Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight and Find Your Path Back to Health (34 page)

Makes 10 to 12 muffins

2 cups ground almonds (can be purchased pre-ground)

¼ cup ground flaxseeds (can be purchased pre-ground)

Sweetener such as Truvia, stevia extract, or Splenda equivalent to 3/4 cup sucrose

1 teaspoon baking powder

Dash of fine sea salt

1 ripe banana

2 large eggs

½ cup sour cream or coconut milk

¼ cup walnut oil, coconut oil, or extra-light olive oil

1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with oil.

Combine the ground almonds, ground flaxseeds, sweetener, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and mix with a spoon.

In another bowl, mash the banana until smooth. Stir in the eggs, sour cream or coconut milk, and oil. Add the banana mixture to the almond meal mixture and mix thoroughly. Fold in the blueberries.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling them halfway. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out dry, about 45 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn out of the pan and transfer to a rack to cool completely.

PUMPKIN SPICE MUFFINS

I love having these muffins for breakfast in the fall and winter. Spread one with cream cheese and you will need little else to fill you up on a cold morning.

Makes 12 small muffins

2 cups ground almonds (can be purchased pre-ground)

1 cup chopped walnuts

¼ cup ground flaxseeds (can be purchased pre-ground)

Sweetener such as Truvia, stevia extract, or Splenda equivalent to 3/4 cup sucrose

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking powder

Dash of fine sea salt

1 can (15 ounces) unsweetened pumpkin puree

½ cup sour cream or coconut milk

2 large eggs

¼ cup walnut oil, melted coconut oil, or extra-light olive oil

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with oil.

Stir together the almond meal, walnuts, ground flaxseeds, sweetener, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Stir together the pumpkin, sour cream or coconut milk, eggs, and oil in another large bowl.

Stir the pumpkin mixture into the almond meal mixture and mix thoroughly. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling them about half full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in a muffin comes out dry, about 45 minutes.

Cool the muffins in the pans for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

DARK CHOCOLATE TOFU MOUSSE

You will be hard-pressed to tell this dessert from a conventional mousse
and
it provides a generous quantity of the healthy flavonoids that cocoa products are coming to be recognized for. For anyone with a soy sensitivity, substitute 2 cups (16 ounces) plain Greek yogurt for both the tofu and soymilk.

Makes 4 servings

16 ounces firm tofu

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ cup unsweetened almond milk, full-fat soymilk, or whole dairy milk

Sweetener such as Truvia, stevia extract, or Splenda equivalent to ½ cup sucrose

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon pure almond extract

Whipped cream

3 to 4 strawberries, sliced, or 10 to 12 raspberries

Combine the tofu, cocoa, almond milk, sweetener, and vanilla and almond extracts in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Spoon the mixture into serving dishes.

Top with whipped cream and berries.

GINGER SPICE COOKIES

These wheat-free cookies will satisfy your occasional craving. Replacing wheat flour with coconut flour yields a somewhat heavier, less cohesive cookie. But once your friends and family get familiar with the somewhat unusual texture, they will ask for more. Like several of the other recipes here, this is a basic cookie recipe that can be modified in any number of delicious ways. Chocolate lovers, for instance, can add semisweet chocolate chips and leave out the allspice, nutmeg, and ginger to make a healthy wheat-free equivalent to chocolate chip cookies.

Makes about 25 (2 ½-inch) cookies

2 cups coconut flour

1 cup finely chopped walnuts

3 tablespoons desiccated coconut

2 tablespoons Truvia, ½ teaspoon stevia extract powder, or ½ cup granulated Splenda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup sour cream or coconut milk

1 cup walnut oil, extra-light olive oil, melted coconut oil, or melted butter

½ cup sugar-free vanilla syrup (DaVinci and Torani make good ones)

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon pure almond extract

Milk, unsweetened almond milk, or soymilk (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a baking sheet or line sheet with parchment paper.

Stir together the coconut flour, walnuts, shredded coconut, sweetener, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and baking soda in a large bowl.

Whisk together the sour cream or coconut milk, oil or butter, vanilla syrup, eggs, lemon zest, and almond extract in a 4-cup measuring cup. Add the egg mixture to the coconut flour mixture and stir just until incorporated. (If the mixture is too thick to stir easily, add the milk, unsweetened almond milk, or soymilk 1 tablespoon at a time until the consistency of cake batter.)

Drop 1-inch mounds onto the baking sheet and flatten. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on racks.

CARROT CAKE

Of all the recipes here, this one comes closest in taste to the wheat-containing original to satisfy even the most demanding wheat-lover’s craving.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

CAKE

1 cup coconut flour

Sweetener such as Truvia, stevia extract, or Splenda equivalent to 1 cup sucrose

2 tablespoons grated orange zest

1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking powder

Dash of fine sea salt

4 large eggs

½ cup coconut oil, melted

1 cup sour cream

½ cup coconut milk

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 cups finely grated carrots

1 cup chopped pecans

ICING

8 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), at room temperature

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon Truvia, 1/8 teaspoon stevia extract powder, or ¼ cup granulated Splenda

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a 9 x 9-inch or 10 x 10-inch baking pan.

To make the cake: Combine the coconut flour, sweetener, orange zest, ground flaxseed, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and mix by hand.

Beat together the eggs, melted butter or coconut oil, sour cream, coconut milk, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Pour the egg mixture into the coconut flour mixture. Using an electric mixer, beat until thoroughly mixed. Stir in the carrots and pecans by hand. Pour the mixture into the baking pan.

Bake for 1 hour, or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.

To make the icing, combine the cream cheese, lemon juice, and sweetener in a bowl and blend thoroughly.

Spread the icing over the cooled cake.

CLASSIC CHEESECAKE WITH WHEATLESS CRUST

This is a cause for celebration: cheesecake without undesirable health or weight consequences! Ground pecans serve as the wheatless base for this decadent cheesecake, though you could use ground walnuts or almonds instead.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

CRUST

1½ cups ground pecans

Sweetener such as Truvia, stevia extract, or Splenda equivalent to ½ cup sucrose

1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FILLING

16 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, at room temperature

3/4 cup sour cream

Sweetener such as Truvia, stevia extract, or Splenda equivalent to ½ cup sucrose

Dash of fine sea salt

3 large eggs

Juice of 1 small lemon and 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

To make the crust: Combine the ground pecans, sweetener, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir in the melted butter, egg, and vanilla and mix thoroughly.

Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and 1½ to 2 inches up the sides of a 10-inch pie pan.

To make the filling: Combine the cream cheese, sour cream, sweetener, and salt in a bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat at low speed to blend. Beat in the eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla. Beat at medium speed for 1 minute.

Pour the filling into the crust. Bake until nearly firm in the center, about 50 minutes. Cool the cheesecake on a rack. Refrigerate to chill before serving.

Variations: The filling can be modified in dozens of ways. Try adding ½ cup cocoa powder and topping with shaved dark chocolate; or substitute lime juice and zest for the lemon; or top with berries, mint leaves, and whipped cream.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE

There is probably no such thing as truly healthy fudge, but this is about as close as it gets. Keep a supply of this decadent dessert handy to satisfy those occasional cravings for chocolate or sweets.

Makes 12 servings

FUDGE

2 teaspoons coconut oil, melted

8 ounces unsweetened chocolate

1 cup natural peanut butter, at room temperature

4 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, at room temperature

Sweetener such as Truvia, stevia extract, or Splenda equivalent to 1 cup sucrose

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

½ cup chopped unsalted dryroasted peanuts or walnuts

TOPPING (OPTIONAL)

½ cup natural peanut butter, at room temperature

½ cup chopped unsalted dryroasted peanuts

Coat 8 x 8-inch pan with the melted coconut oil.

To make the fudge: Place the chocolate in a microwaveable bowl and microwave 1½ to 2 minutes in 30-second intervals until just melted. (Stir after 1 minute to check since the chocolate will hold its shape even when melted.)

In a separate microwaveable bowl, combine the peanut butter, cream cheese, sweetener, vanilla, and salt. Microwave about 1 minute to soften, then stir to thoroughly blend. Stir the peanut butter mixture into the melted chocolate and stir well. (If the mix becomes too stiff, microwave another 30 to 40 seconds.)

Spread the fudge into the prepared pan and set aside to cool. If desired, spread the fudge with a layer of peanut butter and sprinkle with the chopped peanuts.

WASABI SAUCE

If you haven’t yet tried wasabi, be warned: It can be awfully pungent, but in a unique, indescribable way. The “heat” of the sauce can be tempered by decreasing the amount of wasabi powder used. (Err on the side of caution and use 1 teaspoon at first until you have a chance to gauge the hotness of your wasabi, as well as your tolerance.) Wasabi sauce makes a great accompaniment to fish and chicken. It can also be used as a sauce in wheat-free wraps (page
244
). For a more Asian variation, substitute 2 tablespoons sesame oil and 1 tablespoon (wheat-free) soy sauce for the mayonnaise.

Makes 2 servings

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 to 2 teaspoons wasabi powder

1 teaspoon finely minced fresh or dried ginger

1 teaspoon rice vinegar or water

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

VINAIGRETTE DRESSING

This recipe for a basic vinaigrette is extremely versatile and can be modified in dozens of ways by adding such ingredients as Dijon mustard, chopped herbs (basil, oregano, parsley), or finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes. If you choose balsamic vinegar for this dressing, read the label carefully, as many have added sugar. Distilled white, rice, white wine, red wine, and apple cider vinegars are other good choices.

Makes 1 cup

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup vinegar, your choice

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1 teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon freshly ground white or black pepper

Pinch of sea salt

Combine the ingredients in a 12-ounce jar with a lid. Cover the jar tightly and shake to combine. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week; shake well before using.

WORRY-FREE RANCH DRESSING

When you make your own salad dressing, even using some prepared ingredients like mayonnaise, you have more control over what goes into it. Here’s a quick ranch dressing that contains no unhealthy ingredients, provided you choose a mayonnaise that includes no wheat, cornstarch, high-fructose corn syrup, sucrose, or hydrogenated oils. (Most do not.)

Makes about 2 cups

1 cup sour cream

½ cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (2 ounces)

1 teaspoon garlic powder or finely minced garlic

1½ teaspoons onion powder

Pinch of sea salt

Mix the sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar, and 1 tablespoon water in bowl. Stir in the Parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Add up to another tablespoon of water if you want a thinner dressing. Store in the refrigerator.