Nyland - Cooking with coconut oil : gluten-free, grain-free recipes for good living

Copyright 2014 by Elizabeth Nyland

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages.

Published by The Countryman Press, P.O. Box 748, Woodstock, VT 05091
Distributed by W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110

Printed in the United States

Cooking with Coconut Oil

ISBN 978-1-58157-236-0

ISBN 978-1-581-57659-7 (e-book)

To Adrian, Cohen, and Isla.

Without your undying support, unmatched taste-testing abilities, and willingness to try any weird combos I could think of, this book would never have happened.

I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

My website, GuiltyKitchen.com, has been around since the summer after my first child was born. As a newly minted stay-at-home mom, I found that I needed something to expend my creative energy on that wasnt a wriggling, screaming baby or a constantly hungry toddler. I had been a trained chef and had worked in the food industry for about ten years, so I knew I could come up with new recipes for eternity if I needed to. Plus, it had been my dream to write a cookbook since I was a very little girl in my mothers kitchen.

When I started my blog, I didnt know how to take or edit a good picture, how to write a blog post, or even how I was supposed to get people to find my site and read it! Over the course of three years, I went from a standard-issue food blog to a health blog. I did raw food, vegetarian food, completely guilty food. But then, through years of experimentation, I settled on a way of eating that made me feel so amazing, I could never consider eating any other way.

We rented a house in a little neighborhood on the Saanich Peninsula on the South End of Vancouver Island. We raised chickens, grew our own fruits and vegetables, and reveled in our ability to grow our own food, but we struggled to find a way of eating that everyone in the family enjoyed and thrived on. One day we met our neighbors. They were Paleo.

Huh? Whats Paleo? I asked a lot of questions about it, we had dinner together, we shared tips and recipes, and they lent me a few recipe books I could try. All the trendy diets Id ever read aboutno processed food, gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-freethey were all rolled into this one diet.

I fell in love with this style of eating. I ate what I loved the most: grass-fed or pastured meats, wild-caught fish and seafood, fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, nuts and seeds, and healthy fats such as coconut, avocado, and extra-virgin olive oil. I began experimenting with various flours, fats, spices, nuts, fruits, meats, and other tasty things. In my recipes for baked goods, I substituted coconut flour and other gluten-free flours. These ingredients added nutrients, protein, and fiber. Who knew desserts could actually be healthy for you?

The fact that fats are good for you was a turning point in my relationship with food, and coconut oil is one that kept appearing in recipe after recipe. Saturated fats could be good for you?! I was flabbergasted. I spent hours researching scientific articles and then just started making recipes, my favorite way to experiment: on myself.

Coconut oil is a lovely addition to any kind of recipe, from savory to sweet, as it is a bit of a nutritional chameleon. With its slight tropical scent and creamy consistency, coconut oil has become the most used ingredient in my pantry. Because it is semi-hard at room temperature it makes a great replacement for butter in baking but is also quite useful in salad dressings, frying, and general cookery. All the recipes in this book are technically Paleo, but they are also all-around healthy dishes that anyone, on any diet, will love.

My health (and that of my family) and also my passion for cooking have been completely renewed with this new lifestyle and I hope you will feel the same way once you try my recipes.

ELIZABETH NYLAND

P.S. Just in case you want to try it, here are some more specifics about the Paleo diet:

With an emphasis on whole, unprocessed foods, the Paleo diet (or lifestyle, as I like to put it) is based on eating the most nutritionally dense foods, while avoiding those foods that promote inflammation, hormone imbalances, or chronic disease. With that in mind, we avoid dairy, refined sugar, grains (including corn), legumes (including peanuts and soy), refined vegetable oils, and processed foods.

So what is allowed?

Grass-fed or pastured meats (beef, pork, chicken, lamb, game meats, etc.), wild-caught fish and seafood, fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, nuts and seeds, and healthy fats such as coconut, avocado, and extra-virgin olive oil.

The Health Benefits of Coconut Oil

Filled with lauric acid (boosts immune function and heart health)

Contains high levels of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) shown to help burn abdominal fat

Rich in polyphenols (an antioxidant)

Helps fight wrinkles, sagging skin, and age spots by warding off free radicals that cause premature aging and degenerative diseases

Shown to lower bad cholesterol

Helps boost thyroid function, which can lead to weight loss

Helps control blood sugar levels and improves insulin secretion

Contains antimicrobial lipids, capric acid, and caprylic acid, which have antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties

Helps humans absorb more nutrients during digestion

MCT oils are easily converted into fuel used by brain cells for improved brain function and have been shown to have therapeutic effects on several brain disorders, mainly Alzheimers and other neurological disorders

Increases energy and endurance by providing a quick source of energy

from the MCTs

Reduces inflammation

Dramatically reduces rate of seizures in epileptic children

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS OF COCONUT OIL

Helps in the healthy growth of hair, and aids in the control of dandruff.

Great as a conditioner

Makes an excellent skin conditioner on all skin types, especially dry skin

Helps relieve dry, itchy skin

Speeds up wound healing

Can help fight infections because of its antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties.

Reduces symptoms of psoriasis, eczema, dermatitis, and other skin issues

Has been shown to block about 20 percent of the suns harmful UV rays

Has been used as mouthwash in India (called oil pulling) for centuries

COCONUT FLOUR BENEFITS

Gluten-free

High-fiber

High-protein

Low in net carbohydrates (most of the carbs come from the fiber)

Low glycemic index (great for diabetics)