Posts

Recipe homemade coconut yoghurt paleo network-min

Recipe: Homemade Coconut Yogurt

/6 Comments/in , , /by

I think I've finally perfected my coconut yoghurt recipe – well, to be honest I actually bought a thermometer (mine is similar to this one). I tried to wing it without one, but really, if you want to do this properly, you've got to get the temperatures right.

Recipe Coconut Yoghurt Easy Probiotic Natural Homemade Paleo Network-min

Firstly, why coconut yogurt?

Well, if you haven't already tried it, it's so delicious! But so expensive to buy. I've found one really good brand, CoYo in some health food shops, but it's never going to be more than a very occasional treat.

The thing with coconut yoghurt is that it's great if you don't tolerate dairy well, given that it's made with coconut milk rather than dairy. It's also a great way to get some probiotics into your diet and of course, coconut is a great source of fat.

I love this yogurt on it's own, but it's great with fruit, or frozen as a paleo desert! It would be great with a paleo no-oatmeal for breakfast too.

So here's how I make it (trust me, it's easier than it looks)…

Recipe Coconut Yoghurt Probiotic Natural Homemade Paleo Network-min

Recipe: Homemade Coconut Yogurt
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Print
This coconut yogurt make take a little time to prepare and wait for - but it's easy and oh so worth it!
Ingredients
  • 6 cups coconut milk (see my instructions to make this yourself)
  • 1 medium can of coconut milk
  • half a vanilla bean pod
  • 3 tablespoons of natural gelatin
  • a live yoghurt culture
  • You'll need:
  • glass mason jars with air tight lids
  • a candy thermometer
  • a whisk
Instructions
  1. Make the coconut milk the night before, following the instructions in my recipe
  2. The next day put the coconut milk in a pan, adding in the vanilla pod. This is where the temperature becomes crucial. Put in your thermometer and don’t take your eyes off until it hits 82 degrees C (180 degrees F). You’ll need to whisk the mixture constantly during the 15 minutes or so it takes to get to this temperature: burning and sticking to the pan does not make a good coconut yogurt!
  3. Once you reach 82C (180F) take the pan straight off the heat and alow it to cool naturally. But keep monitoring the temperature – you’re aiming for it to cool to 38C (100F).
  4. Preheat your oven to the lowest temperature and keep an eye on it – once it’s reached this temperature, turn it off.
  5. Once you hit 38C (100F) remove the vanilla pod, as it’s now served its purpose. Pour a big size dollop of the mixture into a bowl and add in your culture, whisk it in thoroughly until it’s completely mixed in. Now, add this bowl back into the main coconut mixture, and thoroughly mix in with your whisk.
  6. Mix the gelatin into the coconut mixture and keep whisking until you’re sure it’s totally dissolved and mixed through.
  7. Spoon the mixture into your air-tight jars or bottles and put them in your (now turned off) warm oven.
  8. Leave the jars in your oven overnight, to let the culture do their work. The following morning, put the jars in the fridge to allow them to thicken up (the gelatin will help make this happen)
  9. If you want to add a sweetener like honey, mix it in at this stage. Otherwise, all to sit in the fridge for about 4 hours.
  10. Serve and enjoy!

WANT ME TO EMAIL YOU THIS RECIPE?

Enter your details and check your email!

Recipe The Paleo Diet Kimchi Korean fermented-min

Recipe: Paleo Kimchi

/7 Comments/in , , , , /by

I hadn’t had Kimchi until I moved to Australia and ventured to some Korean barbeque restaurants. Not only does it taste amazing, as a fermented food, Kimchi is really good for gut health – a great inclusion in a Paleo diet.

One of my New Years resolutions this year was to eat more fermented food, so after coming up with a good Kombucha recipe – it was time to get experimenting with Kimchi.

This is how I made my batch of Kimchi. I’d love to hear how you make yours – and what other fermented food you include in your diet. Let me know in the comments below!

Kimchi Ingredients

  • 1 large Chinese cabbage
  • 4 litres (1 gallon) of water
  • 100g (1/2 cup) of Celtic sea salt (though any salt would be fine)
  • One clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
  • One 6cm (2 inch) strip of ginger, peeled and grated
  • 100ml (1/2 cup) Korean chilli powder (I found this in an Asian supermarket)
  • Dash of coconut aminos
  • Small bunch of spring onions, cut into strips
  • 1 radish, peeled and grated
  • 1 teaspoon of honey (this is needed to get the fermentation going – and the duration of the fermentation determines how much sugar remains in the end product)

How To Make Kimchi

Chop the cabbage into rough pieces, discarding the tough stem.

In a large bowl or stock pot, fully dissolve the salt in the water. Once dissolved, immerse the cabbage pieces in the water, using a plate to keep them submerged. Keep the cabbage underwater for two hours.

In another mixing bowl, mix together all of the other ingredients.

Once the cabbage has been underwater for two hours, remove it, drain it, rinse the salt water off and dry it thoroughly.

Now, mix all of the ingredients together.

Spoon the Kimchi into a clean glass jar and cover it firmly. Keeping the jar in a cool dry place, leave it alone for two days.

After a day or two, check the Kimchi. If it is bubbling, it is ready and can be eaten – or stored in the fridge. If not, it’s not quite ready, so leave it for another day and check again.

When it’s ready make sure you store it in the fridge. I’m sure there won’t be any left after a few days – but it’s best to eat it within two or three weeks before it becomes “too” fermented!

Recipe The Paleo Diet Kimchi Korean fermented-min

Enjoy!

Paleo kombucha recipe scoby brew ferment fermented-min

Kombucha Recipe

/11 Comments/in , , /by

Kombucha is a fermented tea drink that is full of good bacteria – so great for your digestive system. It's really easy to make too…

Ingredients: –

• 3 litres of distilled water
• 125g Sugar
• 4 tea bags (try Pekoe, Oolong, Black or Green)
• Kombucha mushroom (also known as a Scoby) – buy this dehydrated or find a friend who can give you some!

Paleo kombucha recipe scoby brew ferment fermented-min

Kombucha Method: –

1. If your Scoby is dehydrated, rehydrate it (this may take some time)
2. Boil water and reduce to a simmer; add sugar and tea bags.
3. Steep the tea for a few minutes, remove the tea bags and leave the tea to cool to room temperature
4. Add to Scoby and cover the container (but make sure it isn't air tight)
5. Leave the mixture for five days to a month somewhere warm (not in direct sunight)
6. It's up to you when it's ready to drink! Either test for a pH of 2.6 – 4.0 with testing strips, or try it! The longer it brews for, the lower the sugar content.
7. You can use the film that has developed on top of the liquid to cultivate a new Scoby.

Have you tried Kombucha? I'd love to hear what you think of it – and if you make it in the same way I do?

Coconut Aminos paleo diet alternative to soy sauce-min

Coconut Aminos

/58 Comments/in , , /by

When adopting a Paleo diet, soy sauce is most definitely not on the menu, but perhaps you’re looking for an occasional substitution?

Soy-Sauce substitute coconut aminos instead-min

Coconut Aminos, the perfect substitute for Soy Sauce?

Coconut Aminos might be just the substitute you’re looking for.  Is less salty than Tamari, but can be used exactly as you would use Soy Sauce, for marinades, dressings sauces and stir-fries – almost anywhere in fact.

Coconut Aminos has got a great amino acid content, considerably higher than that of soy sauces.  The aminos is made from the raw sap of the coconut tree, naturally aged and is blended with sun-dried sea salt.  For occasional use in a recipe calling for soy sauce, this seems like a great alternative.

Buy Coconut Aminos Soy

 

Unfortunately none of the Health food shops I regularly visit in Sydney stock Coconut Aminos.  I’ll be checking out the Brisbane stores  at the weekend, perhaps I’ll have more luck in Queensland.  I've found a couple of online retailers who deliver Coconut Aminos to Australia and New Zealand: – Iherb sell Coconut Aminos for $6 USD, with approx $4 USD shipping to Australia.  Use the code DUV741  for $5 off your first order, making the Aminos very reasonable indeed!  The other supplier, Reflections Health, sells their Aminos at $25, with $13 shipping.

Make sure you’re buying “Coconut Aminos”; remember “Liquid Aminos” will be derived from soy beans.

Have you tried Coconut Aminos?  Did you enjoy it?  Have you found any additional sources in Australia?  I’d love to hear your comments!

Coconut Aminos paleo diet alternative to soy sauce-min