Gluten-Free Mexican Scotch Eggs

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30-35 minutes
Serves: Makes 8 big scotch eggs

Ingredients:

• 10 eggs (2 are for the coating)
• 12 high meat percentage gluten-free sausages
• 1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped into small chunks
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped into small chunks
• ½ cup ground almonds
• 3 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp cayenne chili powder
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, add 8 of the eggs, bring to the boil again and cook for 4 minutes. As soon as the 4 minutes are up, remove saucepan from the heat, pour the hot water away, and replace with cold water to prevent the eggs from cooking further.
3. Mix the sausage meat, peppers, herbs, spices, salt, and pepper together thoroughly using your hands.
4. Peel your eggs, spread the ground almonds out on a plate, and then beat the remaining 2 eggs.
5. Carefully wrap the meat mixture around each egg until each egg is completely covered. Have a bowl of water handy and wet your hands a little to prevent the mixture sticking to you.
6. Once each egg is covered, roll each one in the beaten egg and then in the ground almonds. Then place onto a baking tray and into the oven for 25-30 minutes on the top rack.

Note: Some may split but don’t worry, they still taste awesome.

Read More:

• Stuffed and Sexy: 3 Sweet Potato Recipes for Post-Workout Meals
• How to Eat for All-Day Energy and Athletic Performance
• 5 Steps to Easy Weekly Meal Preparation
• New On Breaking Muscle Today

The post Protein Powerhouse: Gluten-Free Mexican Scotch Eggs appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

In the past, I have been an advocate of certain traditional dishes and spaghetti carbonara was at the top of that list. I don’t think all grains are hell-sent or that carbs will jump out at you in the middle of the night, but at this stage in my life a giant plate of pasta just isn’t part of my eating plan. The ensuing blood sugar rollercoaster isn’t optimal for a lot of other athletes, either.

For a long while, I skulked around, missing my favourite dish. Occasionally I just had it because I don’t believe in denying myself anything, but I felt like crap afterwards. Then by chance, I bought a discount hamper of short-dated stuff from a local deli which included a couple of tins of cannellini beans. They sat there for a week or so before it occurred to me to make this dish with them.

I’ve swapped out the refined flour pasta for a pulse-based dish even more convenient than the original classic. For those training hard, the beans are similar in calorie density to pasta with the added bonuses of essential minerals, protein, and fibre. Cannellini carbonara. It even sounds good.

Cannellini Carbonara

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 400g tins of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 250g lardons or diced streaky bacon
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 100g Parmesan cheese
• 6 egg yolks
• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Put a saucepan of salted water on to boil.
2. Put the bacon and garlic cloves into a large frying pan and set over a high heat. Stir regularly to ensure even cooking. It should take about 10 minutes until the pancetta and garlic are crispy.
3. Whilst this is cooking, pour the beans into the saucepan of salted water and turn the heat down to a simmer.
4. In a separate jug, mix the egg yolks with the parmesan. A little pro tip: grab a fork to stir the egg and cheese mixture, then slowly add a ladle full of the simmering bean water to the mixture and stir it continuously.
5. When the bacon is crispy, take if off the heat. Add a little of the bean water to this pan to lift any of the delicious flavour off the bottom of the pan.
6. Drain the beans, add them to the bacon pan and mix thoroughly. Then add the egg mix and stir briskly.
7. Serve on warm plates topped with copious amounts of fresh black pepper and more parmesan. Boom – done.

More Like This:

• Supercharged Snacking: Gluten-Free Mexican Scotch Eggs
• Kilner Jar Noodles: Convenient Carbs for Athletes
• 5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Avoid Eating Beans
• New on Breaking Muscle UK

Photo courtesy of Tim Harrison.

The post Cannellini Carbonara: A Tasty Alternative for Pasta Lovers appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Little did I know using food as medicine would test my motivation. Even with solid proof that gluten was poison for me, I still struggled to make the change. I always had the internal motivation to keep my mind and body right, so this new lack of enthusiasm was out of character for me. Why was this happening?

When Food and Family Tradition Collide

As athletes we often fall into the trap of thinking sweating a lot will make up for bad eating habits. This outcome can motivate us, but is it the best way to support our workouts and our health? Have you ever wondered what keeps you from conscious eating, especially when you are already a committed athlete?

Many of us are held back by cultural norms that mean more than food. They mean generations of family and are deeply rooted in tradition. Food is at the core of these cultural norms. We resist change because it disrupts the cultural make-up of our lives. Once I realized that my problem with ditching gluten wasn’t just about food, I could work toward creating effective and lasting change.

Rethink Your Definition of Pasta

I knew I needed to get out of my own way, but I didn’t know where to begin. Then came the concept of zoodles, or spiralized vegetables. Zoodles are the pasta of the conscious eater. They bring sexy back to the kitchen. Little did I know spiralized veggies could create an amazing pasta alternative that also supports all of my family’s tried-and-true pasta recipes.

Changing the narrative to respond to what our bodies are telling us is a key element of athletic success and performance. If you struggle with this change, ask yourself what the real issue might be and allow the answer to surface. For many people it has nothing to do with the love of food and more to do with what the food means. In order to create effective, lasting change, you may need to transform your cultural narrative.

My pasta narrative has changed, and I no longer miss gluten-filled noodles. In fact, I seldom even consider pasta as anything beyond spiralized zoodle fun. Here are some great uses for zoodles in your kitchen.

Left: sweet potatoes; Top right: beets; Bottom right: zucchini.

How to Use Zoodles in the Kitchen

Using a spiralizer, you can zoodle zucchini, sweet potatoes, and beets to serve as a pasta base. I love using zucchini to serve as a direct replacement for the traditional spaghetti and meatballs.

I often throw the zoodles into a pan for about five minutes and heat them up in an oil of my choice. Once this is done, I serve by plating the zoodle base, adding desired amount of sauce, and finishing with a sprinkle of fresh basil. Delicious. Or you can add them to one of my meatball recipes here on Breaking Muscle – Italian wedding soup with meatballs or three variations on classic Italian meatballs. Here’s a simple tomato sauce recipe that tastes great with all varieties of zoodles.

Quick Tomato Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

• 32oz can organic diced tomatoes
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 Tablespoons of desired fat (EVO or coconut oil)
• Bunch of fresh organic basil
• Pink Himalayan sea salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Hot pepper flakes (optional)

Method

1. Place oil in saucepan heated to medium high.
2. Once at desired temperature, place garlic cloves in oil, watching carefully. Keep shaking the pan slightly until the garlic is golden in color. Be careful not to burn it. Once the garlic is ready, add the diced tomato and salt and pepper to taste, mixing well.
3. Cook over low heat for about an hour, allowing the flavors to mix well.
4. Chop desired amount of fresh basil and sprinkle it on the top of the plated pasta and meatballs before serving.

You’ll Also Enjoy:

• For the Love of Pie: 7 Steps Toward Reconnecting With Your Food
• Recipe: Go Gluten-Free & Still Eat Your Holiday Pumpkin Bread
• Make One Small Change to Make a Big Difference to Your Health
• New on Breaking Muscle Today

Photo 1 courtesy of Shutterstock.

Photo collage courtesy of V Capaldi.

The post Zoodles: A Delicious, Gluten-Free Pasta Alternative appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Per the amazing folks over at the Mayo Clinic, “A gluten-free diet is a diet that excludes the protein gluten. Gluten is found in grains such as wheat, barley, rye and triticale (a cross between wheat and rye).” Going gluten free is used to treat celiac disease, as gluten causes inflammation in the small intestines of individuals with celiac disease. So adhering to a nutrition plan that is gluten free helps control the symptoms and issues that come from consuming gluten.

Many of you might not have celiac disease, however many people without a clear-cut allergy might still have a high intolerance, which generates the same issues and complications. If you have a high intolerance, then consuming a moderate to high amount of gluten might be causing you more harm than good with issues such as inflammation, abdominal pain, bloating, and diarrhea. All of which are not real sexy or fun to deal with.

Eating a gluten-free, clean, fresh, and healthy diet will go a long way in helping you boost your metabolism, lose weight, get lean, and put you on the path to the healthiest you have ever been. But it only works if you follow some key strategies:

1. Ditch the word “diet.”

The “D” word only equates to short-term success. Instead of considering this to be a diet, consider it as a life-long change. Make it a lifestyle change for permanent results.

2. Ditch as many grains as possible.

Don’t just replace gluten-filled baked goods with gluten-free options. Store-bought gluten-free breads, crackers, muffins, and snacks are usually filled with starchy carbohydrates that will spike insulin levels and add a nice puffy layer of padding around your middle. Aim for high-protein flours such as coconut flour, almond flour, teff flour, quinoa flour, oat flour, or millet flour if you are going to make or consume any baked goods.

3. Learn how to read labels.

Gluten can be lurking in surprising places. Get your gluten-free cheat sheet and keep it with you so you do not end up getting glutened without knowing it.

4. Begin a love affair with the produce aisle

By the produce aisle, I actually mean the entire exterior of your grocery store. This is the easiest way to go gluten-free and become a lean machine. Fruits, vegetables, seafood, meat, and poultry are all naturally gluten free.

5. Spice up your relationship with food.

While you are in the middle of that love affair with the exterior of your store, include the spice aisle into the mix and make it a threesome. Getting creative with your spices and herbs can transform a bland meal into a sexy, delicious masterpiece.

6. Plan your meals out at the beginning of the week.

Put together a simple clean-eating menu plan and create the shopping list. Get everything you need at the beginning of the week so it is all on hand and ready to go.

7. Ditch the refined sugars.

Sugar drains and leaches the body of precious vitamins and minerals through the demand its digestion, detoxification, and elimination makes upon your entire system. Sugar eaten every day produces a continuously overly acidic condition, and more and more minerals are required from deep in the body in the attempt to rectify the imbalance. Excess sugar eventually affects every organ in the body and is stored in the form of fat in the most inactive areas – the belly, the buttocks, the breasts, and the thighs.

8. Eat only whole fresh foods.

Challenge yourself to eliminate packaged foods from your pantry.

9. Focus on taking care of your gut from the inside out.

Healing the gut and taking care of your digestion will go a long way in giving you that flat belly you have been longing for.

10. Keep your meals simple.

Keep your meal ingredients to a minimum. Create fresh and easy meals that only take minutes to throw together. This goes a long way to keeping you on track and helping you from falling off the wagon because it is getting too hard or because it takes too long to make something. Some of the simplest meals can look and feel the most gourmet when all you are using are fresh wholesome ingredients.

Hopefully these ten tips can help you guys kick start your journey. If you have comments or questions, please leave them below. I would love to hear from you.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post 10 Ways to Go Gluten-Free, Get Lean, and Stay That Way appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Celiac disease is the unfortunate condition of being allergic to gluten. To lead normal digestive lives, people with celiac disease must eat completely gluten free.

Gluten is a protein found in products made from wheat and other grains. In today’s food industry, gluten finds its way into practically everything. If you are eating something that tastes thick or chewy, then it probably contains gluten.

Celiac disease is the unfortunate condition of being allergic to gluten. To lead normal digestive lives, people with celiac disease must eat completely gluten free.

But you may be able to benefit from a gluten-free diet, even if you don’t have celiac disease.

This fact comes from a new study in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. Researchers took two groups of mice and fed them a diet high in fat. Both groups received an identical amount of calories daily. However, the diet for the first group of mice included gluten, while the second group of mice was gluten-free.

At the end of the study the gluten-free mice had retained less fat. The gluten-free group even showed better glucose sensitivity. This means that a gluten-free diet could have potential health benefits for everyone.

A previous study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology also showed the benefits of a gluten-free diet in people without celiac disease. Researchers took 34 patients with irritable bowel syndrome and broke them into two groups. The first group was allowed to eat gluten for six weeks, while the second group remained gluten-free.

It only took one week for the gluten group to report worsened symptoms.

They reported more pain, bloating, and tiredness. The gluten group also reported – brace yourself – less satisfaction with the consistency of their stool. This is particularly upsetting. Life is too short to be disappointed with your poop.

The evidence is mounting. Gluten-free diets can improve the health of everyone, not just those with celiac disease.

If you’re skeptical, I encourage you to try a few weeks eating gluten-free. Gluten awareness at grocery stores and restaurants has increased so much over the past few years that eating gluten-free is much easier than it once was.

I bet you’ll feel better, perform better at the gym, and probably be more satisfied with life – including your bathroom breaks.

References

1. Soares, Fabiola et al. Gluten-free diet reduces adiposity, inflammation and insulin resistance associated with the induction of PPAR-alpha and PPAR-gamma expression. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. June 2013. Vol 24. Issue 6. p1105-1111

2. Biesiekierski, Jessica et al. Gluten Causes Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Subjects Without Celiac Disease: A Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial. The American Journal of Gastroenterology. 11 January 2011. doi:10.1038/ajg.2010.487

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Is Gluten Free for Everyone? appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

At a lecture the other night I was turned on to recent research highlighting the effects of our “Western” diet on the bacteria that live in our body. What caught my attention about this article were the specific effects of refined carbohydrates on those bacteria. The main idea of the article was that our gut microflora – i.e. the trillions of bacteria living in our bodies – can become imbalanced due to the emphasis of the Western diet on refined and/or processed foods – and can contribute to the development of diseases like obesity and diabetes.¹

It was in the 1970s that people began to fear fat. Perhaps, I thought, it’s no coincidence that around the same time we began to see a marked rise in the consumption of refined or processed foods (such as flour, sugar, and vegetable oils), we also saw a rise in obesity and diabetes. I decided it was time to take a closer look at the relationship between our body’s bacteria and refined carbohydrates.

Bacteria As an Organ?

The bacteria in our body – known in some circles as the microflora or microbiota – functions similarly to an organ, performing many functions while existing peacefully in a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship within us. For example, bacteria in the colon produce energy in the form of short chain fatty acids (SCFA), make vitamin K, regulate the turnover of cells lining the intestine, and help protect against invading bacteria and pathogens.²

Think of our bacterial microflora as the middleman between what we eat – our diet – and our body. Since bacteria are first to come in contact with food, it makes sense that they are affected by our diet. When bacteria become imbalanced, inflammation is often the result. So, if our diet is subpar then we’re looking at a situation of probable system-wide inflammation.³

Call it paleo or primal eating style, but a diet free of refined grains, flour, sugar, and vegetable oils seems to support a healthy mixture of gut microflora. On the other hand, a typical Western diet – very high in calories from refined carbohydrates but low in overall nutrients – tends to have the opposite effect, contributing to an imbalance in gut bacteria that lends itself further downstream to the development of insulin resistance, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.¹

What’s Diet Got to Do With It?

If we have a state where the body’s own bacterial microflora is out of whack, and the bad bacteria are running the streets, we start to see an increased presence of a molecule called lipopolysaccharide (LPS), found on the cell surface of bacteria. These molecules trigger the body’s immune defenses, producing inflammation as the troops are mobilized and sent out on patrol.

Inflammation and insulin resistance are only a couple of the symptoms of a change in the gut microflora.⁴ Others are less obvious, such as an increased amount of energy derived from typically indigestible plant fibers. With a normal balance of gut bacteria, some plant fibers are digested to a certain point, producing SCFAs used for energy in the process. But with an imbalanced gut microflora more SCFAs are produced, leading to increased energy coming into the body. In layman’s terms, this means it’s easier to gain weight (a problem that many of us have probably experienced at one point or another).

Gain Weight No Matter How Little You Eat

If you come across clients who are overweight or obese and you discover their diets are high in refined carbohydrates, it’s probably safe to guess that their gut bacteria is making it easier for them to put on weight. For every ounce of food they eat or drink, more and more of that is being harvested for energy by an ever-growing gut flora that thrives on refined carbohydrates.⁵

Taking care of your gut bacterial microflora is important. It’s not just about following a particular diet so you can lose or gain weight. The implications of our nutritional choices are more significant than we may realize and could impact our long-term health. If we keep our bacteria microflora happy and thriving in a balanced environment, our health will be on the right track.

References:

1. Spreadbury I. Comparison with ancestral diets suggests dense acellular carbohydrates promote an inflammatory microbiota, and may be the primary dietary cause of leptin resistance and obesity. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2012;5:175–189.

2. Guarner F, Malagelada J-R. Gut flora in health and disease. The Lancet. 2003;361(9356):512–519.

3. Burcelin R. Regulation of Metabolism: A Cross Talk Between Gut Microbiota and Its Human Host. Physiology. 2012;27(5):300–307.

4. Musso G, Gambino R, Cassader M. Obesity, Diabetes, and Gut Microbiota The hygiene hypothesis expanded? Dia Care. 2010;33(10):2277–2284.

5. Turnbaugh PJ, Ley RE, Mahowald MA, Magrini V, Mardis ER, Gordon JI. An obesity-associated gut microbiome with increased capacity for energy harvest. Nature. 2006;444(7122):1027–131.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Gut Bacteria and Obesity – A Hidden Connection? appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Nowadays, choosing a gluten-free style of eating is much more common, with many people participating for reasons other than simply to treat celiac disease. As with any rising dietary trend, it’s important to understand the basic underlying principles. Let’s take a look at gluten and see if we can understand what’s going on.

What is Gluten?

Gluten is a grain-based protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. As a component of processed foods, gluten can be found in bread, pasta, cereals, pizza, beer, cookies, and others. There it functions literally as a glue to give foods their structure (e.g. breads) and consistency (e.g. pasta).

It can also be found in less-obvious foods like soy sauce, ketchup, ice cream, and even hygiene products like shampoo or lotion. I don’t know about you, but it’s super strange to think of an ingredient like gluten, something of which I have eaten my fair share, contained in a form that I would never in a million years associate with food.

Gluten is made up of the smaller protein fractions gliadin and glutelin. Of these two, gliadin is the one that seems to cause the most problems. For those with celiac disease (and gluten-sensitive people alike), it is most certainly an unwelcome party-crasher.

Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease characterized by damage to the digestive system, specifically the hair-like villi cells that form the absorptive and protective lining of our small intestine. These cells become degraded and lose their ability to absorb nutrients. They also lose their ability to protect the inside of the body (the bloodstream and internal organs) from outside allergens or toxins routinely present in the food we eat.

As surprising as it may sound, our digestive system is considered to be outside our body. In other words, the cells lining our digestive tract, from mouth to anus, separate the food we eat from our insides. Normally, these cells are absolute rock stars and, in a perfect world, do a top-notch job of keeping bad stuff like bacteria and other environmental toxins out of our system while letting in the good stuff such as proteins, amino acids, and sugars. However, in cases like celiac disease, this picture-perfect scenario ceases to exist.

What Does Celiac Disease Look Like?

Celiac disease is no joke. This not-so-awesome immune response to gluten can manifest itself in many ways, from the more obvious diarrhea, abdominal pain, cramping, and chronic fatigue, to less-conspicuous changes in the joints or even the brain. Individuals with undiagnosed celiac disease can often appear malnourished or emaciated, but not all do, and not all individuals show the most characteristic symptoms.

Unfortunately, in addition to an increase in the numbers of reported celiac disease, there are many more people affected by a wide spectrum of gluten-sensitivity disorders. As misfortune would have it, the culprit seems primarily to be gliadin. It does a fantastic job of mucking up the body’s intestinal security.

Gliadin Affects Intestinal Permeability

The effects of gliadin on the function of the intestinal tract are seen in both those individuals with celiac disease and those without. As gliadin passes into the intestines, it is detected by epithelial cells lining the intestinal wall. In response, a substance called zonulin is released, which affects the function of cellular gateways, known as tight junctions, that sit in between the epithelial cells. To illustrate this, think of a tight junction as a gated alleyway between two buildings. Ordinarily the gate is locked and requires a key to open. Certain molecules have the correct key and are allowed to pass through into the alleyway.

Unfortunately, the same is true for gliadin. By stimulating our friend zonulin, it can open and pass through the gate. To make matters worse, individuals with celiac disease release significantly more zonulin, causing their tight junctions to remain open for a longer period of time. This allows greater opportunity for toxins, bacteria, and other outside substances to sneak their way through the intestinal lining where normally they would be prohibited.

“Leaky Gut”

This increased access to outside substances is often referred to as “leaky gut.” Although somewhat vague, this description still does a pretty good job of illustrating why there is oftentimes a prolonged condition of inflammation experienced by those with some form of gluten sensitivity.

To put it in perspective, people with celiac disease have a genetic predisposition towards gluten sensitivity. That’s why they have celiac. However, there are also tons of people out there who have some form of gluten sensitivity without an official diagnosis of celiac disease (i.e. they don’t have the genes causing the telltale immune response to gluten).

This prolonged autoimmune response of celiac disease, as well as chronic low-grade inflammation seen in non-celiacs can very likely contribute to the development of diabetes, heart disease, and even neurological disorders. Let’s be honest, that may be the most frightening part of having a “leaky gut.” Sustaining damage to the digestive system is bad enough, but then add the very likely potential of affecting other organs like the heart and brain and we’re talking SCARY.

So, Gluten-Free or No?

This brings up the question, “Is it best to avoid gluten in all shapes and forms?” I’m sure many of you reading this will answer with a resounding “Yes!” and I’m tempted to agree (albeit with a bit of well-meaning hesitation).

Even though many of us (myself included) experience no overt symptoms to consuming gluten, it doesn’t mean we aren’t experiencing some inflammatory response. It most likely means our immune systems are able to handle the situation and so it goes unnoticed. However, it is difficult to argue with recent research (check out the references below) that has demonstrated an increase in intestinal permeability, varying in magnitude though it may be, in both celiacs and non-celiacs when exposed to gluten.

At the same time, it’s worth considering the anecdotal accounts of many individuals who have tried removing gluten from their diets and noticed a significant improvement in symptoms. All in all, it seems sensible to say that, for those of us who have never consciously attempted to go without gluten it may be worth our time and energy to try it out and see what happens.

References:

1. Zonulin and Its Regulation of Intestinal Barrier Function: The Biological Door to Inflammation, Autoimmunity, and Cancer. Available at: http://physrev.physiology.org/content/91/1/151.long.

2. Fasano A. Leaky Gut and Autoimmune Diseases. Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology. 2011;42(1):71–78.

3. Zonulin, regulation of tight junctions, and autoimmune diseases – Fasano – 2012 – Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences – Wiley Online Library. Available at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.liboff.ohsu.edu/doi/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2012.06538.x/pdf.

5. Tight Junctions, Intestinal Permeability, and Autoimmunity Celiac Disease and Type 1 Diabetes Paradigms. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2886850/.

6. RHR: Pioneering Researcher Alessio Fasano M.D. on Gluten, Autoimmunity & Leaky Gut. Chris Kresser. Available at: http://chriskresser.com/pioneering-researcher-alessio-fasano-m-d-on-gluten-autoimmunity-leaky-gut.

7. Gliadin induces an increase in intestinal p… [Gastroenterology. 2008] – PubMed – NCBI. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18485912.

8. Gliadin, zonulin and gut permeability- Effects on celiac and non-celiac intestinal mucosa and intestinal cell lines, Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology, April 2006.pdf.

9. Early effects of gliadin on enterocyte intracellular sig… [Gut. 2003] – PubMed – NCBI. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12524403.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Gluten Gone Wild: What Is It & What Is It Doing to Our Guts? appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Or even better, used in “High Protein Cookies,” as the title on the recipe says. I fondly call them “Hippie Cookies,” because they contain soy flour and my mom was making these when I was a kid, before using different flours was very common or avoiding gluten was a thing to do. You can call them “Chocolate Chip Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies” if you like and if you feel you have the time to say that before one jumps into your mouth.

The original recipe calls for regular flour, but due to the high moisture and taste factor of the bananas it is an ideal cookie recipe for gluten-free conversion. Add the taste of peanut butter and some spices and you have a complex cookie that satisfies that chocolate chip cookie urge (I get it at least once a week). I also like to think it has a few other redeeming qualities over your average cookie with its walnuts and higher protein flours. This is a very forgiving and open-minded cookie – substitutions work well and won’t give you a lot of attitude. Plus they freeze exceptionally well.

Hippie Cookies – Chocolate Chip Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ sifted flour (I used 1 cup King Arthurs Gluten-free flour, and one ¼ cup sorghum flour, but you can mix this up. Even some bean based flour will be okay, as the banana covers that bean taste right up.)
• ¼ sifted soy flour (I leave this in as a nod to the original recipe but you could use some other type.)
• ¼ plus ⅛ teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ cup soft butter
• ¼ cup peanut butter (or almond butter, or experiment with another nut!)
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup mashed banana (This is about 3 bananas. You can freeze them smashed or freeze them whole, then microwave for 10 -20 seconds, cut off the end and squish out the banana, like a tube of tooth paste.)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 ¼ quick oats (I’ve used Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free oats. To make them smaller and more like quick oats you can toss them into the food processor and grind them up a wee bit. Or just go with it. It’ll work just fine the way they are.)
• ¼ cup wheat germ substitute (Obviously don’t use wheat germ if you are avoiding wheat or gluten! I substitute either walnuts finely ground up, or flax seeds or a combination of flax seeds and sesame seeds. Depends on what is in the nut/seed shelf in the refrigerator.)
• At least 1 cup of chopped nuts, chocolate chips, raisins, etc. (I usually do a “generous pour” of the chocolate chips, or mix up chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Or add some nuts. I haven’t tried cranberries or dried cherries but they might go in the next batch.)

Directions

• Sift flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking soda and spices.
• In the mixer or large bowl beat the butter, peanut butter, sugar, and egg until fluffy.
• Beat in the bananas, then add vanilla and beat until smooth.
• Gradually stir in sifted flour mixture, oats and wheat germ (or substitute!).
• Scrape sides of bowl occasionally and mix until combined well.
• Stir in the optional add-ins.
• Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Drop by tablespoonful on lightly greased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.
• Bake for 15 minutes, depending on oven, until golden.
• Cool on a rack.

Once cool, freeze a bunch for later nibbling. It will be hard to not eat them while they cool, so you might have to go for a run while they cool and fill the house with tasty smells!

The post Recipe: The Banana Graveyard (aka Chocolate Chip Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies) appeared first on Breaking Muscle.