Pancake Bacon Strips

Photo: blog.chefuniforms.com

What a delicious way to start (or end) your day.  Try this with Pancakes My Kids Will Eat from my earlier post.

Guess what we're having for breakfast on Saturday.

Pancakes My Kids Will Eat

Pancakes were a staple in our house before drastically changing our diet.  My husband made waffles or pancakes every other day.  I don't think I'm exaggerating, either.  I've tried many pancake recipes and I either got a, "no way" or "eh, it's ok".  I stopped trying for a long time and now I've stumbled on a new recipe.  Last week when I made them before school, both kids had seconds! 

Photo: Real Food Made Easy

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1 cup coconut milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon coconut nectar or honey
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

• Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.  Using a blender is fast and makes for easy pouring.
• Allow batter to sit for a couple of minutes to thicken.
• Melt butter in a frying pan or griddle and pour in pancake batter to the size of pancakes you desire.
• When the batter bubbles on top, flip over and continue cooking for about 30 seconds.
• Top with grass-fed butter and Grade B 100% pure maple syrup.

Fall Soup

Do you serve Thanksgiving dinner in courses?  Do you include a soup?  We don't usually but I thought I'd throw this recipe out there.  It's super easy and super yummy.  I was inspired by my friend Kindra's latest creation.  Please check it out at Bon Appetit Paleo along with the rest of her delicious posts.

Photo: The Gracious Pantry

Into a crockpot I threw:

1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks (I cheated and bought it already cut up. Some days are like that.)
3 - 4 small, organic carrots
1/2 onion, cut into chunks
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
1 cup water
1 can coconut milk
1" ginger, peeled, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
sea salt
1T cumin

Cover and set on low for about 10 hours.  When ready to eat, remove the bay leaf and use an immersion blender to blend ingredients.  Add more coconut milk, if needed, to get the consistency you desire.  No immersion blender?  Blend in batches with your blender or food processor.

Pumpkin Spice Donuts

My blogger friend at Write From The Farm inspired me to make donuts again.  Her recipe for bacon, butternut, pumpkin donuts looks awesome.  I will try it.  This time, though, I was working with limited time and wanted to make some donuts for the kids and my mom visiting from Texas.  Here's my variation on the recipe I found at Edible Harmony.

Ingredients:

½ cup pumpkin puree
½ cup of pitted dates (about 10 dates)
6 eggs
1/3 cup of softened coconut oil
1 tsp of vanilla extract
2 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
½ cup of coconut flour
½ teaspoon baking soda

5 tablespoons coconut milk or raw whole milk

Glaze: (optional)

2 tablespoons softened coconut oil

2 tablespoons softened butter

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 tablespoons raw honey

Directions:
• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Using a food processor or blender, combine the pumpkin puree, dates, eggs, oil and spices until the dates are completely ground.
• Add the rest of the ingredients and run the food processor for a few more seconds

• Grease the donut pan and pour the batter into the molds

• Bake for about 25 minutes or until donuts are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry.

• Set on a cooling rack to cool then frost with the glaze.

Banana Date Nut Shake

This is a great after school snack and would make a great breakfast.  Thanks to 30 Days of Amazing Paleolithic Breakfasts by Lisa Stewart and Jeremy L for this recipe.  We've incorporated into our repertoire quite of few recipes from this book.

Photo: aida mollenkamp

Here is my adaptation of this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen banana pieces
1 cup pitted dates
3/4 cup coconut milk
a handful of soaked, dehydrated raw walnuts*
dash of cinnamon

Directions:

Add all ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth.

Carly loved it but she LOVES walnuts.  My Coop, he's a bit picky.  I made it for him for breakfast and prepped him with, "keep an open mind".  I also omitted the walnuts because I didn't think he'd like it.  I think he drank most of it.  When I made it for Carly after school I used the walnuts (duh).  I gave Coop and his friend a little bit.  His friend asked what flavor it was and Coop, after tasting it said, "chocolate banana".  They gobbled it up and then I told them what it really was.  Both boys were surprised but decided they still liked it.  I'm keeping the recipe.

*Since my husband started soaking and dehydrating nuts we've discovered they really do taste better and we are digesting them better.  For the why's and how's check out the link - why should I soak nuts?

Spaghetti Squash alla Carbonara

This recipe, from Paleo Parents, is my VERY favorite spaghetti squash dish.  I could make it every night and as I'm typing this I'm wondering why it has been so long since I've made it.  Everyone in my family loved it, especially since it has bacon in it.

Ingredients
1 medium spaghetti squash
12 oz bacon
1 Tbsp coconut flour
1/2 C coconut milk
6 eggs
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning (or herbs de provence)
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 heaping Tbsp coconut oil or butter

Instructions

1. Cut the spaghetti squash in half, scoop out the seeds, place open side down on a plate and microwave for 10 minutes (alternatively, bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees)
2. While the squash is cooking, fry up the strips of bacon (whole) in a pan over medium heat. Use one you can also scramble eggs in, we like a cast iron skillet
3. When the bacon is finished cooking and crispy, remove from the pan and set-aside bacon
4. Over medium heat, whisk in the coconut flour to the bacon grease and let cook for a few minutes
5. While the flour cooks, combine eggs, coconut milk, seasoning, parsley, salt and garlic powder in a bowl until all yolks are fully incorporated
6. Pour eggs into pan, stirring frequently, and cook in bacon fat until still wet but cooked through (about 3 minutes)
7. Slice bacon into 1/4 inch strips, add to serving bowl and top with egg mixture
8. Scrape out spaghetti squash “noodles” with a fork and and add to serving bowl, top with oil or butter
9. Slowly start to incorporate oil/butter into spaghetti squash; once melted, stir to combine all ingredients

Delish!

Spiced Hot Chocolate

Photo: Yunhee Kim

I'm posting this before I've made it.  I think it will be amazing, though.  I'm currently 6 days into a 45-day sugar fast and don't think I should try and justify the chocolate...

My recipe is inspired by Whole Living's Spiced Hot Dark Chocolate.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond, raw whole, or coconut milk
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• freshly grated nutmeg
• pinch cayenne, +/-
• pinch ground cardamom
• 1 oz dark (>80%) chocolate, chopped

Directions:

1. Bring all ingredients to a simmer.  
2. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 10 minutes.  
3. Whisk in chocolate until smooth and creamy.

Enjoy!

Cereal

...It's one of the things I miss about being grain free.  Carly was near tears a few days ago.  She begged me to get her a box of cereal.  She even offered to pay for it herself.  Tough love won and I scoured the internet for a paleo "cereal".  I found two great options that both kids like.

Cinnamon Apple Creamed Cereal by Paleo Parents is egg-free, grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, corn-free, soy-free, refined sugar-free.

Paleo Cereal by The Paleo Project

• In a bowl combine chopped raw almonds, chopped raw cashews (or whatever nuts you like), blackberries, raspberries, and bananas (or whatever fruit you like).

• Pour coconut milk over nuts & fruit and top with honey.

I think they are great substitutes.  If you try them, please let me know what you think.

"Nutella"

Make Your Own "Nutella" *

I don't like nutella but my family does.  When the kids are begging for it what do I do?  I find a paleo nutella I can make myself.  Paleo Spirit's recipe uses hazelnuts.  That's what I don't like about nutella, so I'm using raw almonds.

*Disclaimer: I have to put nutella in quotes because Brad says it's not really nutella.  He adds that this recipe is still good.


Here is my recipe adapted from Paleo Spirit.

Ingredients:

• 1 C raw almonds (use hazelnuts if you like them)
• 1/2 C coconut milk
• 1/4 C coconut nectar or maple syrup
• 1/4 C cacao powder
• 1/4 t vanilla
• 2 T coconut oil
• pinch of sea salt

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350˚ F.
• Roast the almonds in the oven for 10 minutes.
• Add the almonds to the bowl of a food processor and pureé for a few minutes until creamy, scraping down the sides as needed.
• Add the remaining ingredients.  Continue to process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
• Store in the refrigerator.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

I started attending a women's bible study with my god-daughter.  It's in the morning so the ladies attending take turns bringing breakfast for her table.  Well, now that we are such particular eaters, I really don't get to enjoy the breakfasts unless I bring them myself.  Today was my turn.

I tested these Apple Cinnamon Muffins (modified from always underfoot) on my kids, of course.  They loved them so I made them hoping the ladies at my table would, too.  I think they did.  Turns out I have a paleo friend at my table and two girls who are not eating dairy and were pleased to be able to partake in these yummy muffins.

photo: always underfoot

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Batter

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon stevia

4 eggs

1/3 cup canned coconut milk 

1/2 cup apple sauce

1 apple, cored, peeled and finely chopped

Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients.   Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients until well combined. Fold in finely chopped apple. Prepare muffin pan with liners and fill cups about 3/4 full.

Topping

2 apples, cored, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tablespoons cinnamon

2 tablespoons apple sauce

1 tablespoon maple syrup

In a separate bowl, combine apple cinnamon topping ingredients until apples are coated. Scoop mixture over top of muffins and gently poke the topping into the muffin batter. Bake at 350º for 20 – 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Makes 12 muffins.

Coconut Banana Soup

This is a great, easy, and fast after school snack!  I blended together coconut milk, some cinnamon and a frozen banana.  I then poured it into ramekins and added frozen berries (blueberries for Cooper and raspberries for Carly).

I called it soup because it wasn't quite thick enough to be a smoothie or a shake or ice cream.

Carly asked why I didn't blend in the berries.  I thought the frozen berries would add texture.  I had in my mind from a Bulletproof Executive post that I would make frozen blueberries in coconut milk.  I just couldn't see my kids "eating" coconut milk with only berries added.  So I created something new.

Both kids loved it and agreed I can keep it on my list of after school snacks!  I'm always looking for new ideas for after school snacks.  If you have some paleo suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

UPDATE: I added frozen strawberries to the coconut milk, frozen bananas, and cinnamon and I skipped the berries on top.  Tastes like ice cream.  Cooper even had a friend over and he loved it!