Coconut & Cinnamon Raisin Bread

A while ago, I bought some coconut oil to use for my Coconut Garlic Kale Chips, and I've been looking for an excuse to use it ever since - it's not the cheapest product to buy in the first place so I want to make the most of it! I came across this recipe for Coconut & Cinnamon Raisin Bread and thought I'd hit the coconut jackpot. Using coconut oil, coconut flour and coconut flakes, it seemed well worth a try. Coconut oil is a great all-rounder. Not only has it been proved to be a great quick source of energy and improve brain health, it is also an amazing natural beauty product! It can be used as an intense moisturiser for skin and as a conditioner for hair. Plus it smells amazing. Coconut flour is rich in soluble fibre and packed with protein. It's low glycaemic index also makes it a suitable alternative to flour which suits both diabetics and those with a sensitivity to gluten. Again, it's not the cheapest product in the world (£3.99 for a 500g box) but it can be quickly used up in any home-baking. The chia seeds are also an added bonus to this bread, adding even more fibre and a source of omega-3 fatty acids. 

This recipe contains no added sugar, thanks to the bananas and raisins. Personally, for saying it's a raisin bread, I think it could do with a few more raisins in the recipe so I suggest adding slightly more! The same goes for the cinnamon. I though a tablespoon seemed quite a lot but the flavour didn't really come through so I'd perhaps add half a tablespoon more next time. The denseness of the coconut flour and bananas make this bread so ridiculously moist (love that word). You can top it with jam/honey/butter if you prefer but it's also good on it's own. Give this one a go...

You Will Need:

-300g bananas

-60ml coconut oil

-60ml almond milk

-4 large eggs

-65g coconut flour

-40g chia seeds

-1 tbsp ground cinnamon

-45g raisins

-2tsp baking powder

-pinch of salt

-coconut flakes  to top

Before you begin, preheat your oven to 150C/gas mark 2. Line and grease a 2 litre loaf tin (you may want to check you actually have some greaseproof paper. I didn't so had to use extra oil). Combine the bananas, coconut oil, milk and eggs in a blender and mix until smooth. This can easily be done by hand but will obviously take a little longer. In a separate bowl, combine all the dry ingredients - coconut flour, chia seeds, cinnamon, baking powder, raisins and salt - and mix together with a spoon. Slowly start to add the wet ingredients to the dry and combine well until smooth.




Leave the mixture to stand for about 5 minutes to allow the chia seeds and coconut flour to absorb some of the moisture. Spoon into your prepared loaf tin and sprinkle over some coconut flakes (this is optional. You can leave out a topping altogether or add something different like nuts). Bake for 50 minutes before checking with a skewer to see if it comes out clean. Depending on your oven, it may take a little longer, but seeing as ours is like the burning pits of hell at the best of times, 50 minutes was fine for me! If you notice it starting to brown too much, cover with file for the remaining cooking time.


Leave the loaf to cool for a while before removing it. It's nicer when served warm but is also great cold and can be stored in an air-tight container for up to a week. Enjoy!

Nic
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Vanilla Chia Breakfast Pudding

Any foodie will have become well aware of chia in recent months, apart from those living under a rock. It has burst into the health-food scene as one of the most nutritionally dense foods around. So what exactly is it? These tiny little "superfood" seeds are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, as well as being rich in fibre. Originating in Mexico, these seeds are far from new. Evidence has shown that they were a staple food for the Aztecs who, needless to say, probably didn't have to pay a whopping price tag like we do nowadays! Yep... unfortunately, as with most emerging health-foods, they don't come that cheaply but, if you have a look around, an offer is always found somewhere. 

Health wise, chia seeds have been shown to lower cholesterol, aid digestion (thanks to the healthy dose of fibre), and stabilise blood sugar. Studies are currently going on to see whether chia can act as a natural treatment for type-2 diabetes which could be life changing for an ever increasing number of people. How? Nothings been proven yet but it is thought that, due to chia seeds slowing down the rate of digestion, they help to prevent major blood sugar peaks and troughs. 

Anyway! Enough of the science talk. This breakfast pudding contains an absolute minefield of goodness to start your day. The texture may put some people off (think cold semolina?!) but I promise you'll be won over (possibly). The recipe below gives two large servings but you can easily adapt it if necessary.

You will need:

-450ml almond milk
-80g chia seeds
-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
-2 tbsp. honey (raw if possible)
-fruit and/or nuts of your choice for topping












Combine almond milk, chia seeds, vanilla and honey in a bowl. Mix well until combined and the mixture starts to thicken (chia is incredibly gelatinous so gentle stirring for about 5 minutes will achieve this). Store covered in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight if possible. If the pudding becomes to thick, add a little water before serving.













All that's left to do is to top it! I used peaches, plums and blueberries, but any fruit would do.










This is sooo easy to make. Worth a try just for the fact that it's something a little different!

Nic
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