This weekend my housemates and I shared a big breakfast. As I walked into the kitchen the smell of vanilla, baked butter, and warm brown sugar kissed my nostrils and I sighed heavily… coffeecake was being baked in the oven. Unfortunately, I could only smell it. When I first graduated college, I took on the chef position at a quaint bed n’ breakfast in town. Every morning I would watch the sun rise while sipping on a cup of tea and waiting for the coffee cake, muffins, scones, or madeleines to bake. Any of the leftovers from breakfast were typically split between the employees and my mid-morning break would often consist of inhaling delicious pastries. Imagine my disappointment when I discovered that gluten and dairy are the cause of my indigestion, bloat, and eczema!
When I got Caitlin’s book Mediterranean Paleo Cooking in the mail, I knew what I wanted to make: coffee cake. The beautiful photography and the simple recipe had me excited, although I was still a little skeptical. How can you make coffee cake with no butter or brown sugar? While my housemates eyed me suspiciously, I mixed together all the ingredients and threw it in the oven. Thirty minutes later when I took it out, I let out a gasp. It looked like a real coffee cake – all bubbly, golden brown, and moist. Even my husband was very excited about and he is not dairy and gluten free. In fact when I got up this morning only three pieces were left!
Before I share the recipe with you, I have some really exciting news! I’m hosting a giveaway for this versatile, beautiful cooking book. Wondering what makes this book distinctive from other paleo cookbooks? The author of the popular blog Grass Fed Girl, Caitlin Weeks, along with her husband Nabil, an acclaimed chef originally from Algiers, converted the Mediterranean-style dishes he grew up making with his family into paleo-friendly recipes. They are nourishing, healing for the gut, allergy friendly. and authentically Mediterranean. The couple teamed up with Diane Sanfillipo and, over a three month period, prepared all the recipes and shot some incredible photos.
Most of the recipes contain tested substitutions for:
- Low-FODMAP
- Autoimmune Paleo
- GAPS
- Egg-free
- Nut-free
- Low-carb
Although I like the book because it caters to so many different food allergies and steers clear of low-fat fad diets, I love the ethnic cuisine dimension. Nabil’s family stories and professional cooking tips balance with Caitlin and Diane’s nutrition tips to create a very engaging read. I spent several hours reading through it like a regular book!
So, after you check out the coffee cake recipe, make sure you enter the giveaway too, and you might get your own copy free!
Strawberry Coffee Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 6 large eggs
- 1/2 cup ground golden flax seeds
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil, plus enough for greasing the dish
- 2 teaspoons of orange blossom water (See Chef’s tip, page 98) or grated lemon zest (I didn’t have a lemon so I put it some orange zest and it worked really well too)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.Grease an 8-by-8 inch baking dish with coconut oil.
- Sift the coconut flour and baking soda in a medium bowl.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs and flax together and let sit for 2 minutes. Then add the coconut oil, orange blossom water, and honey and mix until well combined.
- Slowly add the dry flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir until thoroughly combined. Gently fold the strawberries in the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Mediterranean Paleo Cooking Giveaway!
How to Enter:
1. Just enter!
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This giveaway is open to US residents only. It will be open for entry until November 20th at Midnight PST. The winner will be displayed on the rafflecopter widget here and will be contacted by email. There is one mandatory entry and the rest are optional for additional chances to win. All entries will be verified. Good Luck!