Paleo Choco Banana Bread

Mmm I love the smell of banana bread baking in the oven.  I think this recipe is better than the traditional banana bread recipe.  You won't feel guilty eating a slice as this is gluten, dairy, and sugar free.  Enjoy!
Paleo Choco Banana Bread
1 c almond butter
1 c almond flour
3-4 very ripe bananas (I used 4 as I like a more moist banana bread)
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 c chocolate chips (homemade) or pure cacao powder

Method

Preheat your oven to 350ºF.

In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix until the bananas are no longer in visible chunks. Pour the batter into a loaf pan (or muffin tin, just adjust the cooking time).
Bake for approx. 35-40 minutes, until the center is hard to the touch. Let the banana bread cool before removing from the pan.

Moroccan Gazpacho

Gazpacho is a cold Spanish tomato-based raw vegetable soup and is refreshing on a hot and humid summer day.  This is an elegant and delicious recipe with beautiful flavors; yet, it is so simple to make.

Moroccan Gazpacho Yield 5-6 cups

1 cup water
4 tomatoes chopped
1 tomato diced
1 cucumber peeled and chopped
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons agave nectar
1 teaspoon Himalayan crystal salt
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
3/4 teaspoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup raisins

Blend all of the ingredients, except for the 1 diced tomato, pine nuts, raisins and cilantro, until creamy. Pulse in the cilantro. Stir in the diced tomato, pine nuts and raisins. Enjoy!

Yummy coconut chocolate chip cookies

Everyone loves a great chocolate chip cookie recipe.  Growing up I was nicknamed the cookie monster, cookies were something I could easily eat all day long.  These days I like to enjoy the odd cookie with a cup of tea.  This recipe allows you to enjoy cookies in moderation without feeling so guilty because they are dairy and gluten free. Yay!

 

Coconut chocolate chip cookies
Ingredients:

1 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 tbsp of raw honey (or natural sweetener of choice)
4 omega 3 eggs
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
1/8 tsp of celtic sea salt
1/2 cup of shredded unsweetened coconut
3/4 cup of 70% dark chocolate chips (or raw cacao nibs)
Parchment Paper (optional)

Process:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
In a medium sized bowl, combine eggs, coconut oil, honey*, vanilla extract and salt. Once this is mixed, blend in the coconut flour.
Stir in shredded coconut and chocolate chips
On parchment lined baking sheets, drop heaping tablespoons of cookie batter **
Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Notes----
If you don't have raw honey, agave nectar or regular honey will do the trick.
I used the dairy and gluten free semi-sweet chocolate chips that are sold in the natural section of Zehrs. The brand is called Enjoy Life! I made these before with the cacao nibs and they didn't turn out that well. Cacao nibs really have no flavour and they are expensive!  You can also make your own chocolate (refer to my chocolate recipe in an older post) and break it up into pieces.
Make sure you melt the coconut oil before mixing everything in to avoid clumping!

Enjoy!

Grilled Mahi Mahi with Mango Salsa

We just got back from our honeymoon last week so my apologies for the lack of posts!  We went on a 7-day cruise that left from Miami.  Besides the beaches, palm trees, warm sun, and lushness of Miami, one of my favourite things is Mahi Mahi.  It is so delicious and tender.  I was craving it a few nights ago and decided that I was going to bbq some.  I used frozen Mahi Mahi since I didn't have any fresh available. 

Grilled Mahi Mahi with Mango Salsa
Make sure your Mahi Mahi is thawed out completely if you are using frozen.

Marinade (enough for 3 pieces of fish)
1/2 cup of olive oil
Lemon juice from 1 lemon
2 cloves of garlic
Sea salt and pepper
Blend these ingredients well in a blender and cover over the Mahi Mahi fillets.  Cover and store in the fridge over night.  I allowed mine to marinade for about 24 hours.

Mango Salsa
1 large whole fresh mango
1/4 cup of finely chopped cilantro
1 tomato chopped
1/4 cup of red onion chopped
Mix ingredients together and set aside in a bowl.

After you have allowed the Mahi Mahi to sit in the marinade and you are ready to cook it, put it in a tin pan or on top of tin foil and grill on the bbq 5 minutes per side (or until you can see that it is cooked through).

Add the mango salsa and voila, it will taste just like it does in the Caribbean.  Enjoy!

Bumble berry crumble

I was nominated to bring dessert for our family Easter dinner! I modified a recipe I was given for cherry crumble to make bumble berry crumble. It was yummy and even the non-paleo'ers enjoyed it!

Preheat oven to 350F

Filling
Mix together 2lbs of frozen mixed berries and 2 tsp of xanthan gum in a 9x9 baking dish.

Crust
2 cups of almond meal
1 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp of nutmeg
1/2 cup of coconut oil
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 tsp of vanilla extract

Mix the almond meal, cinnamon, nutmeg then add the coconut oil, agave nectar and vanilla. Blend well and spoon the mixture over the fruit. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake for 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

The lowdown on sugar

Sugar...aka the white poison! Our ancestors did not eat this white toxic substance and they did not have the diseases and ailments that we experience today! I always cringe when people tell me that they don't eat sugar but they use sweeteners like sweet n low! Yikes! Sweeteners are chemicals and are worse than sugar! And brown sugar is white sugar with molasses!

So why is sugar so bad? It negatively affects the body in the following ways:

-Depresses the immune system
-High insulin demand
-High enzyme demand
-Hyperactivity
-Fatigue

A true test to see how sugar affects you is to come off of it for 30 days! It is amazing to see how this white substance can wreak havoc on our bodies! People who I have done nutrition work with that come off of sugar immediately notice the following results: better sleep, no gas, no bloating, weight loss, better blood sugar control, no cravings, and more energy.
So the next time you reach for those sugary treats ask yourself if it is really worth it?

My recommendations if you crave something sweet is to eat fresh fruit or some dates! If you feel that you have to have dessert, bake some apples with cinnamon or grab a medjool date, remove the pit and stick a pecan in it (tastes like pecan pie). And if you are making a recipe that calls for sugar, replace it with palm sugar, real maple syrup (sorry Aunt Jemima doesn't cut it), agave nectar, or honey (I prefer raw)! Eat these sugar replacements in very very small quantities and sparingly! I know we are only human and everyone craves sweets from time to time. I am not saying that these sugar substitutes are healthy and won't negatively affect your body, all I am saying is that if you absolutely have to have something sweet than choosing palm sugar or agave is still a better choice than white and brown sugar!

And remember that sugar has no nutrition value whatsoever! Fuel your body with foods that provide vitamins, minerals, and enzymes!

Almond butter cookies

These are great for when you have those peanut butter cookie cravings!

1 cup almond butter
2/3 cup of coconut (palm) sugar
1 whole egg beaten
1 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp of vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl mix almond butter and sugar. Add the egg, baking powder, and vanilla and mix well. Roll small amounts of the mixture into a ball. Coat the ball in a little more sugar and Place on a greased cookie sheet. With a fork press the balls flat. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until cookies are light brown. Let them cool before serving.

Love chocolate but not willing to try Paleo because you can't ditch the choco habit?

Then make your own!  I've been making my own chocolate for a few years now and it tastes so natural and fresh!  This recipe is for all those dark chocolate lovers (and milk chocolate lovers too) out there. 

The recipe is really simple and this chocolate can be broken into chips and added to cookie recipes (stay tuned for some delicious cookie recipes).

1/2 C Coconut oil
1/2 C Cacao powder
1/2 C Maple syrup (or agave nectar however I find that the maple syrup isn't as sweet!)
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1/2 C Chopped almonds (or any other nut of choice)

(Optional-if you love mint chocolate, add a tsp of peppermint extract.  If you love lots of goodies in your chocolate, you can also add sunflower seeds, dried cranberries etc.)

Blend liquid ingredients until super smooth. You can add more sweetener or more chocolate to suit your tastes.

Transfer mixture to separate bowl and stir in chopped almonds. (Feel free to add other goodies...coconut, berries, etc)

Spread on a plastic wrap lined plate or dish and place in freezer to cool.

Protein Bars

I came up with this recipe a few years ago when I started to react to gluten and dairy and was unable to grab a 'protein bar' while I was on the go. 

1/2 c coconut oil
1 cup almond butter
11/2 c carob chips or unsweetened carob chips (I couldn't find unsweetened carob chips so I substituted 1 cup of pure cocoa powder)
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
3-4 tablespoons of agave nectar (I didn't want to make them too sweet but you can add more to sweeten as needed).

On medium heat, melt coconut oil, almond butter and add cocoa.  Stir in remaining ingredients.
Transfer ingredients to a 5x7 inch glass baking pan and press and spread.
Let cool then refrigerate and cut.

Is there a cheesecake substitute?

Cheesecake was always a favourite of mine.  You can imagine how devastated I was when I learned that I was allergic to dairy.  Luckily I found a cheesecake subsitute and it really does taste like cheesecake, honest!  This recipe was taken from a forum (http://www.goneraw.com/) that I visited  frequently in my raw vegan days.  I still check in from time to time as most of the recipes can easily be adapted to the paleo lifestyle.  Enjoy!

Lemon Cheesecake with Strawberry Topping

Graham Cracker Crust:
*1 c Almond meal
*1/2 c Dates
*1 tbsp Agave Nectar
*1 tbsp Filtered Water
*1 tsp Cinnamon
*1 tsp Vanilla Extract
*Pinch of Celtic Sea Salt

To make the crust, process the dates in a food processor until they form one ball. In a large bowl add the almond meal and dates and blend using your hands. Add the agave, water and salt and continue blending. Press to the bottom of an 8″ spring form pan, being sure to create a hill at the edges.

Lemon Cream Cheese Filling:
*1 1/2 c Cashews
*1/3 c Lemon juice (use less if you want a hint of lemon taste only)
*1/4 c Coconut Oil, melted
*1/4 c Agave Nectar
*2 tbsp Filtered Water
*2 tbsp Almond or other Nut Milk
*1 tbsp Lemon zest
*1 tsp Vanilla extract

Add all the ingredients in a blender and blend until completely smooth. Pour the filling over the Graham Cracker Crust and smooth over the top to create an even surface.

Strawberry Topping
*1 c Strawberries, chopped
*1 tsp Agave Nectar (optional)

Blend the strawberries and agave in a blender, very briefly. You want to have a chunky consistency with small pieces of strawberries. Using a large spoon, spoon the Strawberry Topping over the top of the Lemon Cream Cheese Filling and smooth over the top.

Preparation: 

Let set in the freezer for 2 hours or in the fridge overnight.
To serve, remove the spring form sides and garnish with lemon zest and a small strawberry on each slice.

Yummy Brownie Bites

Who doesn't love brownies?  These taste just like brownies without the calories, wheat, dairy and bad fat.

3 cups Pecans
2 Tbsp Almond Butter
1/4 cups Agave
1/4 cups Cacao
Pinch of quality salt (optional)

2 bars of vegan chocolate or dark organic chocolate

Dump the pecans into your food processor (or high powered blender) and process them down to a fine flour, then until it stops moving — some of the pecans will break down and release their oil and they will start to clump and turn into pecan butter (yum!).  Give it a good stir by hand and then toss in the rest of the ingredients.  Continue to process until the mixture forms a solid ball.  Transfer to a bowl and give the dough a good stir by hand to make sure it is mixed well.
Grab a small amount of the dough and roll into a ball with your hands.

Melt the chocolate bars and dip each ball (with a toothpick) into the chocolate and put on wax paper.  Put into the fridge for thirty minutes for chocolate to harden.

Recommended Reads!

My Guiltless Mashed Potatoes

Craving creamy mashed potatoes?  My guiltless mashed potatoes recipe tastes just like mashed potatoes without the starch and calories.  Completely dairy-free and full of good carbs and fat!

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower
• 90mL of coconut milk
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (be careful of the strong garlic flavour, may want to reduce to 1 clove if you don't like garlic or omit if you are feeding to kids)

Method
Cut cauliflower into florets of even size, steam until soft. Put milk in a blender add cooked cauliflower and garlic and blend until creamy. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately and enjoy. :-)

My Sweet Potato Pecan Salad

I love sweet potatoes and the other day I was craving a potato'y type salad.  I came up with this concoction and it was a hit!

3 medium-large sweet potatoes
1/2 cup of whole pecans
1/4 cup of dried cranberries
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
1/2 of red onion minced
1 garlic clove minced
Balsamic and EVOO to taste

Boil the sweet potatoes in their skins.  Once they are done boiling, wait for them to cool.  Once cooled, peel off the skin and chop the sweet potatoes into chunks and put into a bowl.  Mix in the pecans, dried cranberries, cilantro, onion and garlic.  Add balsamic and EVOO to taste and mix well.  Enjoy!

Paleo pantry essentials to get you started

Oils and Fats

• Coconut Oil
• Olive Oil
• Avocadoes
• Olives

Herbs and Spices

• Paprika
• Dry Mustard
• Rosemary
• Thyme
• Oregano
• Basil
• Parsley
• Chili powder
• Curry powder
• Cayenne pepper

Veggies

• Non-starchy veggies:

- Artichoke Mushrooms Asparagus Mustard Greens
- Beet Greens Onions Beets Parsley
- Bell Peppers Parsnip Broccoli Peppers (all kinds)
- Brussels Sprouts Pumpkin Cabbage Purslane
- Carrots Radish Cauliflower Rutabaga
- Celery Seaweed Collards Spinach
- Cucumber Squash (all kinds) Dandelion Swiss Chard
- Eggplant Tomatillos Endive Tomato
- Green Onions Turnip Greens Kale Turnips
- Kohlrabi Watercress Lettuce

Fruits

Non-starchy fruits:

- Apple Cranberries Apricot Figs
- Avocado Gooseberries Banana Grapefruit
- Blackberries Grapes Blueberries Guava
- Boysenberries Honeydew melon Cantaloupe Kiwi
- Carambola Lemon Cassava Melon Lime
- Cherimoya Lychee Cherries Mango
- Nectarine Pomegranate Orange Raspberries
- Papaya Rhubarb Passion Fruit Star Fruit
- Peaches Strawberries Pears Tangerine
- Persimmon Watermelon Pineapple All other fruits
- Plums

Lean Protein

• Lean Beef (trimmed of visible fat)
• Flank Steak
• Top Sirloin Steak
• Extra lean hamburger (7% fat or less) 
• Lean Pork (trimmed of visible fat)
• Pork loin Pork Chops
• Lean poultry (white meat, skin removed)
• Turkey breast
• Game hen breasts
• Eggs - Chicken (enriched omega 3 variety)
• Duck
• Bass Perch
• Bluefish Red snapper
• Cod
• Salmon
• Haddock
• Halibut
• Tilapia
• Herring
• Trout
• Tuna
• Orange roughy available fish
• Mussels
• Clams
• Oysters
• Crab
• Scallops
• Shrimp
• Lobster

 Nuts and Seeds                                                                                                           

• Almonds
• Pine Nuts
• Brazil Nuts
• Pistachios (unsalted)
• Cashews
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Chestnuts
• Sesame Seeds
• Hazelnuts
• Sunflower Seeds
• Macadamia Nuts
• Walnuts
• Pecans