I was talking to my sister (who was killing time at the airport) on her latest read. She went into great details on the book ‘The Plant Paradox’ by Steven R. Gundry, MD. It piqued my interest so I went online and did some more research and then filed it away.
Here I am in Airdrie (I call it the chaos house because of two over energetic grandsons), spending time with family and noticed on the counter a cookbook ‘The Plant Paradox Cookbook: 100 Delicious Recipes to Help You Lose Weight, Heal Your Gut, and Live Lectin-Free’ by Steven R. Gundry, MD. Pretty cool, I get to do some more reading and then actually try out some recipes on my innocent little food biters
To summarize, the book is written by a renowned cardiologist, Dr. Steven Grundy, who believes that hidden toxins are hiding in “healthy foods” called lectins. They are a class of plant-based proteins known to attack the lining of our gut and disrupt the balance of our microbiome, leading to leaky gut syndrome and widespread inflammation, weight gain and illness. It is a good read and the recipes are easy to work with. The only complaint I have is that some of the ingredients that you need, you cannot find- so it’s that “old game” called substitution (which of course I do anyway)!
Walnut Bread
I couldn’t find hazelnut flour or hazelnuts so I just used walnuts and turned them into the flour. Yacon syrup???? (never heard of it) became maple syrup. If you would like the bread to have a lighter texture, skip the hazelnut flour and substitute two cups almond flour.
The coconut milk that I use is “Real Thai Coconut Milk” (brand name). The ingredient list has only coconut extract 85 percent and water. Check the cans and compare!
4 Tbsp avocado or coconut oil, melted
1 1/2 cup blanched almond flour
1/2 cup hazelnut flour or walnuts (grind your own)
6 Tbsp Arrowroot starch
4 Tbsp finely ground flaxseeds
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 Tbsp Tapioca starch
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
4 large eggs
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 Tbsp yacon syrup or maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
Whisk together the almond flour, hazelnut flour, arrowroot starch, flaxseeds, walnuts, tapioca starch, salt and baking soda in a large bowl.
In a smaller bowl, combine the avocado or coconut oil, eggs, coconut milk, syrup and vinegar.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry all at once and stir until combined, being careful not to over-mix.
Immediately pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack before slicing. Leftovers will keep for up to five days in the fridge. (Not an issue, it was gobbled up the first day.)
ROSE’S NOTE: Ooops! Last week I forgot in the Orange-Ricotta Cake recipe how much ricotta cheese to use: it’s 1 1/2 cups.
