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The Paleo Diet Challenge: Day 31

Final day of the challenge. Big sigh.

(Okay, I suppose technically it was a 30-day challenge…but with July having 31 days, it didn’t make sense to me to not make it through the entire month.)

It’s been up and down for the last few weeks — my feelings about Paleo eating, my weight, my anxiety levels about what to do for dinner (not the big questions in life, I realize) — and I’m glad the challenge coming to an end. There are a number of positives I’ll take away, no question.

But today, the last day, it’s about my quest for making a Paleo-friendly bread, something that has eluded me so far.

I wish I could say that, after trying a number of recipes and combinations of Paleo-friendly flour substitutes this month, I found a killer recipe. A Paleo bread that I could toast up and enjoy, if not with peanut butter then with another nut butter, to make it like the pre-challenge breakfasts I used to have. Yeah!

The recipe I settled on was for Paleo biscuits, and overall it was pretty decent. The biscuits were moist and had a good crumb, and they toasted up quite well. Score! (They did stick miserably in the muffin cups though, despite being well greased. I had to chisel them out with a knife, which was not fun. Arg).

I toasted one up and topped it with almond-cashew butter. Morning coffee at my side, I had high hopes that this biscuit would be the one to replace my beloved (wheat) toast.

Another big sigh. Turns out it was just not meant to be. It’s not that I didn’t like the Paleo biscuits. It’s that they weren’t amazingly good, either.

As a former baker and lifelong pastry maker (and eater), I realize I’ve set the bar for good bread fairly high. That doesn’t mean that it’s not possible to make a great Paleo bread, just that I haven’t found the right recipe. But I like a challenge, obviously. On the Paleo bread front, we’re not done yet.

With the challenge coming to a close, I’m going to take a few days and gather my thoughts on what I thought of it all, the good and the bad. Stay tuned.
More on the Paleo diet challenge:
Why I’m doing it in the first place
My plan for the 30 days

The Paleo Diet Challenge: Day 29

Oh, wow. Wow. I think I’ve found a new ally in the kitchen, for baking anyway: Blanched almond flour.

So far I’ve had success using a coarser almond meal in the morning glory muffins, where a denser texture is perfectly okay. But for some baked goods, a finer grind, something closer to actual wheat flour, is what’s needed. I hadn’t had any luck in local stores trying to find this (which I thought was odd, considering I was trying places like Whole Foods, Galloway’s and Famous Foods). When I spotted a recipe on the Urban Poser blog for Paleo cinnamon rolls that looked absolutely delicious, finally I was motivated enough to get my credit card out and place an order online for the blanched almond flour.

I’m so glad I did.

The blanched almond flour is super fine, noticeably finer than the almond meal I’d been using. I made a few changes to the cinnamon roll recipe, but they turned out really, really ridiculously well. Better than I expected. I love it when that happens. They’re definitely not like the stretchy pull-apart kind of buns, like the ones I devoured when I was at UBC.

These were more biscuit-y for sure. But they were soft, and, with the cinnamon-honey-pecan center, they were so good that I didn’t care about them not being so soft and stretchy. Not one bit.

The Best Paleo Cinnamon Rolls

I agree -- these are the best cinnamon rolls around when you're going Paleo. This recipe is adapted from The Urban Poser.

Ingredients

3-1/4 cups blanched almond flour (I used Honeyville brand)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
1/4 cup currants or raisins (optional)
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F.
In a large stand mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, salt and baking soda. In a separate bowl, beat together the coconut oil, honey and eggs.
Add the egg mixture to the almond flour mixture. Blend together with the paddle attachment until the dough is smooth. It will be quite sticky.
Sandwich the dough between two large pieces of parchment paper. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a rectangle, approximately 9×13 inches. Peel off the top piece of parchment paper.
Drizzle the honey evenly over the dough, then spread the honey out with your hands so that it covers the whole surface. Sprinkle the chopped pecans and currents or raisins (if using) evenly over the dough, then sprinkle the cinnamon on top.
Starting at the long edge closest to you, carefully roll the dough like a jelly roll, keeping it as tight as you can at the beginning. The dough isn’t elastic like a wheat dough, so go slowly and gently, patching up small holes in the dough if you get them.
Once the dough is completely rolled up, even it out a bit with your hands, being careful not to tear the dough. With a serrated knife, cut slices about 1-1/2 to 2 inches thick.
Lay the rolls cut side down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the rolls are golden on the top and the dough in the center of the rolls is soft but not doughy.
Remove the rolls from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Transfer them to a cooling rack and let them cool completely.
If you like, drizzle the rolls with a glaze. (I went outside the Paleo rules here and made one with powdered sugar and milk.)

Notes

When you're ready to cut them from the roll, get a ruler out to measure out even slices so they bake uniformly. If these bake too long, they'll get really hard....like hockey pucks. Watch the oven, and err on the side of having these slightly underdone.

More on the Paleo diet challenge:
Why I’m doing it in the first place
My plan for the 30 days

The Paleo Diet Challenge: Day 21

This challenge is a funny thing. For the past 3 weeks I seem to swing between two feelings: One is being energized and quite optimistic about finding a new way of eating, which might turn out to be better for me. (Is it a pathway to get off the daily Synthroid pill? Perhaps.) I really like the discovery of new ways to use ingredients that I never would have thought (like almonds as flour, cauliflower as rice), so there’s a certain adventurousness that I’m enjoying.

The other is spending a fair amount of time being frustrated about what’s allowed and what’s not. I like food a lot, obviously. But thinking about this Paleo diet almost constantly, how to make it interesting, working it into our daily lives without it being too much of a jolt, has been consuming way too much of my mental energy these days. Thinking about it is almost more challenging than actually doing it. Strange, hey?

(And, of course, there’s the still-unsuccessful quest for a decent Paleo bread. One that I can eat as toast, for breakfast. I thought I was losing my bread craving, and maybe after 30 days it will be curbed at least a little, but every so often it bubbles up and sends me on a new search for Paleo bread recipes.)

I’m thankful for the few times that I am able to eat out successfully, meaning I can order something that doesn’t need a lot of special instructions. Hold the bun! Can I get that wrapped in lettuce? Like you might expect, breakfast and brunch are a good time to eat out for Paleos, simply because eggs play a starring role. This Californian omelette from Milestones, with bacon, avocado salsa, diced tomatoes and cheddar, was a good example of a restaurant meal that didn’t need any strange requests, aside from skipping the toast. All I had to do was refrain from eating the potatoes. Whew.

More on the Paleo diet challenge:
Why I’m doing it in the first place
My plan for the 30 days

The Paleo Diet Challenge: Day 11

The answer to my question yesterday seems to be a definite maybe. Like a lot of things, it’s tough to nail it on your first try.

I’ve done a fair amount of searching for Paleo bread recipes in the past week and a half. The first thing that struck me is the amount of eggs involved. There are typically many, many eggs in Paleo bread. I guess it makes sense, really, because without any gluten to give some structure and help it rise, the bread needs something to achieve a texture that is lighter than, say, a door stop. With cakes and other baked goods, eggs are definitely the go-to ingredient when you want light and fluffy, particularly when you beat the whites separately and fold them in to a batter. (Just like we do with our waffles.)

When I came across a recipe for a grain-free sandwich bread that uses coconut flour and flax meal, and the accompanying picture looked great, I thought fabulous! Here I go, with the promise of enjoying a nice slice of Paleo toast in the morning.

Unfortunately, the result was less than stellar.

The loaf actually looked pretty nice, especially with the sesame seeds sprinkled on top. The texture was pretty good as well, denser than a regular bread but I was expecting that anyway. No, it was the eggs that sunk this one. It smelled quite eggy when I sliced it but when I toasted it up, the eggy smell really intensified and was, for me anyway, pretty off-putting. Instead of enjoying the toast I almost gagged. Yuck.

Note to self: When a bread recipe calls for 7 eggs in one loaf (7!), you will not like it.

To help erase my first Paleo baking disaster I consoled myself by making some banana bread, which was delicious, nutty and dense. Maybe I’ll just stick with quick breads for now.

Paleo Banana Bread

Adapted from Comfy Belly's banana bread -- I left out the oil, cut back on the honey, and ended up with a very enjoyable, very moist (but not greasy) loaf. One thing I enjoy with baking without wheat flour is not having to worry about over mixing the batter (and therefore ending up with a tough quick bread). Mix away to your heart's content! Within reason, of course.

Ingredients

3/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
2 ripe bananas, mashed
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup pecans

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
Blend the dry ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. In a stand mixing bowl with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs together for 2 minutes, then mix in the mashed banana.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well to ensure the batter is well blended. Stir in the pecans.
Add the batter to your loaf pan and bake for 40 minutes, or until browned and a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool before slicing.

More on the Paleo diet challenge:
Why I’m doing it in the first place
My plan for the 30 days

The Paleo Diet Challenge: Day 8

Okay, I’m ready to try eggs for breakfast again. I thought I’d try the eggs in ham cups from Paleo Comfort Foods because they looked so good in the photo, and the chunk of ham I bought a few days ago keeps staring at me in the fridge. It also reminds me that I really should give Janet and Jenny their cookbooks back soon. (Both Make It Paleo and Paleo Comfort Foods are good resources for recipes so far. Both have simple recipes and appealing photographs, although I find the index in Paleo Comfort Foods to be very poor. How does that happen in a cookbook?)

It feels like the last few days have been tough in some regards, but I must admit that embarking on this challenge has brought a certain zing into my culinary life. While it has closed some doors for a while — notably on the bread front, which I’ve whined about probably more than I should — it has opened others.

Discovering coconut flour has been worthwhile, and not something I would have known existed otherwise. I haven’t used it in a big way, not yet, but when I opened up the package and took a whiff, it smelled so pure and well, coconutty, that I felt instantly transported to a tropical beach, cool drink in hand and sand between my toes. Realizing that almond meal is a pretty decent stand-in for all purpose flour, at least in something with a heavier texture like muffins, is pretty cool as well. Thank goodness I’m not allergic to nuts, or Paleo-friendly baked goods would be that much more challenging.

Eve, your squash pancakes with smoked salmon and cream cheese schmear were such a treat tonight. A squeeze of lemon, some capers and chives on top…very tasty. I should come over to your place for dinner more often, especially if you’re serving bubbly.

Eggs in Ham Cups

Serving Size: 2-3

From Paleo Comfort Foods by Julie & Charles Mayfield.

Ingredients

6 large eggs
6 slices of ham (preferably a quality, nitrate free source)
1-2 teaspoons coconut oil
1/2 cup mushroom finely chopped (optional)
1/2 cup shallots finely chopped (optional)
fresh chopped chives for garnish (optional)
olive oil or coconut oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a muffin tin with olive oil or coconut oil.
In a small frying pan, heat 1-2 teaspoons of coconut oil over medium heat. Saute the mushroom and shallots for 3-4 minutes, or until shallots have softened and mushrooms have cooked down.
Place one slice of ham in each cup. Put a few tablespoons of the mushroom-shallot mixture in the bottom of each. Crack an egg into each ham cup.
Cook for 15 to 20 minutes (depending on how you like your egg). Garnish with fresh chives, if using.

More on the Paleo diet challenge:
Why I’m doing it in the first place
My plan for the 30 days

The Paleo Diet Challenge: Day 4

And just like that, 4 days in, it’s happened. The good-vibes-it’s-exciting-to-try-this-la-la-la phase has officially ended, and the first few things I find annoying are rising to the surface. The first one, by far, is the shopping. I feel like I’m constantly going to the store, or thinking about ingredients I need to get. One or two trips every day, mostly to ensure I’ve got enough protein in the house. It’s not like I’m eating a completely new way, but somehow there’s this added pressure to get that protein, at every meal. Or else.

Keeping a good supply of fresh vegetables and fruit is completely different, somehow. I don’t get annoyed at picking up fresh produce every day or two, since that’s what I’m used to doing anyway. So perhaps it’s just a settling in thing, this buying seafood and meat every few days.

Number two on the annoying list is figuring out what to do about breakfast. Eggs are okay, and sometimes I really enjoy them, but I don’t want to have them every day, or even more than maybe twice a week. A bowl of fruit isn’t always that satisfying for me, especially if the weather is cool out. I guess I could start to make extra meat or fish at night and just reheat that but geez, that seems a little too much of a leap from where I’m at right now.

It’s not too hard to figure out that, underneath it all, I’m still craving a warm bread-y, toast-y kind of start to my day.

What on earth can I do to bring some bread-like goodness into this Paleo challenge? I spent a good couple hours over the past few days scouring the internet for Paleo bread recipes. Not an easy fix apparently, if the posted pictures are any indication. To me they all look um, well, pretty, awful for the most part.

Not to be completely defeated, I turned to finding a good recipe for a quick bread, like banana breads or carrot muffins. Here there seemed to be a glimmer of hope. This recipe for carrot-apple-raisin muffins caught my eye, and now I’m determined to make these so I can get my bread-like fix.

Oh good, that means another trip to the store to get some almond flour. This better be worth it.

Paleo Morning Glory Muffins

From Paleo Comfort Foods by Julie and Charles Mayfield. These turned out to be extremely tasty. I made mine in mini muffin tins (of course!). If you go with the mini size, they’ll take about 15 minutes to bake.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups almond flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups carrots, peeled and grated
1 large apple, peeled, cored and grated
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup raisins
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons honey (optional)
1/2 cup coconut or olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a standard-sized muffin pan (or use muffin liners).
Combine almond flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add carrot, apple, coconut and raisins and combine well.
In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, honey, oil and vanilla extract together.
Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and mix very well. The batter will be very thick.
Spoon the batter out into muffin pan and place on upper or middle rack of your oven for 40-50 minutes. When a toothpick inserted into the top of a muffin comes out clean, the muffins are done.
Cool muffins in the pan for 8-10 minutes and then remove to a rack to finish cooling.

Notes

For some variety, substitute currants or chopped dates for the raisins. You can also add a little orange zest to give the muffins some citrus flavor.

More on the Paleo diet challenge:

Why I’m doing it in the first place

My plan for the 30 days

Image courtesy of HealthAliciousNess via Flickr.