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Showing posts with label Paleo. Show all posts

4.18.2019

How I lost the baby weight (fast) without dieting

Disclaimer/update: It was much harder after the second baby. Here's that post.

Otto will be one year old this week! I definitely have struggled to write this post because it is an emotional topic for me and a lot of people, but I figure now is kind of the last chance I have and I think it is valuable to share.

If you're like I was and concerned about keeping on weight after pregnancy, working on body image issues, trying to eat well and work out... you may enjoy reading about my experience!

10.03.2018

Strawberry + pumpkin pie smoothie recipe (Paleo, dairy-free, with protein!)

It's that funny time of year when everyone is so anxious for fall but it was 86 degrees the other day!

Did you know that you can still find the late harvest varieties of fresh Oregon strawberries at your farmer's market or New Seasons?? The Oregon Srawberry Commission asked me to come up with a recipe for late season berries and I thought, you know what I've never seen before?? A healthy strawberry/pumpkin treat!

I make SO many of my slushy all real food protein smoothies these days (breastfeeding mama, need healthy snacks!), I was definitely up for experimenting to get this flavor combo right.

Thanks to the Oregon Srawberry Commission for sponsoring this post!

This post contains affiliate links.

6.25.2018

Paleo strawberry dessert pizza, and celebrating strawberry season with local berry varietals!

I looooove berry season in Oregon, and strawberries are my fave!! We love to get out berry picking throughout the summer but some of the strawberry varieties are the first to be ripe here.

Hood strawberries are famous in Oregon for being super sweet and juicy, with no white part--delicious all the way up to the stem! But there are actually several other strawberry varietals that grow well around here, some of which are even more delicious than Hoods and have longer growing seasons!

The Oregon Strawberry Commission asked me to check out several varietals available at local farmers' markets this time of year and come up with a recipe using them. Now, my favorite way to eat fresh Oregon strawberries is PLAIN!! they are so good!!, but if they're good with nothing on them, they must also be amazing in desserts (they are).

(Wherever you live, it is great if you can support your local farmers and shop for berries at your farmers' market or grocery store that buys from local growers, or direct from the farm. Find farms near you at LocalHarvest.org.)

I'm a mom now, so I figured I should make fun-sounding treats rather than go for fancy all the time. So enter my first ever "dessert pizza." Basically a tarte with shortbread crust and cream layer, but I thought it was fun to call it a pizza, too!

6.04.2018

1 week of EASY & healthy (new mom-friendly) dinners

I'm usually the cook in our family but I've had about 9 months off of doing it every night like I used to. Morning sickness, fatigue, moving in with my parents for 4 months, moving into the apartment super pregnant and being exhausted again, then having Otto and the chaos of his schedule of feeding and trying to get him to nap... Jason (or my parents) did a lot of the cooking for a while!

But the past couple weeks I've been able to actually cook real food for us most nights and I feel so good doing it again!!

I've come up with some hacks and found a few super easy recipes and meal ideas that are much healthier than eating out or buying prepared foods. I still don't have tons of time, but these are things I can do quickly, start ahead of time, or use in two meals (or as leftovers for lunches) so are great for a busy mom (or anyone). I put together these 5 meal combos, with links to recipes or just simple instructions, and hope they'll help you with super easy, tasty, homemade meal ideas when you're busy! There's even a shopping list for you!

These meals are Paleo-friendly or can be made strict Paleo with some substitutions, though for me personally I've relaxed on what I do and don't eat through pregnancy and a busy lifestyle. I've found I can tolerate white rice, corn, packaged dressings/sauces, and grassfed butter, so those are included. But again, feel free to substitute what you can't eat, and/or add dairy like cheese to things if you want!

I know lots of people are busy, but these recipes are particularly good for new moms - I know a lot of nights I just can't predict what Otto and I will be up to around 5:30 when I'd like to be cooking dinner, so I've found I can chop some veggies ahead of time, put some things in the oven and hour early, etc. and make it work. Plus, breastfeeding moms need to eat real food/balanced meals, so cooking at home is maybe a little more important now than other times!

4.12.2018

Oregon hazelnut and frozen blackberry tart recipe - grain-free, gluten-free, Paleo, real food!

It has been a super long winter for many of us all over the US... berry-picking season seems a long way away, but we still have some frozen berries in the freezer from last year and the Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission is collecting recipes that use frozen berries and other Oregon-grown ingredients in delicious recipes.

What says Oregon more than berries and hazelnuts?! I've made a lot of nut-based crusts in my day but never used this many hazelnuts and man, is it special.

The Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission supports hundreds of Oregon growers of raspberries, blackberries, Marionberries, and other caneberries and wants to spread the word that we can eat Oregon berries all year long! Thanks to them for sponsoring this post!

3.21.2018

Perfect pregnancy bulletproof coffee

Back in the day when we first started eating healthy fats and pastured meat, we got into "Bulletproof Coffee" created by this "biohacker" Dave Asprey. It has since become very popular and he now has a brand of proprietary high quality everything from snack bars to glutathione supplements. And there are PAGES and pages of blog posts when you search for "bulletproof coffee recipe" on Google--including mainstream sources like Women's Day and a post on My Domaine.

You can also call it "butter coffee." Essentially it's a cup of coffee, and instead of 1/2 and 1/2 or creamer you use unsalted butter (ideally grassfed like Kerrygold, since it has way more vitamins) and a derivative of coconut oil (MCT or medium chain triglyceride oil). You blend it in a high-speed blender like a Vitamix. It's creamy and frothy like a latte and it usually keeps you full till lunch. (I have had success with this as my only breakfast during the week a couple different times, solving a problem I've had for years that I am almost always hungry 2-3 hours after breakfast and have a hard time getting real food, balanced snacks at work.) It is low-carb and the calories (usually 200-300) are all from fat, so you encourage your body toward ketosis, burning fat instead of sugar. So it is often used as a weight loss strategy.

I haven't made it or had it as my breakfast in years, and this pregnancy I've been really against the smell of coffee but I actually have been missing the taste recently (I drink decaf). And, I've been trying to get more nutrients into my diet as room in my stomach shrinks but my calorie needs increase, if anything. So I figured I'd make my own version of a nutrient-dense blended coffee, PLUS some of the nourishing ingredients I want to incorporate more into my pregnancy diet.

So enter--my perfect pregnancy bulletproof coffee recipe!!

Oh--first, here is the original recipe. The creator says you can also add cocoa powder, cinnamon, vanilla, etc. to make it even tastier. He would agree with some of my additions but not all, you'll see! I guess I should actually call it "pregnancy butter coffee" since it is not copyright/trademark/whatever Bulletproof brand or endorsed by them.

I have also seen this post about if Bulletproof Coffee is healthy during pregnancy--no surprise, the nutrients from grassfed butter and MCT oil are!

(However, if you weren't going for the brain- and energy-boosting effects from those fats and just wanted a healthier version of creamy coffee, you could also do this with 1/2 and 1/2 or coconut milk instead of the butter and oil, and blend with the remaining ingredients.)

11.14.2017

The easiest--Satisfying sausage & greens Paleo soup recipe (and my formula for easy, comforting soups!)

I'm in the second trimester now but still not feeling my best, but hungry all the time and know what sounds the best?? Soup! Not thick soup like chowder or chili, but a soothing, savory, simple-flavored soup with plenty of broth.

I went to a girls' night with friends a while back and the hostess made a big pot of Paleo Zuppa Toscana, with Italian sausage, potatoes, and kale. It was sooo good and just what I wanted! I've since made my own at home, but with whatever ingredients I have on hand. It's so easy and fast, and the perfect soup I've been wanting! Here's my recipe, which you can modify with different proteins and types of greens, even different starches if you like.

6.05.2017

Blackberry coconut lime protein smoothie recipe!

It's almost berry-picking season here in Oregon and I'm pumped!! But we still have some frozen berries in the freezer from last year and the Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission asked me if I had any ideas for a blackberry smoothie with some new flavors. Well, I do!

I make a lot of ice cream-ey natural protein smoothies/protein shakes and I love to play with add-ins and base flavor variations. Frozen bananas make this one extra creamy, but the dominant flavors are fresh-tasting blackberries. Using canned coconut milk gives it extra coconut taste, and the lime juice makes it tangy and SO summery!

This smoothie has me excited to get out picking again this summer and freeze more berries for the year! If you don't have access to a u-pick farm, check out the freezer section of your grocery store and you may find Oregon berries there any time of year. Berries freeze super well and don't lose any flavor, and are great in smoothies and other uses right out of the freezer.

The Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission supports hundreds of Oregon growers of raspberries, blackberries, Marionberries, and other caneberries and wants to spread the word that we can eat Oregon berries all year long!

I use unflavored protein powder so there are no mystery ingredients, and you can make it dairy-free and legume-free for strict Paleo or nut-free!

5.18.2017

ONE cooking method that's changed our weeknights! & book review

We have had a really busy past couple of months, with most weeks either or both of us having activities almost every weeknight. It's exhausting for this introvert. And, it means there's way less time for cooking dinner, packing leftovers for lunches, and having a peaceful dinner at home.

A few months ago I flipped open a cookbook that has reenergized me for all of the cooking and food prep we do each week. I have a new favorite method I wanted to share with you!!

I've followed Cassy Joy of Fed + Fit for a while now, and heard about her new cookbook/28-day lifestyle/food/fitness manual on podcast interviews. It sounded like a comprehensive resource for people interested in making health changes, and was all infused with Cassy's cheerful, positive personality. But we've been doing the "real food"/mostly Paleo lifestyle for almost 4.5 years now, and I don't use cookbooks or recipes most of the time.

But then I saw the book at a bookstore and flipped through, and immediately felt inspired by several of the recipes. Then I had a chance to get a review copy of it, and jumped on it!

The book (Fed + Fit: A 28 Day Food & Fitness Plan to Jump-Start Your Life with Over 175 Squeaky-Clean Paleo Recipes) has a ton of squeaky clean, super healthy, incredibly photographed, delicious-sounding recipes and we've tried a few of them already. (My favorite discovery from this book is the homemade buffalo sauce!! I had never had "buffalo" flavored anything until this year, really... my 13 years of vegetarianism didn't expose me to buffalo chicken or anything else, I guess. The buffalo sauce recipe is SO DANG GOOD I could put it on anything!)

There's a chapter in the book called "Casserole is my favorite food." I also hadn't made many casseroles in my life until recent years. But Cassy's Buffalo Chicken Casserole sounded so good, I tried it one week.

Wow. Not only was it delicious, I discovered that when we had a casserole made up in the fridge, we had at least one super easy weeknight dinner ready when I got home! A lot of her casseroles require cooking before assembly and then baking for 30 minutes or so before serving. I discovered if I added a casserole to my Sunday morning food prep, all I would have to do on Monday night to make dinner was turn on the oven and pop it in!

3.10.2017

Homemade Coconut-ey Lara Bars with EXTRA Protein!

Who doesn't like a sweet, chewy, satisfying Lara Bar?? They are pretty darn tasty but such a treat! We don't buy them often but I do appreciate their real food, whole ingredient nature and have made many, many similar bars before back in my raw vegan days--so I knew I could make an even more nourishing and satisfying homemade version!

I've shared my homemade protein bar recipes before (plain/PB flavored and cranberry vanilla almond) and those are awesome tasty, easy-to-make, balanced snack bars that I love. But, sometimes I want to go completely grain-free and sometimes I don't mind a little extra treat feeling of dried fruit and a little higher fat content. (Years ago I used to have a bit of a dried fruit and nut addiction so I try to limit them to special treats most of the time!)

DIY/homemade "Lara Bar" type bars are SO, so easy to make at home with a food processor and pretty much any nut and dried fruit ingredients, and there are millions of variations and recipes out there, but I really wanted to try one with added high quality protein powder. I experimented and came up with this recipe which adds unflavored collagen protein (the good stuff! Helps nails/hair/skin, muscles, bones/joints, and metabolism) and results in a really tasty, great texture, nutritious treat bar. (I've tried RX Bars before as well which are a similar concept, but they use egg white protein and I find they're really chewy and not quite as pleasant. I was happy that this one turned out great and easy to eat!)

Homemade Coconut-ey Lara Bars with EXTRA Protein!

Ingredients:

1 c. raw cashews
1 c. pitted dates
1/2 c. unsweetened dried coconut
4 scoops collagen protein powder (I haven't tried it with unflavored whey protein powder but it might work--this one is a budget-friendly high quality option)
1/8 tsp sea salt

Makes 6 bars. Lara Bars say there's 1/4 c. of dates in each bar so this has slightly less than that and is still plenty sweet!

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in food processor for several minutes. It will be dry and crumbly at first and you may think of adding water, but don't; just keep processing till it looks like this.

2. Roll out onto plastic wrap and flatten with a rolling pin or between counter and a cutting board/flat surface. Refrigerate about 30 minutes.

3. Cut into 6 even pieces.

Wrap between plastic wrap or freezer paper and store in an airtight container in the freezer.

So many options:

You could try ANY flavor with these, as the Lara Bar brand has done, and more!

Substitute peanuts for the cashews for a peanut butter cookie flavor
Add cocoa powder
Substitute any dried fruit for some of the dates (dried cherries would be great, apricots, blueberries, figs...)

What's your favorite??

Enjoy!

1.19.2017

All natural peanut butter and jelly raspberry protein smoothie recipe (with frozen Oregon berries!)

I dare say I've mastered the slushy, milk shake-ey, delicious, still nutritious and filling all natural protein shake. I made this one extra exciting with some frozen berries and it is so tasty, pretty, and perfect for the middle of winter!

The Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission supports hundreds of Oregon growers of raspberries, blackberries, Marionberries, and other caneberries (have you ever heard that term?? Berries that grow on a cane!) and wants to spread the word that we can eat Oregon berries all year long! They provided some of the ingredients for this post, and I used berries we picked at a farm last summer!

We love to do u-pick berry trips in the summer at local farms, and freeze lots of berries for eating later. Raspberries freeze SO well and are just as flavorful and even have a good texture after being in the freezer for months. Adding these to my smoothie reminded me of our summer picking trips and much better weather than we've been having now. ;)

Plus, the color is pretty for Valentine's Day! Here's a healthy treat that you can enjoy without guilt! I use unflavored protein powder so there are no mystery ingredients, and you can make it dairy-free and legume-free for strict Paleo or nut-free!

Peanut butter & jelly raspberry protein smoothie

Ingredients:

1 c. coconut milk or almond milk
1 serving unflavored protein powder (whey or collagen)
2 tbsp peanut butter powder, peanut butter, or almond butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Sprinkle sea salt
1/2 c. frozen raspberries
1/2 frozen banana
2 tsp. xylitol (optional--use if you want it sweeter or if your banana wasn't super ripe)
8 large ice cubes

Instructions:

Measure milk using guides on blender pitcher. Combine all other ingredients into blender.
Blend on low (on a Vitamix or other high speed blender) until smooth.

You know it's perfect when it looks like this!

Makes 1 serving or 2 small servings. (I usually eat a whole one myself but they look cuter in two small jars!)

Optional: top with more peanut butter, almond butter, or powdered peanut butter made up!

Great optional add-ins:

You can add a lot to these slushy protein shakes/smoothies! Here are some easy ones I enjoy:

Couple handfulls of fresh spinach. It'll make it greenish in color but you can't taste it!
2-4 dates instead of xylitol if your bananas aren't sweet enough
Top with coconut flakes or sliced almonds for extra texture

If you don't have a quality unflavored protein powder on hand, I highly recommend getting some! Grassfed whey is great but this is a budget-friendly option. If you don't do dairy or want some extra skin, nail, and muscle health benefits, this grassfed collagen protein is amazing. These and other faves used in this recipe linked below!

Thanks to the Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission for sponsoring this post!

12.22.2016

Essential grain-free, gluten-free baking tips, perfect for holiday treats!

We're deep into the Christmas season!! Are you doing any baking this year for family and friends?? Maybe spending some time with folks with limited diets or food allergies? My mom has asked me to make a dessert for our Christmas dinner and I have lots of ideas!

I've been eating a grain-free, gluten-free diet for 7 years if you count my raw vegan days, but I've been learning grain-free baking for the past 4 years on a mostly Paleo diet. I've had lots of successes (see my recipes page!) but in the beginning there were plenty of failures as I learned about using new ingredients.

I don't keep baked goods around most of the time (even grain-free, naturally sweetened, Paleo treats are still not exactly health foods) but I do love to make them for special occasions and I love impressing family and friends with a healthier version of a classic or just super delish dessert!

So, I've compiled a few essential tips I've learned over the years. Use these and your grain-free baking should be much easier and more successful!

4 essential grain-free, gluten-free baking tips

1) Don't substitute flours

Almond, arrowroot, coconut, tapioca... they are all very different and have different functions. Back in the day I used to try to swap whole wheat cake flour for white flour and it usually kind of worked... you definitely can't do that kind of switch with grain-free flours. Coconut flour is very absorbent and fibrous so it can give things a dry texture if you don't have enough eggs or moisture--so unless you want to experiment and make a bunch of batches, just don't use it unless it's called for. I've found finely ground almond flour is the easiest to work with, but I don't like to use recipes that call for only almond flour, so I look for others with a blend of flours rather than taking it on myself to try adding another one in! Bottom line: stick to the recipe's flours!

2) Stock up on ingredients for the season

Grain-free recipes can have long ingredient lists, and often items you may not already have in your pantry. I like to plan ahead and order almond flour, tapioca starch, arrowroot powder, coconut flour, and some natural sweeteners (like maple syrup and coconut palm sugar) and keep the pantry stocked so I can bake when I'm ready! (I've linked my favorites of these below!)

3) Refrigerate delicate ingredients

Nuts and seeds can get rancid when exposed to light and warm temperatures. I can totally taste the difference between raw sunflower seeds that have been refrigerated and those that have been in a pantry for a few months. Blech. It's pretty obvious with walnuts, too. Store nuts, nut flours, and coconut flakes or flour in the fridge unless you'll be using them right away.

4) Sift!

I had never owned a flour sifter before (in my standard American diet baking days), but after making a few Paleo recipes that ended up with clusters of starchy coconut flour in them...... now I'm more careful! Almond flour also can chunk up or have bigger pieces in it. It doesn't take much time to sift the dry ingredients as you add them to the wet ones, and it makes such a difference!

Hope those are helpful! Happy holiday baking. If you want some serious knowledge about grain-free, healthier baking, check out one of these books from the pros. I've also linked some of my favorite ingredients!

12.01.2016

Health(IER) holiday treat: molasses ginger cookies, a grain-free version of an old tradition! And free groceries from Whole Foods!

Flash back to the holiday season, 2006. I was on the treadmill at the University of Oregon gym reading a Cooking Light magazine. (2006 Suzannah thought a low fat vegetarian diet and lots of steady-state cardio were healthy, and that she could eat all the sugar she wanted, just not too much butter.) I found a molasses cookie recipe with crackled sugar on top that sounded yummy, and tore the page out for my recipe binder! (Pre-Pinterest.) I made that recipe every holiday season for several years!

A lot has changed since then! 2016 Suzannah is physically and emotionally healthier and knows so much more about herself and her body, and doesn't crave sugar or overdo it on treats. BUT, turns out I still love the taste of these holiday ginger-ey cookies!! So, for this recipe today I literally flipped back through that old recipe binder and pulled out that ancient magazine page, and modified this recipe to use grain-free, gluten-free flours and natural sweeteners!

Plus, I teamed with Whole Foods Market on this post and you can enter for a chance to win free groceries for a year with them, the #MyHolidayTradish sweepstakes! These cookies were a tradition for me for several years, so I'm excited to be able to make them again (and husband remembers them from those days, too!). Yay, holidays.

These cookies are still no health food, and are very sweet, but they are gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and Paleo-friendly, so I can eat them without feeling like crap afterwards! A much better choice than a lot of the holiday treats I'm surrounded by this time of year.

The original recipe used white sugar for the tops, but I used raw, organic, non-GMO sugar on these so it looks like sprinkles!

Molasses was a staple in my mom's pantry, and I had it even in my pared-down college student kitchen. Now, I know the importance of using non-GMO ingredients, and I found this organic, non-GMO one at Whole Foods. These delectable cookies have a strong molasses flavor plus the yummy spices of a ginger snap.

Grain-free Molasses Ginger Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 c. coconut palm sugar
1/2 c. coconut oil or unsalted grassfed butter
1/2 c. molasses
1 egg
2 c. finely ground almond flour
1/4 c. arrowroot powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Sprinkle salt
(Separate) 1/4 c. raw sugar

Instructions:

1. Combine sugar and oil in a bowl or electric mixer bowl. Beat with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add molasses and egg; beat well.

2. In another bowl, combine all dry ingredients except raw sugar. Mix well.

3. Combine flour mixture with liquid mixture. Freeze for 1 hour.

4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

5. Put raw sugar in a small bowl. Roll dough into small balls and dip one side into the sugar. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper,

6. Bake for 7-8 minutes; allow to cool.

These guys are SO good!! They're not crispy like a ginger snap, but are soft and chewy, and almost spicy with the holiday spices!

Making these brought back memories of college and my early holidays living on my own. The strong, sweet smell of the dough, the way my hands get sticky rolling the balls, the fun texture of the crispy sugar on top... Husband and I are both really excited to have this tradition to enjoy again!

Don't forget to enter here for a chance to win groceries for a year in the #MyHolidayTradish sweeps from Whole Foods!

Thanks to Whole Foods Market for providing me with the ingredients for these cookies!

11.25.2016

Grain-free, Paleo pumpkin bread with collagen protein (dessert or breakfast!)

First, I will keep the Black Friday stuff REAL short today and tell you my top three sales this weekend, where I have been doing some shopping from the comfort of my couch!!

World Market (I ordered cute gifts, jewelry, these adorable Santa mugs, and some decor stuff all 40-50% off--TODAY ONLY)
Express (everything 50% off including my favorite jeans of all time! plus free shipping with no minimum)
LOFT (everything 50% off, shopping for elegant sweaters and accessories as I multi-task writing this post!)
One more... the Instant Pot is on Black Friday sale on Amazon for the best price I've seen it. If you've been wanting one, go check it out now!

Alright, moving on. I am really excited about this pumpkin bread recipe because A) it's seasonal, and we all love pumpkin everything, B) my idea of adding collagen protein powder worked really well and didn't mess up the texture or anything, and C) it's grain-free, gluten-free, and naturally sweetened, so you can feel good about eating it instead of all of the holiday crap you're probably surrounded by this time of year.

In previous years at Thanksgiving I've made a grain-free pumpkin pie to bring to the family dinner, but I don't really love pumpkin pie all that much and husband will eat the gluten-containing stuff every once in a while so it was really just for me, anyway. I'd been wanting to make a Paleo pumpkin bread this season so I made this instead of the pie--double duty!

I was definitely inspired by the banana bread recipe on Civilized Caveman Cooking, I think his most popular recipe ever, because it uses a little almond butter instead of expensive, harder-to-find almond flour and a little coconut flour (too much makes desserts dry). I made some changes to use pumpkin instead of banana, and I don't use baking soda since I hate the taste, so I've figured out a modification.

Paleo pumpkin bread with collagen protein

Ingredients:

1 c. canned pumpkin
1/2 c. maple syrup OR 2/3 c. coconut palm sugar
4 eggs
1/3 c. almond butter (or sunflower butter for nut-free)
4 tbsp butter or coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 c. coconut flour
1/3 c. unflavored gelatin/collagen protein (small or big)
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice (try my recipe here!)
1.5 tsp baking powder
Sprinkle sea salt
Optional: 1/4 c. chopped walnuts, pecans, or other topping of choice

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine wet ingredients (pumpkin through vanilla) in stand mixer or bowl and mix well.
Combine dry ingredients (except optional topping) in a separate bowl and combine; then add to wet mixture.
Grease a loaf pan with butter or coconut oil. Add batter and bake for 1 hour or until a fork comes out clean.

How easy was that?!! This is my kind of baking!

Serve with grassfed butter if you like, but hot out of the oven, this was so spicy and delicious we ate it plain. Then at dinner we ate it with whipped cream like my mother-in-law always makes for the pumpkin pie! What a treat!

Shop the ingredients here!

11.10.2016

Grain-free, gluten-free salted caramel apple pie recipe (Paleo)

I am excited for baking season! As I shared on Instagram the other day, I got totally in the mood for baking and I had a potluck to go to that night, so somehow I got in my head that I should make an apple pie. But we were working at the house all day before the party, and it has very limited kitchen functionality.

So, like a crazy person, I brought a bunch of tools and extra ingredients from my parents' house where we're staying to the fixer upper. On a break from working, I made this pie!

Paleo salted caramel apple pie

Ingredients:

Crust:

1-2 batches your favorite grain-free pie crust recipe (I suggest this or this--I do not recommend one that only uses coconut flour)
Sea salt for the top

Apples:

4-5 apples (I used mostly green, that we picked at the apple orchard a while back)

Caramel:

1 c. coconut palm sugar
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 c. full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream
1/4 tsp sea salt

Instructions:

Combine caramel ingredients in a sauce pan and cook on low, stirring regularly, until thickened. Let cool.
Preheat oven to 375. Make pie crust of choice and put bottom layer in pan; reserve additional crust for top layer if desired.
Peel apples if desired (I didn't, I am not patient enough and I don't mind the texture of the skin) and slice into 1/2" slices.
Toss apple slices with slightly cooled caramel and put into pie shell. Add top layer of pie crust if using. Sprinkle with sea salt.
Bake until crust is golden on bottom and juices are bubbling in center, about 1 hour. If crust is browning too quickly, put foil on pie edges or top. Once done, let cool completely. (I didn't before these photos cause it was getting dark! But it was definitely gooey-er when cooled.)

Serve with vanilla ice cream if you have it, of course!

It really helps when starting [what I think of as] the baking season to have ingredients on-hand. I love coconut palm sugar and some of the alternative flours, but they don't have them at every grocery store you might be stopping at. You can shop them here and order ahead of time!

10.06.2016

Grain-free, naturally sweetened pancakes (gluten-free, Paleo)

As I shared on Instagram the other weekend, I was recently inspired by one of our friends to master grain-free "blender pancakes" and make this super fun weekend breakfast element!

One of our friends, who never cooks during the week, has a tradition of making creative, many-ingredient grain-free pancakes in the blender with their 2-year-old on weekends. He throws in all kinds of stuff like maca and unflavored grassfed protein powder and MCT oil and they usually turn out. (We've been over there on weekend mornings twice now and we've had them!)

I've made banana/egg/almond butter pancakes before but I wanted to try something more cakey and I remembered I'd used a coconut flour recipe before with modifications like banana for sweetener. So I made them again, noting the recipe I used, and am glad I remembered my changes!

Grain-Free, Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes

Ingredients:

¼ c. + 2 tbsp coconut flour
½ c. + 2 tbsp coconut milk
2 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
1 banana
Butter for pan

Instructions:

Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender.
Heat butter in a frying pan and pour pancake batter into pancake shapes in pan. Flip when bubbles appear.

Makes 4 HUGE pancakes or 6-8 smaller ones. (Serves 2.)

Serve with more butter and toppings of choice! I love a little nut butter and maybe jam for a treat. Of course maple syrup is good, too!

You can't taste the banana flavor hardly at all; the bananas just give a nice sweetness.

So tasty and nourishing! We ate them with bacon from our hog share and leftover sautéed zucchini from our CSA (because I love to have veggies at every meal). I highly recommend them for your next quiet weekend morning breakfast!

9.20.2016

(Grain-free, Paleo-friendly) rustic fig tart

It's fig season! I'm pumped. As I shared the other day on Instagram, my parents have a big fig tree and every year around this time I'm excited to go over there and pick ripe figs before the birds get them. When I was a kid I didn't know what to do with them, but now I know how amazing they are when they're really ripe (they seriously taste like pure HONEY) and quite a few things to do with them!

This time around I wanted to bake them. I pictured a rustic, slightly crumbly open-faced tart. I've made a couple other fall-ey grain-free tarts, and I've found some ingredients that really work well (without being too almond flour-heavy, as a lot of Paleo baking recipes are). (See also my grain-free apple/pear crumble recipe and cranberry-apple tart recipe.)

(You will notice a trend--I am all about low maintenance baking. This recipe was so easy!)

And it turned out just like I wanted!

Grain-Free Rustic Fig Tart

Ingredients:

Crust:

1/3 c. sunflower seeds
1/3 c. unsweetened coconut flakes
3/4 c. almond flour
1/4 c. coconut palm sugar or sweetener of choice
1/4 tsp. sea salt
5 tbsp. unsalted grassfed butter (cold) (or palm shortening if dairy-free)

Fruit:

6-8 fresh figs

Instructions:

Pulse sunflower seeds in a small food processor, until finely ground. Add other dry ingredients and pulse until combined.
Chop butter into small chunks and add to processor; pulse until combined. Mixture should be thick and chunky.
Spread crust mixture onto parchment paper on a baking sheet. Flatten with spatula or fingers to get an even layer.
Chop figs into eigths.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until crust is golden.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Optional extras:

If your figs aren't super ripe and honey-sweet, you could go for a more savory flavor, or add a glaze! Here are some options:

Make a glaze of honey and water; add right after tart comes out of the oven
Add goat cheese and sliced almonds; reduce balsamic vinegar on the stovetop to make a rich, tangy glaze

Or enjoy with some vanilla ice cream of choice!

If you don't have figs in your parents' backyard... save this recipe for next time you run into some!

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