Its summertime and that means zucchini … and more zucchini … and some more zucchini.
For now, we are at the start of the summer, so zucchini season is just beginning, and the bloom is still on the rose, zucchini-love wise, so using zucchini in some of the predictable ways still seems fresh and new. Zucchini fritters are one of those standbys that are easy to whip up, but usually use all-purpose flour or breadcrumbs as the binder.
In the interests of giving Jeffrey grain-free options for dinner, we whipped up a few of these Paleo / Grain-free zucchini fritters to go with our tandoori chicken dinner — no grains, no dairy and fried in unrefined oils.
These are simple to make, and easy to change up with different herbs (keep any leftovers for breakfasts or lunches!). This time around I added cilantro, and a bit of zip with a bit of Organic Fair’s Chili Lime sea salt. I’ve made these grain-free with cashew flour, but almond flour would also work equally well. If you chose to substitute coconut flour, half the amount of flour used, as coconut flour absorbs a lot more moisture …
Ingredients
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 large-ish zucchini, grated (should yield 2 1/2 - 3 cups)
- 3 scallions, sliced
- 2 T cilantro, chopped
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 cup nut flour (almond or cashew, 60 grams)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp Organic Fair Chili Lime seasalt
Instructions
- Preheat a skillet over medium heat.
- Toss the shredded zucchini with 1/2 tsp salt and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Squeeze it dry to remove excess moisture.
- Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well.
- Drop by spoonfuls onto the oiled skillet (use an unrefined oil). Flatten into pancakes about 3/4 inch thick. Cook until done, 3-4 minutes per side.
As some of you know, Jeffrey suffers from Crohn’s disease, which for a number of years was somewhat manageable through stress reduction, and avoiding a few key trigger foods. In the last couple years, however; he has experienced an increase in inflammation, and as a result been prescribed new medications, and now goes for regular Remicaide infusions – not without their complications. The good news is that with this medication, his symptoms are no worse, but on the other hand, he has not improved either.
Diet and stress management play a key role in managing the health of all of us, but are particularly critical for those with autoimmune disorders. A number of years ago, Jeffrey came across the writings of Elaine Gottschall, recommending the elimination of dissacharides and polysaccharides in order to allow a balancing of intestinal flora, and healing of the gut. When he came across this book, about 15 years ago, he was somewhat skeptical (no clinical trials had been conducted), and he felt like it was going to be more work than he felt was warranted.
Fast forward to 15 years later, and while there still have been no recognized trials, many, many people have now adopted what is called the Specific Carohydrate Diet (SCD), which is a more fully fleshed out blueprint of the diet that Elaine Gottschall first wrote about in 1994. Curiously enough, it is VERY similar to the Paleo diet, and is being adopted not only by people suffering from inflammatory bowel diseases, but also by folks with other autoimmune disorders such as Rheumatoid Arthritis and Multiple Sclerosis. Long story short, we’re going to move towards this way of eating and see if Jeffrey experiences any improvements — in terms of both digestive health, but also energy levels and general wellbeing.
I figure we’ll likely get about 80-85 percent there. A couple of things are going to be big obstacles: Jeffrey is a big toast and cereal for breakfast kind of guy, so finding suitable replacements will take some trial and error. Second is the years of conditioning to have starch on the plate with every meal, and finally the fact that ALL conventional Crohn’s dietary recommendations have patients consuming starches such as rice and potatoes as a way to soothe the gut… which may be exactly the wrong approach for long-term healing!
So, we’ll see how it goes! Tonight’s dinner was a grain-free version of Coconut Prawns, guaranteed to hit the spot regardless of whether you are SCD or not!
Ingredients
- 454 grams raw prawns
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1 cup vegetable oil
Instructions
- Peel and devein the prawns
- In a 9-10 inch skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.
- Set up a breading station with 3 bowls.
- In the first bowl, whisk the egg with almond milk and 1/2 tsp salt
- In the third bowl, mix the coconut flakes with the remaining 1/2 tsp salt.
- Dip the prawns in the egg, then roll in the almond flour, and finish in the coconut flakes.
- Cook the prawns in smallish batches in the hot oil hot,1-2 minutes per side, keeping watch on the temperature of the oil. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon or spatula, and drain on paper towels.
- Serve while still warm.
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I’ve been exploring various options in the grain free realm for a while now, and began thinking about some treat options that would fit the bill in terms of grain-free and refined sugar-free. Two of the main options for baking happen to be almond flour and coconut flour, which both result in quite high protein baking, particular when compared to other gluten-free options which can be quite high in starch.
I was after something chocolatey and had a big bag of coconut flour in the pantry that needed using up … and so I developed this batter recipe which works quite well 2 ways: as a baked donut, OR as a cupcake.
Coconut flour is very hydroscopic – it will absorb a LOT of liquid, and will look like it is quite dense, but actually bakes up fairly moist and fluffy. For every 1/2 cup of coconut flour, you will need about 1/2 cup (maybe more) of additional liquids, AND 2-3 eggs. Because of the addition of eggs, you won’t require quite as much leavening as you might think. (I’m using baking soda to keep this paleo friendly – baking powder contains cornstarch)
This recipe does double duty — it bakes up beautifully as a baked donut with chocolate glaze, BUT the exact same ingredients also make a beautiful paleo cupcake with pretty chocolate frosting you can pipe on top in pretty designs. The recipe also scales up quite well if you are making cupcakes for a crowd.
And a final word of caution on portioning here: because the coconut flour is nutrient-dense, one cupcake or donut goes a loooong way!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa flour (do NOT use Dutch processed cocoa for these)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 3 eggs, whisked
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup hot coffee
- 3 T honey
- -----
- 100 grams good quality dark chocolate, chopped
- 4 T coconut milk powder
- 3 T hot water.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients and mix well to combine. You should have a moderately thick batter, but should still be able to stir easily.
- - To bake as donuts, divide into 6 wells of a donut baking tin, bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
- - To bake as cupcakes portion into a muffin tin lined with cupcake papers. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes.
- Chocolate glaze: Melt chocolate. Combine hot water and coconut milk powder, mixing until completely dissolved. Add to melted chocolate and whisk well to combine. As it cools slightly, it should thicken. Dip donuts in the chocolate glaze, sprinkle on coconut or sprinkles if desired.
- Chocolate frosting: Make the glaze, and as it cools to room temperature, beat well with a hand mixer until light and fluffy.