Shredded Coconut

Granola

photo by recipe author

Servings: 30-36
Preparation Time: 2 hours

21 ounces rolled oats
1 cup mixed nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, macadamias)
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup raw honey
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup mixed dried fruit (blueberry, cranberry, cherry, chopped dates, apple)

If the nuts are raw, set oven to 350° F and place raw nuts on a cookie sheet. Roast them just until you can smell them and the skins crackle.

Note: Each nut roasts at a different time. Almonds = 15 minutes, macadamia = 15 minutes, walnuts = 8 minutes, cashew = 8 minutes, pecans = 5 minutes.

Once the nuts are roasted and cooled enough to touch, break them into smaller pieces and put them in a large bowl.

Turn the oven heat down to 250° F.

Add to the large bowl: oats, shredded coconut, raw honey, olive oil, and salt. Mix well until honey and oil cover all of the oats and nuts.

Spread the mixture out onto cookie sheets or cake pans. It will take more than one. Place them into the oven and cook for 1.5 hours, stirring every 15 minutes. Depending on your oven, it could take less time. Oats should take on a golden color when done cooking.

Remove from the oven and let cool.

Once cool, put the mixture into an airtight container or zip lock bag.

Add dried fruit into the bag then seal and shake well to mix.

This recipe keeps for several months, if not eaten before then.

Jennifer from Sulphur, LA won $50 for this recipe and photo! Submit your recipes and photos here for a chance to win $50!

Coconut Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

photo by recipe author

Servings: 10
Preparation Time: 1 hour

1 cup soft wheat pastry flour
1/4 teaspoon aluminum free baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
3/4 cup shredded coconut
2 large eggs
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 apple butter
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup vanilla whole milk yogurt
1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini

Preheat oven to 350° F.

In a large bowl combine the first 6 ingredients. Mix and set aside.

In a small bowl, beat the two eggs with a fork.

Melt the coconut oil and cool slightly in a smaller container.

In the meantime, add the apple butter, honey, and yogurt to egg mixture and mix to combine. Mix in the melted coconut oil until all is well combined and set aside.

Shred zucchini to get about 1 1/2 cups, can be a little more (about 1 1/2 small zucchinis).

Add the liquid mixture and the shredded zucchini to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix until combined. Scoop mixture into a greased 9 x 5 loaf pan and smooth top evenly.

Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Oven temps can vary – it might take a bit longer or shorter, watch carefully.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes and remove from pan to continue cooling completely on the baking rack. Serve with grass-fed butter or room temperature coconut oil.

Jennifer from Cynthiana, KY won $50 for this recipe and photo! Submit your recipes and photos here for a chance to win $50!

Featured Product

Type 00 Flour. Buy it here. “The light airy texture makes this flour a joy to work with and your creations will turn out fantastico!”

In 2014 when we tested our USDA certified organic grains, we found that almost all of them had traces of the herbicide glyphosate at levels similar to non-organic wheat. (See: ALERT: Certified Organic Food Grown in U.S. Found Contaminated with Glyphosate Herbicide.)

Some scientists and researchers believe that the epidemic of gluten-sensitive diseases we are seeing today are related to glyphosate, and not necessarily the gluten.(See: Common Weedkiller Used in Modern Agriculture Could be Main Factor in Gluten Intolerance.)

While anyone with gluten sensitivities definitely needs to avoid gluten, for the rest of us, we need to be consuming healthy grains that are not contaminated. After much research, we found a source in Italy that grows traditional soft wheat where batches we tested showed no trace of herbicides.

Healthy Traditions is excited to bring you this high-quality Italian Type 00 Flour! This is the flour Italians use to make the absolute best pizza crust. It is also very versatile and can be used to make light and fluffy bread, cakes, fresh pasta and more! The light airy texture makes this flour a joy to work with and your creations will turn out fantastico!

This easy to use flour is from soft wheat grown on a single, organic, Italian farm that doesn’t use any chemical pesticides or fertilizers.

The flour has been milled by one of the best family run mills in Italy. This flour has been sifted but is NOT enriched, bromated, bleached or otherwise adulterated in any way. The only ingredient is soft wheat flour.

Buy it here!

Creamy Turmeric Lemonade

photo by recipe author

Servings: Two 8 ounce glasses
Preparation Time: 5-10 minutes

fresh juice from one organic lemon
1/8 teaspoon organic ground turmeric
2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
2 teaspoons honey, more to taste
1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or melted virgin coconut oil
1 cup pure water
1 cup ice, more as needed

Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth, adding more ice if needed until a creamy slush consistency is reached.

Serve with a fresh lemon slice.

Recipe by Lynelle. Image by Orissa. Submit your creative coconut recipes and photos here for a chance to win $50!

Gluten Free Maple Cinnamon Plantain Cookies

photo by recipe author

Servings: 32-35 cookies
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

1 medium ripe plantain
1/4 cup coconut cream concentrate
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (use powder if you are AIP)
1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
2 heaping teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (use mace if you are AIP)
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
ground cinnamon to sprinkle on top

Preheat oven to 325º F.

Prepare 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Peel the plantain and process in food processor until smooth. Add all the other ingredients except the shredded coconut and process until smooth. Taste the batter to make sure it is sweet enough for you. Add the shredded coconut and just pulse until combined. Transfer the batter to a bowl.

Using a teaspoon drop the batter onto the prepared cookie sheet leaving room to expand. Use all the cookie batter this way.

Place plastic wrap over the cookie sheets and with a spatula flatten the cookies (this helps it not stick).

Bake for about 18 – 20 minutes or until the edges brown. Remove and let cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes then transfer to a rack to finish cooling.

Jill from Sayville, NY won $50 for this recipe and photo! Submit your recipes and photos here!

Robust Raw Cacao Pie with Nut + Fruit Crust

photo by recipe author

Servings: Approx. 16 slices
Preparation Time: Approx. 15-25 minutes + chill time

For the Raw Crust:

2 cups raw cashews
2 cups sun or shade dried raisins
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

For the Raw Cacao Filling:

1 cup raw honey
1 cup (approximately 1/2 pound cacao nibs) raw cacao nibs or raw cacao powder
2 tablespoons cold pressed extra virgin olive oil

Source organic, pesticide free ingredients.

Make the Raw Crust:

Process all ingredients in a food processor until mixture sticks together, retaining some texture, then press evenly into a 9 inch pie pan and allow to chill in the fridge while you prepare the filling.

Make the Raw Filling:

Process raw cacao nibs in a food processor until they are crumbly. Now add raw honey and olive oil, process again until mixture is smooth.

Pour filling into prepared raw crust and allow to set up in the fridge overnight. Best served cold.

Note: Enjoy a slice plain (with a cup of coffee), or drizzled with honey, or topped with your favorite fresh fruit. This rich pie has a very robust flavor because of the cold pressed olive oil. If you wish to make a milder tasting pie, virgin coconut oil may be substituted for the olive oil.

Recipe and photo by Orissa. Submit your creative coconut recipes and photos here! Published recipes are awarded a $50 gift certificate to Tropical Traditions!

Exceptionally Tangy No Bake Gluten Free Mini Lime Cheesecakes

photo by recipe author

Servings: Approx. 24
Preparation Time: Approx. 20-25 minutes active + chilling time

Raw Base:

2 cups raw cashews
2 cups raisins
1 cup shredded coconut

Fresh Lime Filling:

2 cups freshly squeezed lime juice
3 cups cream cheese, room temperature
2/3 cup raw honey
2 tablespoons fresh lime zest, optional
2 teaspoons gelatin

Source ingredients that you know are organic and pesticide free.

Raw Base:

Pulse ingredients in a food processor until mixture sticks together; some texture should remain.

Press mixture evenly into muffin tins and chill in the fridge while you make the lime filling.

Fresh Lime Filling:

On low, heat all ingredients, except gelatin in a small pot. Once heated, whisk in the gelatin. Bring mixture to boil then reduce heat & allow to simmer for a few minutes. Remove from heat.

Allow the mixture to cool a little before pouring evenly into chilled bases. Allow to set up in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. Overnight is best.

Mini cheesecakes are best enjoyed straight from the fridge while still cold. Before serving, decorate with your favorite organic fresh fruit pieces + edible or decorative pesticide free flowers.

Recipe and photo by Orissa. Do you have a creative recipe that uses coconut in some form? Submit your coconut recipes and photos here for a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to Tropical Traditions!

Featured Product

Canadian Raw Honey. Buy it right here.

A Raw Product from the Wilderness

Healthy Traditions Organic Raw Honey comes from the frontier areas of Canada, and is only harvested during a 6-week period in the summer. Healthy Traditions is the exclusive source of this premium organic honey in the U.S. Most commercial honeys available on the market today come from bee farms, where the bees are controlled within a certain area and get their pollen from usually only one kind of flower. Many of the plants that produce these flowers (clover, orange blossom, etc.) are grown with pesticides and fertilizers as well. In addition, almost all honeys on the market are pasteurized in high heat and filtered, removing many of the beneficial nutrients and enzymes.

Healthy Traditions Organic Raw Honey has not been subjected to the heat of processing, only warmed enough to flow (same temperatures the honey would see inside the hive). We select only premium honey that is pure, smooth and creamy, with the consistency of soft margarine at harvest. It contains live yeast and enzymes, because it has not been processed. It also contains pollen because it has not been filtered—merely screened.

Fine textured crystals are characteristic of totally pure, unheated, unprocessed, raw honey. Properly crystallized honey has a fine, smooth texture. Crystallized honey preserves natural goodness and doesn’t drip. The more rapidly honey crystallizes the finer the texture will be. It will also turn harder over time as it crystallizes. Truly raw honeys do not deteriorate with age, but like fine wines, continue to age and develop into more complex tastes.

Certified Organic Raw Honey from Canada

In order for honey to be certified organic, the beehives must be placed in isolated areas miles from the dense population, industry, traffic congestion, and farm fields treated with chemicals and landfills. Second, a bee’s flying range is determined by their natural instinct which tells them to stay within their natural four mile range from the hive location. Finding area which can be certified organic is extremely difficult, which is why there are so few certified organic honeys on the market. Tropical Traditions sources its honey from hives in the wild frontier areas of Canada.

These regions are a rich source of wild vegetation that produce some of the finest honey in the world. The USDA and Canadian Organic Certification implies a rigorous set of standards and conditions that must be adhered to by both the producer (beekeeper) and the packager. All aspects of the honey production including the source of the nectar, forage area of the bees, management of the bees, extracting process, transportation, “lot” management, processing temperature, integrity (no co-mingling with non-organic honey), screening, and, packaging materials, are taken into account in the certification process.

Try some, and we think you’ll agree that there is no finer honey in North America! Raw, organic, Canadian honey, available exclusively in the US through Tropical Traditions.

Buy it here.