I love these and just baked a load after a lovely walk in our woods close-by. Once my supplies of unusual ingredients like healthier-than-sugar xylitol and erythritol run out I will be going online to shop in www.evergreen.ie , www.nourish.ie or nipping into my local shop Get Fresh in Ballyroan for supplies. This recipe is from Darina Allen. The only change I made was dropping sugar and substituting xylitol.
I like to eat these with some fresh raspberry/strawberry coulis sweetened with xylitol/erythritol/stevia and a big dollop of whipped cream. To make a coulis pour some frozen/fresh berries into a pan, cook until thawed and soft, mash a bit and add your (healthier) sweetener. It is a really good idea to avoid chemical sweeteners like sucralose, saccharin & aspartame because ironically these sabotage good gut bugs and contribute to weight gain!! These scones are not a health-booster but are less health-sabotaging than sugar-laden scones.
Tomorrow back to normality after my binge on high carbohydrate foods like breads, cakes and potatoes since lockdown. But for today, these yummy scones.
To make 6-7 decent size scones
138g white or blend of white and brown rice flour (I like Dove’s Farm mix of white and brown)
25g tapioca flour
2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
1 rounded tsp xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt (sea salt/Himalayan salt)
2 rounded tablespoons erythritol/xylitol
55g butter, chilled
55g sultanas (optional)
1 egg, organic if possible
125-175ml natural yoghurt or (better for dairy-sensitive folk) natural, home-made kefir
Egg wash (optional, if you like a shiny top on your scones) – this is just a beaten egg
1. Preheat oven to 250C (235C fan)
2. Sift all the dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix well.
3. Rub in the butter, then add sultanas and gently mix together.
4. Lightly whisk the yoghurt/kefir and egg together.
5. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, add the egg yoghurt/kefir and mix to a soft dough. Add a little more yoghurt/kefir if needed.
6. Turn onto a rice-floured board and knead lightly, just enough to shape into a round (knead too much and the result will be tough)
7. Roll to around 2.5cm thick, stamp into scones with a 5.5cm round cutter. Place on a rice-floured baking sheet and if using, brush with the egg wash.
8. Bake for approximately 10 minutes until golden brown on top. Leave to cool for a while on a wire rack.
9. Serve split in half with butter, or my fruit coulis (above), some no-added sugar jam like Follain or St Dalfour and whipped/clotted cream.
Why these are better for you: OK, so a snack made from grains, cream and sweet stuff is never going to be a net health-promoter but by avoiding added sugar you are really helping reduce inflammation and helping your immune system fight off bad bugs. Did you know that gluten, in “normal” baking, opens up the normally tight barrier in your small intestine. These “tight junctions” are there to prevent toxins, bacterial by-products and undigested food spilling from your gut into your bloodstream. Gluten produces this reaction in normal, healthy volunteers and has been videoed live by researchers using capsule video cameras. Who knew!! This loss of barrier function lasts for 3-5 hours after gluten hits your small intestine. Remember, this is not only in people with gluten sensitivity. Why this is relevant to your health is that a damaged gut barrier opens the door to ALL chronic health conditions and stresses your immune system, leaving you more open to infection. A damaged gut barrier also increases sepsis in hospital patients.
Switching to a home-made fruit coulis (with healthy sweeteners) or a no-added sugar jam like St Dalfour/Follain brands means less of an assault on your immune system. Stay well.
I have adapted this from the recipe by littlejarofspices. Had it last week and it was GORGEOUS. The original recipe uses an additional 2 tbs of coconut sugar which after the first 10 minutes of baking you sprinkle over the top of the clafoutis to give a caramelised top. I didn’t bother. A dollop of coconut-based yoghurt or whipped cream is lovely on the side. I personally used half gluten free flour (my own blend of sorghum, millet and oat flours) and half finely ground almonds but either works well.
Makes 8 servings
4 stalks (200g) of rhubarb
4 medium eggs
100g almond flour (finely ground almonds give a nice smooth texture, or use your own blend of gluten-free flour flour or glutinacious)
45g coconut sugar (for a lovely caramel flavour)
70g xylitol or erythritol (e.g. Dr Coy’s Stevia Erylite)
250 ml unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk or milk
1 tsp vanilla extract (vanilla “essence” contains gluten)
Coconut oil (or if you eat dairy, butter) for greasing
Pinch of pink salt or sea salt
1.Preheat oven to 190°C and grease a ceramic pie dish/pyrex dish with butter or coconut oil.
2.Wash the rhubarb stalks, chop off and discard the ends and cut them into 2.5 cm pieces and place them in the dish.
4. In a bowl, combine almond flour/gluten-free flour, coconut sugar, xylitol/erythritol and salt. Whisk in the eggs, milk and vanilla extract. The batter should be very thin & liquid.
5. Pour the batter over the rhubarb pieces in the pie dish and place in the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 25 minutes. If it still looks very very liquid in the centre, you might need to give it another 10 minutes until just set.
6. Let cool around 20 minutes before serving.
Why this is better for you: This avoids a lot of the problems of conventional sugar which suppresses immunity and raises inflammation. Coconut sugar has a lower glycaemic index than sugar and still contains some nutrients. But do remember that coconut sugar is still a high carbohydrate (high natural sugar) ingredient. So this dessert isn’t a staple but more of a weekend or special treat.
Are weaning off eating foods with a ton of added sugar in? This one will satisfy even the sweetest tooth. This is decadent, unctuous and toffee-like. It is by Nigel Slater from Real Fast Food. Though totally free from refined sugar its still a very high carbohydrate dessert. So its best eaten after a protein meal.
As you can see from the photo I used sliced raw pecans instead of the almonds (I had accidentally munched my way through my flaked almond supplies). If you don’t have the nuts, it doesn’t matter. If you wanted to, you could also decorate with peeled slices of fresh orange.
For 2
95g stoneless dried dates/110g dates with stones in
1 tsp (teasp) orange flower water (if you don’t have any, use a dessertspoon of fresh orange juice instead)
150ml single cream
2 large bananas, ideally ripe (a little spotty)
1 heaped tbs flaked almonds
1. Stone and chop the dates, slice the bananas thinly and place in a bowl.
2. Add the cream and orange flower water/juice, mix and leave for an hour or two in the fridge.
3. Lightly toast flaked almonds on a day pan (watch them closely, and stir, so they don’t burn!) and reserve.
3. Just before eating, sprinkle the lovely crunchy toasted almonds on top.
Why this is better for you: Although this is a very sweet, very high carbohydrate dessert it IS free from added sugar so tends not to deplete nutrients. Bear in mind though that eating desserts high in even natural sugars does cause blood sugar spikes – i f you don’t have a protein-rich meal in your tummy first. Blood sugar spikes cause inflammation, metabolic stress and exacerbate ALL chronic health issues from anxiety to psoriasis to acne.
Did you know that shop-bought spice mixes often contain gluten which is not always listed on the packet? Anyway that’s only really relevant for you gluten-sensitive people out there.
Once you taste this beautiful five spice powder in your stir fries, sprinkled on salmon before grilling, or in a home made hotpot you will never want to go back to commercial, tasteless five spice. Do keep your spices in airtight glass jars somewhere dark. Left in the sun, they lose their marvelous antioxidant potency and their taste too. All spices have hundreds (and some thousand) of peer-reviewed clinical research papers showing various health benefits. When you cook food with spices the food generates fewer toxic by-products (e.g. from grilling, sauteeing or roasting) and the spices stimulate your body’s own antioxidant defences.
St. Patrick’s day home-baked treat, anyone? This is lovely and moist and soaked in rosewater and lemon syrup. Make it at least 2 hours before you want to serve it so the syrup has time to soak in. You can buy unsalted shelled pistachios in Middle Eastern and Asian Stores. The recipe, adapted by me to be healthier, is from Claudia Roden’s Arabesque. I am including 2 sizes of cake so you don’t have to go with enormous all the time, if you don’t have 12 people to serve. I increased the amount of lemon, to give a little more tang, and switched the immuno-suppressing sugar for xylitol/erythritol (from health shops). If you want to make serving this more spectacular, get yourself some rosepetals/rosebuds from a Middle Eastern shop and crumble some of the rose petals around and on top of each slice.
To serve 6
Cake:
3 eggs, seperated
60g xylitol or erythritol
25g coarsely chopped raw unsalted pistachios (optional)
100g pistachio flour (finely ground raw unsalted pistachios)
1 x 10-13cm round loose-bottomed cake tin
Syrup for small cake:
75g xylitol/erythritol
90ml water
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs rosewater
To serve (optional):
125ml Abbot Kinney’s/Coyo non dairy coconut yoghurt or whipped cream (I like to mix in a few drops of rosewater to either)
Large cake (to serve 12)
5 eggs, seperated
120g xylitol/erythritol
50g coarsely chopped raw unsalted pistachios (optional)
200g pistachio flour (finely ground raw unsalted pistachios)
1 x 23-25 cm round loose-bottomed cake tin
Syrup for large cake:
150g xylitol/erythritol
180ml water
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs rosewater
To serve (optional):
250ml Abbot Kinney’s/Coyo non dairy coconut yoghurt or whipped cream (I like to mix in a few drops of rosewater to either)
1. Make the syrup. Bring the xylitol/erythritol, water and lemon juice to the boil, simmer till everything is dissolved. Stir in the rosewater.
2. Let the syrup cool, then chill it.
3. Beat the egg yolks with the xylitol/erythritol to a pale cream, then add the ground pistachios and mix very well. Beat the egg whites until still and fold in gently. Pour into a greased cake tin and sprinkle the coarsely chopped pistachios, if using, on top.
4. Bake in pre-heated oven (180C/fan 165C).
Test for done-ness (where needle or point of knife comes out clean) after 35 minutes for the small cake and 40 minutes for the large, which should take around 45 minutes. If the cake is still sticky, give another 5 minutes, then test again.
5. Turn the cake onto a deep serving dish. Make little holes over the top with a fork and pour over the syrup. The holes will let it soak in quickly.
6. Serve, if you like, with the coconut yoghurt or (if you’re not dairy sensitive) cream.
Why this is better for you: OK, so raw nuts are much better than baked (because nut/seed oils get damaged by heat) but this cake is high in protein and contains no sugar. This means it won’t disrupt blood sugar levels. Maintaining blood sugar balance is important if you care about your vitality and health. Erratic blood sugar levels contribute to fatigue, mood issues, inflammation, auto-immune conditions and so, so much more. Stay well.
I invented this last winter when the bitter Seville (marmalade) oranges came out and it was lovely. You can make it with an ordinary orange though – it will just have more contrast of sweet and bitter which is super-delicious! If you are dairy-sensitive you can increase the walnut halves…Roquefort is a blue sheep’s cheese that contains a variety of beneficial bacteria for your tummy. Sheep’s cheese is also easier to digest than cow.
For 2
1 large head of chicory or a medium head of radicchio
1 orange, peeled and sliced thinly across its equator
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
30g Roquefort cheese
Balsamic vinegar
Small handful walnuts
1.Wash and arrange leaves on two plates and top with the orange slices.
2.Crumble the Roquefort over and sprinkle on the walnut halves.
3.Drizzle a tablespoon of the olive oil and about a dessertspoon of balsamic over each plate and enjoy…
You could also make this salad using watercress or endive.
Why this is good for you: Bitter foods (like radicchio, rocket, watercress, chicory, Seville oranges) stimulate your gallbladder to contract as the meal reaches your small intestine. The gallbladder pumps out fat-splitting bile salts and fat-digesting enzymes too. This is great news if you want to tune up your gallbladder, enhance the digestion of that meal, and facilitate removal of waste products from your liver. And avoid gallstones!!! Other bitter foods that help tune up your gallbladder include watercress, chicory, endive, organic rocket (much stronger than “conventionally-farmed”). Drinks that help your gallbladder if you drink it after a meal include dandelion coffee which you can buy on the fantastic Dublin-based website www.intelligenttea.ie Make just like for filter/cafetiere coffee and add milk if you want. DO avoid instant dandelion products, they are stuffed with sugar (lactose/dextrose usually) so they really are not helpful to you. 100% chicory drinks also have some benefit but dandelion is more potent.
I LOVE these. Heard a recipe on the radio using cheese but I swapped it out for full fat thick natural yogurt or strained kefir (you strain the kefir through a muslin in a sieve to thicken it) an it’s DELICIOUS. I quite like my pancake Tuesday pancakes with lemon juice and some honey or Dr Coys Erylite or Xylitol to sweeten. But you could use stewed apple, apple puree and a big dollop of cream or non-dairy coconut yoghurt on top if you feel the urge. If you are a bit dairy sensitive like me, home-made kefir could be the one form of dairy that you can tolerate really really well. That’s because the process completely breaks down the lactose, as well as the casein protein, which is what most people have a problem with. YUM!! Would you like me to do a post on how to make kefir? If so, give me some feedback.
Makes 4 large pancakes (you can use normal oats/oat flour if you are not gluten-sensitive)
50g gluten-free oats, blitzed in the food processor to make a flour (or use Merry Mill gluten-free oat flour from good health stores like the Hopsack in Dublin 6)
4 eggs, organic if possible
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp Ceylon cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp vanilla powder or extract (avoid “essence” – it contains gluten)
10 drops pure stevia (optional) – I like “sweet drops of stevia” form health stores
150ml (10 tbs) natural full-fat yogurt, Greek yogurt or thickened kefir (strain home-made kefir through a sieve lined with muslin/kitchen paper and use the thick stuff that remains)
Optional: 1/2 tsp gluten-free baking powder (makes a fluffier, higher pancake, more like a drop scone)
Bitz all the ingredients together in a blender (or using a large bowl add the dry ingredients and mix well. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, add the eggs, mix with a wooden spoon, add the wet ingredients and beat until everything is smooth.
Cook on the pan using extra virgin coconut oil, avocado oil or (a bit less healthy) light olive oil.
Enjoy…
Why this is better for you: Ceylon cinnamon helps balance your blood sugar and prevent diabetes!! Stevia is a more natural sweetener than most others and contains no calories. Like erythritol and xylitol from health stores, stevia does not raise your blood sugar levels – so this is a friendly recipe for anyone who cares about their health or has blood sugar issues like diabetes.
Oats are a great source of soluble fibre, which feeds some of your good gut bacteria to help all aspect of your health, mental and physical. So much better than wheat because lower in gluten. Published video evidence now proves that gluten damages your small intestine for at least 3 hours. This study was done on non-gluten-sensitive people. Yes, that includes all your normal people out there. Damaging your gut allows undigested food, bacterial cell walls and toxins to spill into your bloodstream. This eventually compromises your health by inflaming either your brain or other parts of you.
Eggs are a high quality source of protein and (if they are organic) omega 3 fatty acids and phospholipids which our brains and cell membranes need for every function of our body. Please don’t be afraid of eggs (unless you are sensitive or allergic). Eggs do not give you heart disease. The 1950’s study showing eggs cause heart disease was carried out on rabbits. Rabbits are vegan! Unlike us, they can’t cope with animal protein. The real culprit with heart disease is a high grain carbohydrate diets, inflammation and lack of beneficial fats, quality protein and vegetables, herbs and spices.
Every herb has healing properties so herb pesto isn’t just about making your food taste even better. Herbs stimulate your body to make more antioxidants. But herbs also have a selective antibiotic effect. That is, every herb has action against certain disease-causing bacteria* AND encourages growth of friendly bacteria in your gut. Different herbs discourage different “bad” bugs.
For the most powerful health effects place the pesto in a clean glass/ceramic jar and leave to ferment on the kitchen counter for 2 days before using. The fermentation potentiates the polyphenols (beneficial plant compounds) making them more usable by your body. Using the garlic helps keep the pesto fresher but isn’t essential. If any fluffiness develops on the top of you pesto just scrape it off before using.
The proportions of ingredients to each other don’t really matter so long as you end up with something that’s not too runny.
A generous handful of one fresh herb: Thyme, oregano, parsley, mint, sage, coriander, basil, tarragon, dill are all good. Rosemary is fantastic as well but very strong-tasting – maybe do 1/2 and 1/2 with parsley.
Extra virgin olive oil to bind (1/2-1 cup)
Optional: 2 large cloves freshly crushed garlic
Wash the herbs, remove any woody stems (for soft herbs like dill, parsley and basil you use the whole stem so long as its soft).
If using a mini food processor cut the herbs roughly into 2cm lengths then blitz with the garlic and 1/2 cup of the olive oil until you get a paste. If the food processor isn’t catching the herbs you can add more oil to make it all go round. If making the pesto by hand chop the herbs finely (a mezzaluna or a large knife with a smooth curved blade is good for this). In a bowl mix with the garlic and extra virgin olive oil.
Decant into a clean glass or ceramic jar covered with a saucer, a piece of muslin, or the lid laid loosely on top. Leave at room temperature for 48 hours before starting to eat. It will be fine for a week in the fridge.
Tip: if the pesto starts to go very brown (this happens with basil and coriander) add a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil on top to help preserve the colour.
Good to know: Did you know that many gut bacteria are normal in certain amounts but toxic if they overgrow. For example the yeast-like fungus known as candida. Small amounts in your gut are normal but when you have a high carbohydrate diet or take antibiotics or acid-blocking drugs candida can take over. It develops a filamentous form (hyphae) which invade your gut lining and cause damage. Food sensitivities, digestive symptoms, autoimmune conditions (e.g. hypothyroidism) and even mood changes can result.
I adapted this from a recipe by Raymond Blanc to include more greens and a little less stodge. It makes a lovely, gently flavoured dinner. Even my husband, who says he doesn’t really like meals that involve broth, likes this one.
In my newsletter last month (to people who subscribe for FREE via my website www.annacollins.ie), I talked about why chicken broth can help prevent wrinkles. To make this even more nutritious you could make the following meal using home-made chicken stock (made by boiling organic chicken bones in water and a dash of apple cider vinegar) instead of the water in the recipe. Or use chicken pieces on the bone instead of fillets. I like to make a four-person amount and reheat thoroughly for another dinner later in the week
For 4
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced into bite-sized chunks (about 2cm thick)
1 small (Swede) turnip, peeled, cut into bite-sized cubes
4 small organic chicken legs, 2 breasts on the bone cut in two, or failing that, 4 fillets (but chicken with bones is better)*
6-8cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
2 large heads broccoli, cut into florets
Optional extras: (NOT for SC diet): 100g 100% buckwheat noodles/rice noodles (soak in boiling water 5 mins, drain and refresh in cold water until ready to use at the end).
Tamari sauce (this is a gluten-free soya sauce)
1. In a large saucepan cover the turnips and carrots with boiling water and boil for 10 mins.
2. Add the whole chicken fillets, garlic, ginger, making sure all just covered with water and cook (simmer) for 15 minutes.
3. Add the broccoli and cook for a further 5 minutes.
4. Check that the chicken is cooked. When it is done
5. Divide the cold cooked noodles between 4 large bowls. Cut up the chicken fillets into bite-sized slices if you can be bothered.
6. Ladle in the rest of the ingredients on top of the noodles and chicken
7. Provided you are NOT on the SC diet you can add tamari sauce to taste. For SC diet just add more salt and pepper.
Variation (not for SC diet!):
For a mostly vegetarian version, add 100g cubed fermented tofu or tempeh, cut into bite-sized cubes at the same time as the broccoli, and use chicken stock or a chicken stock cube (provided you are not a purist vegetarian!)
Why this is good for you Swede turnips, carrots and all orange fruits and vegetables are a rich source of carotenoids such as beta carotene. Eating a diet rich in beta carotene and other carotenoids found in green, red and purple vegetables will give your skin an attractive golden glow, according to a study of university student who increased their fruit and veg intake for a few weeks. Beta carotene is also important for clear skin, excellent eyesight and helping prevent wrinkles and digestive problems. The list of its activities is endless so I won’t bamboozle you with more details! Broccoli is a great source of folic acid, which helps daily repair and maintenance of your stomach and intestines. It’s also rich in indole-3-carbinol, which helps your liver get rid of the hormone-disrupting chemicals that can cause low thyroid, hair loss and dry skin.
Did you know that organic/free range chicken bones, boiled, yield a powerhouse of immune supporting nutrients like proline and collagen, which help heal your gut? Naturally reared chicken (organic) is better because intensively farmed chickens have high levels of toxins (heavy metals) inside their bones. These toxins are released when you boil the bones for a long time to make soup. Gut healing is important on a day to day basis because every 72 hours you shed your single-cell thick gut lining. Without lots of repair going on constantly, your ability to keep that gut lining working properly declines. Result: poor nutrient absorption, increased tendency to food sensitivities and autoimmune symptoms(e.g. hypothyroidism). You also increase your risk of sepsis (a life threatening condition that can occur with viral and other infections). So really, keeping your gut in tip top shape is one of the most important keys to great health.
Do you love warm, spicy drinks? I do and love the idea of chai but dont really like the sugar laden, condensed-milk builders tea type on offer in Indian restaurants. Traditionally chai is made from tea, spices, sugar and condensed milk. No exactly a vitality-boosting beverage. I swapped the tea for naturally caffeine-free rooibosch tea which (unlike traditional tea) doesn’t blocknutrient absorption. I sweeten it without sugar and use a non-dairy milk instead. This tea aids detoxification due to the spices – quite a nice thing to do at this time of year if, like me, you ate (and drank) a bit more than was good for you during the holidays.
I’ve included a simple chai recipe you can make on the spot, and also a chai blend you can mix up and keep in an airtight container somewhere dark. Always keep your dried spices in a dark place in an airtight container to avoid loss of potency.
If you like your tea black, substitute water for the milk. I fyou like it made entirely on milk, feel free to do that but bear in mind almond milk can split when you boil it for a long time so coconut (or dairy) milk will give you a better consistency at the end.
Basic Chai
To serve 2:
1 1/2 cups (about 350ml) water
1/2 cup milk of your choice – cow, unsweetened almond/coconut
2 rooibosch teabags or 3 heaped teaspoons loose rooibosch tea
6 cracked cardamom pods
½ cinnamon stick, crumbled
grating of fresh nutmeg
4 cloves
Optional sweeteners: stevia drops (or xylitol/erythritol)
Put the spices, water and tea into a saucepan, bring up to the boil, turn down and simmer, covered with a lid, for 1-15 minutes. Add milk and sweetening to taste.
Posh Chai Blend to use again and again I adapted this from a lovely Fortnum and Mason blend my nephew gave me. But using South African Redbush (rooibosch) instead of normal tea enhances the health benefits.
6 heaped dessertspoons loose rooibosch tea
3 cinnamon sticks, broken up with your hands (make sure it’s the real Ceylon cinnamon, which looks like rolled cigars. The cinnamon that looks like rough bark is only Cassia cinnamon, which doesn’t have the health benefits)
20 cloves
1 heaped teaspoon cracked coriander
20 cracked cardamom pods (bash whole coriander seeds and cardamom pods in a pestle and mortar for a minute)
1 level teaspoon ground ginger
2 star anise if you have them, broken up
1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
To serve 1:
3/4 cup 9about 180ml) water
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut or almond milk
1 dessertspoon posh chai blend
Stevia drops (or xylitol/erythritol) to taste
Why this is good for you: I love to make meals and drinks that contain spices. Did you know that spices stimulate your body to make more antioxidants? The spices themselves also help reduce numbers of disease-causing bacteria and increase numbers of friendly ones. This is very relevant if you would like to maintain fantastic vitality and health as you go through life. Spices help protect you from almost all chronic diseases. The more different types you take in, the better.
Tannins in tea bond to nutrients in your meals and prevent you absorbing these precious nutrients. Tea is also naturally high in aluminium, which is a toxic metal. Green tea is interesting because if you make it the traditional way you reduce the tannins a lot and aluminium significantly. Green tea also contains epigallin catechate, a powerful protector against cancers, premature ageing and much more. That’s why its OK to drink a couple of cups of green tea a day if you make it the traditional way. To make green tea the traditional way pour boiling water on leaves, infuse 1 minute, throw away water then use fresh boiling water to brew the tea for 5 minutes.
