Gluten-Free Almond & Seed Bread

These days, more and more information is coming to the front about the merits of including nuts and seeds in our diet. This is not anything new - various cultures have been reliant on these nutrients for many years. If you can tolerate nuts and seeds, they are extremely healthy and nutritious for all of us. 

​Speaking of various cultures eating nuts and seeds in our life time - for those of you not familiar with the Blue Zones -  these are 5 specific areas identified in the world as having people living to 100+ years. These locations were discovered through the work of Dan Buettner, a researcher hired by National Geographic to lead a team of demographers to identify regions worldwide where centenarians exist. More importantly, they were asked to identify specific diet and lifestyle traits that supported why these people had the highest life expectancy. One of several factors identified was that the Blue Zones centenarians eat about a handful of nuts every day. 

For that very reason, I wanted to share with you a delicious nut and seed bread recipe that I came across, thanks to Megan Telpner! Not only are nuts and seeds delicious but perhaps you are one of those people who cannot tolerate gluten. This is a good alternative bread for that reason. I have made a few adjustments that make this more of a savory tasting bread (I've put astericks beside my changes). If you are interested, please keep on reading. 

Grain-Free Almond Bread (by Megan Telpner):
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup *Tzatziki (instead of cashew cream or organic plain yogurt)
  
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar​
• 2-1/2 cups *ground almond meal (instead of grinding almonds from scratch)
  
• 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
  
• 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
  
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
  
• 1/4 cup arrowroot starch
  
• 2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt
  
• 3 large eggs
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (sprinkled on top)

​Preheat the oven to 325. Grease well a loaf pan - I tend to use butter, olive oil or coconut oil.

​Mix together wet ingredients in a small bowl: tzatziki, eggs, olive oil, and vinegar and set aside.

​Grind pumpkin, sunflower and chia seeds until you have a fine meal and then add to your almond meal, baking soda, salt and arrowroot starch in a larger bowl.

​Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until there are no lumps, but don't over mix. Pour into the greased pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

​Bake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Set on a rack and let cool for at least 5-10 minutes before sliding the loaf out.

​This will go moldy if you leave it out at room temperature for more than a day at a time, so please keep in the fridge. It also freezes well. Enjoy!