Gluten Free Zucchini-Walnut Bread

I made this absolutely delicious zucchini-walnut bread today.  When I say delicious, I mean my family and I (three of us) almost ate the whole thing in one sitting.  Moist and not too sweet, I made it to accompany dinner. I was really surprised that the bread actually rose (if you aren’t used to gluten-free cooking, not many doughs actually rise).  I HIGHLY recommend this recipe.  AND! It’s gluten-free. It’s not candida-friendly since it contains maple syrup, but it does have a good amount of fat in it and some protein (which is great if you are a fast oxidizer like me!).  Below is the recipe, which I tweaked because it was originally a Betty Crocker recipe and no offense to Betty, but she "ain’t" all that healthy.

Gluten Free Zucchini-Walnut Bread

½ cup pure maple syrup (if you don’t feel it’s sweet enough, you can still add up to another ¼ cup in order to get the equivalent of the cup of sugar that the original recipe called for)

2 brown, organic eggs

2/3 cup olive oil (If you aren’t using olive oil to bake, I suggest using it.  Your baked goods are guaranteed to always come out moist.)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ¼ cup gluten-free all-purpose rice blend (Note: I used one that already had guar gum in it, but if you are using one that doesn’t have guar or xantham gum, then add ½ teaspoon xantham gum to the recipe)

1 teaspoon gluten free baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon sea salt

2 cups shredded zucchini

½ cup chopped nuts

Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease bottom only of 9x5-inch loaf pan (I used coconut oil to do this and the bread slipped right out when it was done). In large bowl, beat maple syrup and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add oil and vanilla; beat until smooth. In medium bowl, mix flour blend, baking powder, cinnamon, xanthan gum (if needed), baking soda and salt. Gradually beat into egg mixture on low speed until blended. Stir in zucchini and nuts. Pour batter into pan. Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove from pan to cooling rack; cool completely, about 2 hours.

Enjoy!!!

Meet my B.F.Fs- Al and Coco

Al Mond and Coco Nut, that is. OK, cheesy, I know (mmm…cheese…).

Well, it’s week five on my metabolic typing/gluten free/candida free diet.  It has been a struggle, although I don’t have nearly as many of the “OMG I CAN’T ANYTHING! WHAT CAN EAT?!” freak out moments as I used to.  I also am noticing how much I don’t miss a lot of fruits, vegetables, and candies that I thought I couldn’t live without.  So, what am I trying to say? It’s getting easier.

Two things that have been my crutches in this diet are almonds and coconuts.  Seriously, I never realized how many things you can make out of both of these things. Flours, oils, milks, not to mention the regular nut or fruit. And the best part? They are extremely healthy for you!

I do stick with my original consensus, though, that the path towards better health is not for those weak in will and determination. There are a lot of moments (often on Fridays after my consulting sessions….) where I feel like I can’t do this or it’s just too hard.  Often times I think to myself, “I gave up all of this stuff and now there’s MORE?!” I’m starting to get the hint that there’s ALWAYS more—more limitations, more things to be careful of, more things to take, etc.  I’m starting to reach the point of wondering how far I want to take this path, and I think that’s key.  My advice to anyone looking to get healthier is to set a goal and then take it from there.

The great thing about this change in diet is that a lot of persistent health problems no matter how minute they are or I thought they were, are starting to surface and become more obvious, especially since other more temporary issues are starting to go away and get healed. I say this is great because now I can start to see what real damage has been done to my health, which ties into my personal goals.  Originally, I just wanted to eat healthier and have a better diet, but with more problems starting to become obvious, my goals are starting to change a little bit. I want to get to know why my body is reacting in certain ways.  The key here is to be flexible and remember the Buddhist teaching- the only thing that is permanent is impermanence. I also like to remember that just because I deny something to be true or deny that something is happening, it doesn’t mean that it’s not happening. I’d rather just admit it and fix it.  Ignorance doesn’t do anyone any good ever.

It’s funny.  Six weeks ago I would have told you that I was healthy and perfectly fine.  I still consider myself healthy, but now I know that there are kinks to work out. There are ALWAYS kinks to work out.

This week is all about increasing my fat intake (again…I just can’t seem to get used to that…) and starting to take some supplements that will hopefully further put my body back into balance.

I can’t stress enough to those looking to invest in a healthy lifestyle to take the plunge. Do your research. Definitely invest in a nutritionist or coach who can walk you through this stuff. It’s easier when you have someone who you can talk to and can help sift through some of the things that you are going through.  It’s not easy, but it’s well worth it.

Recipe: Almond Milk Chocolate Chippers

These turned out amazing. They weren't too "almond-y", and they had just the right amount of chocolate. They are just like regular chocolate chip cookies except instead of vanilla extract, you use almond (or almond-flavored liqueur), and you put in almonds. I thought they were a great cookie for the holidays, or any time of the year really. They would be great to serve for a party or for kids, and of course, I'm sure Santa wouldn't be able to help himself either.

Taste grade: A+

Baking them was really easy too. Like I said, they were just like chocolate chip cookies, but with minor alterations. Little clean-up and easy to make.

Bake grade: A+

Over all, I highly recommend these cookies. Here is the recipe:

Almond Milk Chocolate Chippers (from Santa's Favorite Cookies: Sweet Treats for the Christmas Season, 1999)

1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons almond-flavored liqueur*
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. To toast almonds, spread on baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove almonds from pan and cool; set aside.

Increase oven temperature to 375.

Place flour, baking soda, and salt in small bowl; stir to combine.

Beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in egg until well blended. Beat in liqueur. Gradually add flour mixture. Beat at low speed until well blended. Stir in chips and almonds with mixing spoon.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 9 to 10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Let cookies stand on cookie sheets 2 minutes. Remove cookies with spatula to wire racks; cool completely.

Store tightly covered at room temperature or freeze up to 3 months.


*If you don't want to use the liqueur, use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract for 2 tablespoons of liqueur. I used 1/4 of a teaspoon for a very light taste of almond extract.