Coconut free baked goods recipe round up

This coconut free baked goods recipe round up was inspired by a brave 12 yrs old girl with IBD, she has make amazing recoveries using food as "medicine" with the support of her solid family. She has been on a special diet that doesn't include coconut. Now she wants to learn how to make coconut free baked goods to bring to school.

Since I am not a baker, I called on my trusted AIP bloggers friends with our new AIP community ( (logo) signaled in the clouds for this coconut free recipe round up and their creations flood in.

Coconut is an ingredient often used when adapting to a grain free diet. When I first started following the Paleo way of eating, I was excited learn how to bake with coconut flour.

I love coconut anything. 

I learned that it uses a lot of eggs and makes a heavy product. It was a way to help me transition into the new lifestyle and fill the baked goods void. Now, I seldom make baked goods even with AIP recipes because they tend to trigger my desire for sweets so I have really eliminated them.

I still include coconut oil and milk in my diet.

But not everyone can tolerate coconut, as I talk to more people trying to heal their bodies with food, I learn that many people have to navigate their way through a grain free and sometime nut free diet in search for compliant baked goods. If you are one of these people, here is the coconut free baked good recipe round up for you. Thank you to all my blogger pals for chipping in.  Next time you are feeling challenged with your seemingly limited healing diet, watch for the AIP community signal in the sky.

https://www.pinterest.com/erinatjourney/coconut-free-aip/
http://enjoyingthisjourney.com/aip-brownies/
 http://enjoyingthisjourney.com/tigernut-raisin-cookies/
http://www.provincialpaleo.com/baked-breakfast-casserole-with-apples-raisins-baked-oatmeal-substitute/?hc_location=ufi
http://www.provincialpaleo.com/savoury_biscuit/
http://asquirrelinthekitchen.com/aip-paleo-crispy-cinnamon-thin-cookies-coconut-free/?hc_location=ufi
http://www.beyondthebite4life.com/2015/03/paleo-triple-threat-chocolate-cake-egg-nut-coconut-free.html
http://www.beyondthebite4life.com/2015/02/paleo-tigernut-chocolate-chips-cookies-egg-nut-dairy-coconut-free-a-giveaway.html

Tea time for Spring - Nettle Carob Ginger tea

I can feel Spring in the air because some days my eyes are getting watery and my nose is getting itchy. 

Since being on AIP,  I have found my seasonal allergy symptoms have diminished a lot but I still get them in milder forms, using the Neti pot twice a day also helps improve my symptoms. As I continue to research and learn how to support my body's healing in a holistic manner, I found that my trusted nettle tea, which I was drinking to keep my iron in check and for its anti-inflammatory properties, can help with seasonal allergies, too. Read more about Stinging Nettle health benefits here.  

This tasty tea recipe combines the smoothness of nettle, and brings out a subtle sweetness from the carob. The ginger seems to tie everything together and make it a nice cuppa to wake up with or enjoy as a soothing beverage at the end of the day.  I hope you like it and let me know if it helps your seasonal allergies. 

Nettle Carob Ginger tea

>This blog post contains affiliate links. Click here to learn more what it means. 

Serves 1        Prep time 5 mins        Brew time 10 mins

Ingredients

• 1" ginger root, peeled and thinly slices
• 1 tbsp dried nettle leaves
• 1 tsp unsweetened carob powder
• 1 tsp coconut oil 
• Optional sweetener: 1 date or 1 tsp maple syrup or 1 tsp molasses ( great source of iron) 

Instructions

1. Prepare ginger tea 
2. Use ginger tea to brew nettle leaves for 5- 10 mins
3. Strain nettle and add carob powder, for best result and especially if adding coconut oil,  blend with hand blender until all ingredients are mixed well.
4. sweeten with maple syrup if desire 

High Speed Blender instructions

1. Put ginger slices and hot water into blender like (affiliate link ) Vitamix
2. Blend until ginger is all pulverized
3. Pour ginger tea into contain with nettle leaves
4. Let sit 10 mins
5. Strain out ginger and nettle and pour back into blender
6. Add coconut oil and (optional) date
7. Blend until date is pulverized 

Pour and enjoy. 

Not just another salad round up

I recently went on a road trip with the family. There is always a bit of anxiety for AIPers especially IBDers when traveling as we are away of our comfort zone - our kitchen.

Even when we are not in a flare, unknown ingredients in prepared "eating out" food can trigger symptoms.

I wasn't feeling that great as we left, but I no longer let the " not feeling perfect"  prevent me from enjoying time with my family.

I did my research for where to eat in the city and quickly honed the art of ordering out on AIP. I ended up eating a lot of salads with oil and vinegar and a piece of simply cooked protein.

I made a few trips to Wholefood and gathered my supplies to make my salads in the hotel. Having a fridge in your room is so important and pack some canned fish or smoked oysters as your just in case protein.

Since our returned I realized I have become hooked on these wonderful salad. The extra fiber ( which can irritate an inflamed gut of an IBDer ) didn't bother me as it has before. I credit it to my body has become stronger and my gut has continued to heal nicely. I am now eating 2-3 full meals of salad with protein and my family seem to be catching on too.

I decided to jot down a few notes on how one can make a salad meal exciting.

Protein

• Batch bake chicken breast and freeze. Defrost and eat as needed. I have been batch baking chicken breast ( about 8- 10 lbs a week for the whole family) 
• Seafood - fresh, seared, baked or canned are convenience.

Keep your greens fresh

• learn how to store your greens to keep them fresh longer here  and here

Very your oils/ fat

• Coconut milk, coconut oil, Extra virgin oliver oil, avocado oil.

Add a splash of cold bone broth for more flavor

Eat your rainbow, as the Sesame Street gang says,  make your salad as colorful as possible, here is just a sample of your palate;  red beets, orange carrots, yellow mango, Green Kale, light green cucumbers, blueberries, purple cabbage.

Try new herbs and vegetables - my favorites are radicchio, endives and watercress.

I love playing around with my salad dressings but here is one of my favorite recipe at the moment

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c full fat organic coconut milk
• 1/4 c Kombucha Vinegar  or Apple Cider Vinegar 
• 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 c finely chopped or minced herbs of your choice or add equivalent whole herbs to a blender
• These are the herbs I have been using
• 2 stalks of garlic greens ( LowFODMAP) or 1 clove minced garlic
• 1/2 tbsp minced parsley
• 1/2 tbsp minced cilantro
• optional 1/2 tsp bone broth

Instructions:

        Add all ingredients to blender and blend until your preferred consistency



Need more ideas? Here are a couple salad links from some AIP bloggers, Thanks Sweet Treats and Petra8paleo

Grapefruit avocado kale salad by Sweet Treats
Mason jar salad dressing by Petra8paleo

 And if you haven't read my review of Meatified latest cookbook Nourish, you should check out her sneak peek Preview recipe of another awesome salad here.

So next time you think having a salad as a meal is boring... think again and refer to these recipes. Your body and your mind will thank you.

Nourish book review and Preview recipe

>This blog post contains affiliate links. Click here to learn more what it means. 

I am so excited to be reviewing Meatified's latest book,  Nourish - the Paleo healing cookbook.

The perfectly chosen title of this book, "Nourish" by Rachael aka. Meatified shows us healing with food is a tasty and exciting road. Rachael includes the 411 of Paleo Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) which makes this book great for someone starting the journey or for a seasoned AIPer looking for more recipe ideas to add to their meal planning.

I love the Make a menu section as it lays "themed sample menus" like "Indian feast" and "BBQ & Fixins" for your next party planning. You can think less and cook more with the menus all planned out for you.

Sardines

I still remember when my dad introduced me to canned sardines, I was fascinated by how many fish can be packed into a small tin can. The ones I first tried were in a tomato sauce and it was love at first bite. I think what really sold me was when dad told me, " you can eat the bones."

When I received Nourish (affiliate link ) http://amzn.to/1E5Xizi I was warmed  to see there is a recipe that fits in my current salad kick with my childhood favorite fishies. All these years, I have been eating sardines cold, it wasn't until last year that I learned how to pan fry or broil them to give these convenient and nutrient dense fish bites a different appeal.  The key to enjoying sardines is to pair is with a nice tart dressing. Rachael uses tartness of lime juice and peppery arugula to make this salad a satisfying and flavorful meal. If you are still hesitant about sardines, maybe you should try it and see for yourself.

Preview recipe.

Pan-Fried Sardines

with Lime, Cilantro and Mint

Sardines get a bad rap – they seem so much more intimidating compared to mild canned fish like tuna. But don’t be scared! Remember, fat is flavor! While sardines might seem a little “fishier” than you’re used to, they are nowhere near as strong-tasting as you might think. In fact, they’re beautifully rich and “meaty” tasting and one of my favorite convenience foods these days! It’s so easy to fancy up a can of good-quality fish in just a few minutes and nothing says nutrient-dense like these delicious whole little fishies. Pop open a can and top off your daily omega-3s with ease! This recipe counters the richness of the fish with plenty of lime juice and fresh herbs, making a tasty warm salad that pairs perfectly with peppery arugula.

Serves 4

2 limes

1 tbsp (15 ml) coconut or avocado oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 (3.75 [106 g]) cans of Brisling sardines in olive oil, drained

¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

¼ cup (10 g) fresh mint leaves, chopped

1 ½ tbsp. (14 g) salted capers

4 cups (100 g) arugula

½ oz (15 g) crushed pork rinds

WARM: Zest and juice the limes, reserving both the zest and the juice for later. Heat the oil in a skillet over low-medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until softened and fragrant, about a minute. Pour in the lime juice and cook until it bubbles and reduces a little, about a minute. Add the drained sardines to the pan and stir them through the oil to coat. Cook until the sardines are warmed through, another 2-3 minutes.

TOSS: Remove the pan from the heat and add the lime zest, cilantro, mint and capers, tossing to combine. Divide the arugula between plates and top the leaves with the pan-fried sardines. Sprinkle the crushed pork rinds on top and serve immediately!