Secret Brownie Recipe

I have been craving brownies lately (mostly because I'm trying to stay away from refined sugars) so I decided to try and find a good recipe using coconut oil.
I found one! It is by Thriving Mom, you can visit her blog HERE.
This is what she says about her Secret Brownie Recipe

• "Everyone who tries my homemade brownies says I have the bestchocolate brownie recipe around. Friends and family always ask me to make my famous brownies. People can't get enough chocolate of my moist brownies. I can't go to a social function without being asked to bring a batch. I'm known around town and my daughter's school as the brownie lady.
  
  Brownie recipes call for either oil, shortening, or butter. I tried many different brownie recipes of each kind. Personally, I am rather fond of the butter recipes, but my husband and all our family and friends think I've found a real winner with an oil based brownie recipe.
  
  Why is it so yummy? Because I use coconut oil instead of the usual vegetable oil.
  
  Now, I know what you're thinking...and no, it doesn't make the brownies taste like coconut any more than using vegetable oil would make them taste like vegetables. There is just something supremely rich about the coconut oil that adds a ton of flavor.
  
  This coconut oil brownie recipe makes a super moist brownie that's almost fudge like, but the chocolate taste is rather mild. This combination makes a divinely moist brownie that can be devoured since it is not overly rich."

You will find the Secret Brownie recipe HERE. 

I'm going to try it out today, if you do too let me know what you think.

Coconut Oil for you Health

You have probably seen on Pinterest, many ways to use Coconut Oil not only for cooking and baking but also for your body and ailments.
At THIS site they have comprised many health facts using various sources over the internet.
Here is one of the reported cures from research they mention:

• VIRUSES/BACTERIAL INFECTIONS/FUNGUS/PARASITESStudies have found that coconut oil can kill viruses that cause influenza, herpes, measles, hepatitis C, SARS, AIDS, and other illnesses. It also kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, gum disease and cavities, pneumonia, and gonorrhea, and other diseases; Kills fungi and yeasts that cause candidiasis, ringworm, athlete's foot, thrush, diaper rash, and other infections; Expels or kills tapeworms, lice, giardia, and other parasites; Coconut oil may provide an effective defense against many parasites including giardia. Like bacteria and fungi, giardia can't stand up against MCFA found in coconut oil. Research has confirmed the effectiveness of MCFA in destroying giardia and possibly other protozoa. By using coconut oil every day, you may be able to destroy giardia. Another possible use for coconut is for the removal of intestinal worms. In India it has traditionally been used to get rid of tapeworms. In one study it was reported that treatment with dried coconut, followed by magnesium sulfate (a laxative), caused ninety percent parasite expulsion after twelve hours. In India coconut oil is also rubbed into the scalp as a treatment to remove head lice. 

Crazy stuff! Please visit the link for the site I mentioned above for a lot more interesting research they have found of Coconut Oil helping/curing various ailments.

Coconut Oil should not only be something that you keep in your everyday kitchen pantry, but is something that you should have in your "Prepper Pantry". It would be good to have Coconut Oil on hand for health benefits if something were to happen that made it difficult to get medication.

Disclaimer: We are not medical professionals. This information is based off of research from various sites on the internet.Only your health care provider, personal physician, or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your unique needs or diagnose your particular medical history. 

Will cooking with Coconut Oil cause it to become hydrogenated and toxic like hydrogenated oils? (Recipe Included)

No. Hydrogenation is an industrial process where hydrogen molecules are introduced to the oil to make it solid at room temperatures. It chemically alters the oil and creates harmful trans fatty acids. 
Cooking with coconut oil does NOT introduce hydrogen into the oil or hydrogenate it. 
Coconut oil is a very stable oil even at higher temperatures.  However, it is best not to cook beyond the smoke point of coconut oil, as this will begin to deteriorate the oil and turn it yellow. Unrefined coconut oil smokes in the range of 350° F. That's about the same as butter or lard. A more refined coconut oil would have a higher smoke point (just above 400° F). Once it has turned dark yellow, the oil should be discarded and no longer used.

Here is a great recipe that uses cooking with Coconut Oil 

(The kids will LOVE these)

Chicken Nuggets Fried in Coconut Oil

Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 10 minutes

• 2 lbs ground chicken
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup breadcrumbs or ground up brown rice cereal
• coconut oil, as needed

Mix all ingredients except coconut oil together until well blended. Add more breadcrumbs if mixture looks too sticky.

Heat coconut oil in a pan over medium heat and drop chicken mixture into pan, shaping into nuggets. Cook until golden brown on both sides and serve.

You can find this recipe HERE

To find more information on Coconut Oil and answers to most frequently asked questions about Coconut Oil, go to THIS fantastic site.

If you live in the Southern Utah area and would like to purchase some Coconut Oil through a group order. Please contact us at chillylizard@gmail.com

Does Coconut Oil need to be kept in the refrigerator, and how long does it last?

No, coconut oil does not need to be kept in the refrigerator. In the Philippines and other tropical climates, where air temperature is much higher than North America, people traditionally have not refrigerated coconut oil. Virgin Coconut oil is very stable since it is unrefined and mostly saturated. 
It is recommended that you store coconut oil out of direct sunlight
In the tropics coconut oil is almost always a liquid, since it’s melting point is about 76 degrees F. In North America it will usually be a solid, butter-like consistency. It can be stored in either form.

This brings up another question: Is Coconut Oil a solid or a Liquid?
Coconut oil turns into liquid if it is stored above 75 degrees F. (25 C.), and below that it will be a solid fat. It can be stored in either form, and it can be liquefied easily by applying low level heat.

If you live in the Southern Utah area and would like to purchase through a group order Tropical Traditions Expeller-pressed coconut oil or Gold Label coconut oil, email us at chillylizard@gmail.com. 

Visit http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/faq.htm#1 for more great information on Coconut Oil

How much coconut oil should one ingest daily to receive its benefits?

The benefits of coconut oil are mainly from the nutrient value of medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs).

• The vast majority of fats and oils in our diets, whether they are saturated or unsaturated or come from animals or plants, are composed of long-chain fatty acids (LCFA). Some 98 to 100% of all the fatty acids you consume are LCFA.The size of the fatty acid is extremely important. Why? Because our bodies respond to and metabolize each fatty acid differently depending on its size. So the physiological effects of MCFA in coconut oil are distinctly different from those of LCFA more commonly found in our foods. The saturated fatty acids in coconut oil are predominately medium-chain fatty acids. Both the saturated and unsaturated fat found in meat, milk, eggs, and plants (including most all vegetable oils) are composed of LCFA.MCFA are very different from LCFA. They do not have a negative effect on cholesterol and help to protect against heart disease. MCFA help to lower the risk of both atherosclerosis and heart disease. It is primarily due to the MCFA in coconut oil that makes it so special and so beneficial.

 The best comparison in nature as to the percentage of MCFAs being consumed in a diet is human breast milk. To equal the amount of MCFAs a nursing infant would receive in one day, an adult would need to consume about 3.5 tablespoons of coconut oil a day according to researchers. Since coconut oil in nature is packaged inside the coconut meat, it is recommended to consume this amount throughout the day with food high in fiber and protein. However, for those not used to coconut oil in their diet, it is best to start out with an amount far less than this first, to see how your body reacts.

http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/ 
http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/faq.htm#1

Make Your Own Chickpea Flour

You will find in some Indian, Turkish, Italian, Spanish and French recipes that it will ask for chickpea flour. But finding a store that stocks chickpea flour can be difficult. Here is how you can make your own in little to no time at all.

Chickpea flour — also known as besan, gram flour, channa flour, harina de garbanzo — is a popular ingredient in many Old World cuisines. It is the used in the batter for Indian pakoras. The French of Provence make a popular bread called soccawith it that they bake in wood-fired ovens. Persian Jews mix it with ground chicken to form gundi dumplings. Chickpea flour can also be a great substitute for wheat flour in many recipes and for thickening sauces. Good news for those who want to go gluten-free!

Here's how to make your own. It should yield around 1 1/2 cups.

Chickpea Flour Recipe

• 2 cups of dried chickpeas

1. Add the chickpeas in small batches to a food processor, coffee grinder or blender and process until pulverized and smooth.
2. Run through a sieve to remove any large particles. Use as directed in recipes.

• Toasted Chickpea Flour: toast the chickpeas in a 400°F oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the chickpeas start to give off a toasted aroma and are lightly browned. Cool and proceed with the recipe above.

What is Chickpea Flour?

In the United States, most people automatically think of wheat when a recipe calls for flour, but ground wheat is only one type of flour among dozens. Chickpea flour adds a nutty taste to baking, soups and sauces, and can substitute for wheat flour in most recipes. Both wheat-free and gluten-free, chickpea flour is also easier to digest than other wheat-flour substitutes, such as soy flour.

Identification

Chickpea flour is nothing more than dried chickpeas, ground to a flour-like consistency. Other names for chickpea flour include gram flour, cici flour and garbanzo bean flour. Besan is chickpea flour made with unroasted chickpeas. Chana is flour made from roasted chickpeas.

Nutritional Facts

One cup--92g--of chickpea flour provides 356 calories, including 52 calories from fat. A 1-cup serving of chickpea flour also contains 6g of total fat, 1g of saturated fat and no trans fat. With 53.2g of total carbohydrate, a cup of chickpea flour provides 18 percent of your recommended daily value--DV--of carbohydrate and 40 percent of the recommended DV of dietary fiber, as well as 41 percent of the recommended DV of protein. When you eat a 1-cup serving of chickpea flour, you'll also be getting vitamin A, vitamin K and several B-complex vitamins, including thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and a full day's supply of folate. Chickpea flour provides 25 percent of the DV for iron, 74 percent of the recommended DV for manganese, and various amounts of other trace elements and minerals, including calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper and selenium.

Availability

If your grocery store has an extensive international foods section, you may find chickpea flour in the Indian foods section under the names gram flour, besan or chana flour. Most groceries that sell Indian foods and ingredients carry chickpea flour, since it's a main ingredient in many Indian foods. Health food stores also carry a variety of non-wheat and gluten-free flours, often including chickpea flour. If you can't find chickpea flour locally, look for it through a health food supplier or co-op online.

Using Chickpea Flour in Recipes

Substitute 7/8 cup of chickpea flour for 1 cup of wheat flour for most baked goods. For yeast-raised breads, use 1 part chickpea flour to 4 parts wheat or spelt flour, says Margaret Wittenberg in "Good Food: The Complete Guide to Eating Well." In recipes that use flour for thickening, substitute chickpea flour for wheat flour or cornstarch on a one-to-one ratio. Use toasted chickpea flour for baking, Wittenberg advises, and untoasted for soups, fritters and dips such as hummus.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/160151-chickpea-flour-facts/#ixzz2PzLrWY6O

Crispy Roasted Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) - Recipe

Don't these look so yummy. These are Crispy Roasted Chickpeas and they are super easy to make. You only need 4 ingredients. Please go HERE to get the recipe and step-by-step instructions (with pictures).
You won't be sorry!

Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas)

Garbanzo beans are a versatile and tasty legume. They can be tossed into salads, roasted, stirred into stews and mashed into a tasty, Mediterranean dip. But these tiny legumes are not only delicious, they also offer a lot of nutritional value. If you don’t already have garbanzo beans as a staple in your pantry, after reading the following nutritional information, you will most likely want to.

Protein

Garbanzo beans are a great source of dietary protein. Vegetarians would do well to add garbanzo beans to their diets. When paired with whole grains, garbanzo beans provide a source of protein comparable to that of meat or dairy products, without the worry of saturated fat or cholesterol. One cup of garbanzo beans supplies roughly 27 percent of daily protein requirements.

Fiber

Garbanzo beans, like other legumes, are rich in dietary fiber. Garbanzos contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. Each type of fiber works in different ways to keep the body in healthy, working order. Soluble fiber works in the digestive tract to move excess cholesterol out of the body. Insoluble fiber helps to prevent constipation and other digestive disorders. One cup of garbanzo beans supplies almost half of the recommended daily allowance of dietary fiber.

Manganese

Garbanzo beans contain significant amounts of the trace mineral manganese. Manganese plays an important role in energy production. It’s also an important component in the body’s antioxidant activity.

Folate

Garbanzo beans are also a good source of folate. This nutrient is vital for women of childbearing years. Consuming adequate levels of folate prior to pregnancy can prevent certain birth defects, such as spina bifida. One cup of garbanzo beans contains 70 percent of the RDA for non-pregnant adults.

Iron

Garbanzos beans are a good source of iron. Iron is important for energy production. Deficiencies often result in fatigue. Iron is especially important to menstruating women, as significant amounts of the mineral can be lost due to heavy periods.

Selection

Garbanzo beans can be purchased dried or canned. Look for whole, uncracked beans that are free from moisture, when purchasing dried garbanzos. Canned beans are a convenient way to purchase garbanzos. Unlike vegetables, garbanzo bean’s nutritional components hold up well to the canning process. Their protein and fiber content are only lowered slightly when canned. However, canned garbanzos do have significantly lower levels of folate than the dried beans. The canning process can deplete folate levels as much as 45 percent.

Storage

Dried garbanzo beans are best stored in an airtight container. Place the container in a cool, dry place, away from sunlight, and they will keep for well up to a year. Once cooked, garbanzo beans may be placed in a container and stored in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days.

Preparation

To lower their sodium content, drain and rinse canned garbanzos before use. Dried beans should be soaked prior to use. This is simple to do. Just place the garbanzo beans in a container of water and soak overnight.

Whole Wheat Bread Recipe WITH Coconut Oil!?

WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

Put all of these ingredients in Bosch and mix well:

9 Rounded Cups fresh ground hard wheat
2 T Salt
½ C Powdered milk

Add:
½ C Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil (or oil of your choice)
½ C honey (or sugar of your choice)
2 T Lecithin (supplement)
3 Eggs
5 C of very hot water

Turn mixer on an d as soon as dry ingredients are moistened add 2 ½ rounded T of
LeSaffe dry yeast while mixer is running. You may need to add up to 3 C of WHITE
flour while it is mixing if the dough doesn’t begin to clean the sides of the bowl. Keep it
“sticky” – makes a better loaf.. Mix for 10 minutes on 3 speed.

Take the dough hook out and cover the dough in the bowl; let set until dough rises to the
top of the lid.

Put out on floured surface and divide into 6 loaves. Form into loaves and put into large
non stick pans. Cover and let rise in warm place. (If not using non stick pans it works
best if you put some type of oil or shortening in the pans).

Let raise until double (or light). Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes (ovens vary).

Monique Jackson's Wheat Bread Recipe

Monique Jackson’s Wheat Bread – September 2009

6 C warm water
2 T Vital Wheat Gluten
3/4 C oil
2 T Powdered Milk or Instant Milk
3/4 C honey
2 T Dough Enhancer
2 T yeast
2 T Salt
15 C wheat flour

Put all 8 ingredients in Bosch with 6 ups of ground wheat flour and mix on speed 1 for 1
minute. Watch to see that the yeast is active and forming bubbles. Add 9 C of remaining
wheat flour. Mix for 10 minutes. Butter counter, put dough on counter with butter side
up and let rest 10 minutes. Cut into 4 equal sections and mold into 4 buttered 2 pound
loaf pans. Turn oven on to 170 degrees for one minute and then turn oven off. Place
pans in oven and set timer for 30 minute. After 30 minutes turn oven to 350 degrees
leaving pans in oven while it warms to 350 degrees. Bake for 34 minute.

•    I’ve even baked this in a Solar Oven & it turns out fabulous!

How To Take The Gas Out Of Lentils

Lentils are inexpensive legumes that are full of high-quality protein, fiber, iron, phosphorous, manganese and vitamin B1. These versatile vegetables also are free of cholesterol and slim on fat content. The outer coatings of lentils contain a substance called oligosaccharides, which is a complex sugar that can cause flatulence. Certain steps can help take the gas out of lentils, however.

To find out the steps go HERE to the original article. 

Ten Things You Probably Didn't Know About Lentils

Lentils have been a part of the human diet since the Neolithic times. These protein packed members of the legume family are just as easily served in a side dish as they are as a main course. Here's a list of ten things you didn't know about lentils.

1. Lentils are the only beans that don't need to be presoaked. Most types of beans in the legume family need to be soaked for hours prior to cooking to soften their tough outer shell. Lentils need only be pre-rinsed briefly before cooking.

2. There are ten different types of lentil beans. Brown lentils are by far the most common type of lentils beans, finding their way into lentil soups and casseroles most frequently. There are ten different types of lentils however, ranging in color from red to pink to yellow. Lentils also come in different sizes.

3. Lentils originated in central Asia. Lentils were one of the first crops to be cultivated by humans and date back to Neolithic times. Lentil seeds were recently discovered in Asia that date back more than 8,000 years. Lentils were later introduced to Egypt and Greece pre Biblical times. In the United States, lentils didn't make an appearance until the early 1900s.

4. Canned lentils do not lose nutritional value. Most vegetables and beans which are processed and then canned lose much of their nutritional value. Lentils retain their nutrition whether dry packed or canned.

5. Lentils provide more folic acid than any other unfortified food. One cup of lentils provides 90% of the recommended daily intake of folic acid, a crucial nutrient. Lentils are also an excellent source of protein, molybdenum, manganese, iron and fiber.

6. Lentils are considered the food for mourners. In Judaism, the round shape of the lentil bean is said to signify the circle of life.

7. There's a National Lentil Festival in the United States. Since 1989, the National Lentil Festival has been held in Pullman, Washington, where over one-third of the US lentil crop is grown. Festival goers enjoy an annual parade, lentil cook off, beauty pageant and golf tournament.

8. Lentils are a good legume for diabetics. Most legumes in the bean family are high in carbohydrates and must be eaten sparingly by those with diabetes. Unlike their cousins, lentils are high in soluble fiber and low in carbohydrates, and have been proven to decrease serum glucose levels and cholesterol.

9. Small lentils are more flavorful. The smaller lentils, mostly grown in the Middle East, are packed with flavor and considered to be the more favorable lentil for cooking. Larger lentils, more common in North America, lack the intensity of their smaller cousins.

10. Lentils were once used as packing material. The packing peanut industry grew out of lentils, which were used in earlier times in the middle to secure packages for safekeeping during shipping.

Brown, Green, and Red. Is there a difference?

There is a broad variety of lentils, but here are the most common kinds of lentils we see in stores:

Brown Lentils - This is by far the most common variety of lentil, and probably the one that you see at your local grocery store. They can range in color from khaki-brown to dark black, and generally have a mild earthy flavor. They cook in about 20-30 minutes and hold their shape very well. Common varieties are Spanish Brown, German Brown, or Indian Brown. The blackest and tiniest lentils you find are usually Beluga lentils, which have a rich and deeply earthy flavor.

Green Lentils - These can be pale or mottled green-brown in color with a glossy exterior. They have a strong, somewhat peppery flavor. Green lentils generally take the longest to cook, upwards of 45 minutes, but they keep a firm texture even after cooking. This makes them ideal for salads and other side dishes.

Red Lentils - With colors ranging from gold to orange to actual red, these are the sweetest and nuttiest of the lentils - to our mind, at least! They're somewhere in the middle in terms of cooking time and are usually done in about 30 minutes. They tend to get mushy when cooked through, so they're perfect for curries, or for thickening soups. A few varieties are Red Chief and Crimson, and you'll often find them in Indian or Middle Eastern markets labeled as masoor (red lentils) or channa (yellow lentils).

Do you have a favorite kind of lentil? What do you like to make with them?