sea salt

1/2 tsp. salt free herb blend

dash smoked paprika
3 pasture-raised eggs
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 c. coconut milk

Toppings:
1 lb. wild-caught salmon
2 small pieces bacon
1 small cucumber, sliced in half lengthwise and cut into half-moons
1 lemon wedge
1/2 tsp fresh dill
2 oz. goat cheese, crumbled 
extra virgin olive oil
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Season salmon with salt and pepper and place in a baking dish.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Place strips of bacon in a separate baking dish and bake until reaches desired done-ness.  

Cooked dough.  I was skeptical
when I put it in the oven but it
turned out great!    

2.  Meanwhile, in a bowl add coconut flour, baking soda, sea salt, herb blend, and smoked paprika.  Stir with a fork to remove any clumps and combine.  In a separate bowl,  whisk together eggs, garlic, and coconut milk until smooth.  Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and stir until mixed well.  
3.  Remove salmon and bacon from oven and set aside. Turn the temperature of the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  
4.  Place a piece of parchment paper over pizza pan and brush with olive oil.  Spoon the dough onto the pan and use hands to spread evenly into a circle.  
5.  Bake dough for 20 minutes.  
6.  While dough is baking, place cucumbers and dill in a small bowl.  Squeeze lemon on top and set aside to marinate.  On a cutting board, break salmon apart into small chunks and thinly slice the bacon.

Delicious!

7.  When crust is finished baking remove from oven, flip over and peel off parchment paper.  Brush lightly with olive oil.  Turn the oven to Broil.  Cover the pizza with salmon, bacon, and goat cheese and bake for 3-4 minutes or until cheese melts.  
8.  Remove from oven cover with marinated cumbers, ground black pepper over top,  slice and serve immediately.  

*Recipe and photos by Keri Rogers.  

Keri is an internationally Registered Yoga Teacher, Culinary Nutritionist, and Wellness Educator.  She owns and operates BAYA Wellness, LLC offering Yoga and Nutrition Services and Products.  Keri teachers both privately and publicly around the Greenville area offering on-going classes and special events.  Her path as a nutritionist is all about making healthy living approachable... she teaches the components of healthy cooking, eating, and thinking while also offering specialized services like menu planning.  Healthy living is about the whole pictures of wellness... find your path to living well.

BAYA... Be As You Are!
Contact me for details: Website or BAYAWellness@gmail.com