Panna Cotta with Berry Coulis

This is an amazingly easy dessert, perfect for entertaining because it can be prepared in advance.

It is fantastic with blackberries but any berry or a mixture or berries would work. Mango would also be a great option.

Adapted from Spoon Fork Bacon, serves four to six

Ingredients

3 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
2 vanilla beans or 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup sugar
6 sheets gelatin or 2 envelopes powdered gelatin or 4 1/2 teaspoons

2 cups berries of choice, blackberries, strawberries or blueberries

Directions

Place the gelatin in a small bowl with 5 1/2 tablespoons cold water. Set aside.

If using vanilla beans, split the pods and scrape out the contents.

In a medium pot over medium heat, stir together the cream, milk, sugar and vanilla, both bean pods and contents. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar dissolves fully, about 7 to 10 minutes, remove from heat. Remove the vanilla bean pods.

Transfer the mixture into a large bowl. Stir the softened gelatine into the mixture and stir to incorporate.
once gelatin has completely dissolved, ladle mixture into small jars or cups.

Chill in the refrigerator until set, about 4 to 6 hours.

For the berry coulis, place all ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Add sugar or honey as necessary if the berries are too tart.

Once the panna cottas have set, spoon the coulis over the top of each cup.

Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Garnish with berries, lemon rind or mint leaves.

♥  Amy

Korean Barbecue Ribs

We are into the third week of the Whole30 - the end is in sight! It helps that the results are becoming noticeable - less bloating, more energy, less cravings.

This past Friday Dave picked up a package of pork ribs as a treat. Then I was tasked with finding us a substitute recipe that did not have brown sugar, honey or maple syrup like our typical rib sauce. I turned to my favorite paleo blogs (Nom Nom Paleo, PaleOMG ) for inspiration and then headed to the pantry to throw together a Korean barbecue style sauce.

The results was delicious!

 

This recipe could easily be used  as a marinate for chicken breast or thighs.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 pounds pork or beef ribs
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed chilies
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup coconut aminos (or soya sauce)
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 green onions, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, ground
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions

Stove Top or Grill Method

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the ribs to the water. Reduce the heat and boil for 20 minutes or until the ribs are just cooked through.

Remove the ribs from the water and place onto a foil lined roast pan. Preheat the grill or broiler in the oven.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Pour the mixture over the ribs making sure to coat all sides evenly.

Grill or broil for 3 to 4 minutes, watching constantly so they do not burn. Flip the ribs, brush with sauce and broil for another 3 to 4 minutes.

Serve warm with additional sauce for dipping.

 

Slow Cooker Method

In a small bowl, combine the marinade ingredients. Pour the mixture over the ribs making sure to coat all sides evenly.

 

Arrange the ribs in the slow cooker and pour the sauce over top. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

 

Remove the ribs from the slow cooker and place onto a foil lined roast pan. Preheat the broiler in the oven. Broil the ribs for 3 to 4 minutes, watching constantly so they do not burn. Flip the ribs, brush with sauce and broil for another 3 to 4 minutes.

 

 

Serve warm with the remaining sauce.

♥  Amy

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Adapted from Primal Palate, makes approximately 2 cups

Ingredients

1 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup red onion
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

 

Directions

Add the mustard, pepper, salt, onion and vinegar to a blender or food processor. Blend at high speed until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil until fully emulsified.

♥  Amy

Paleo Chocolate Ginger Cookies

These cookies are rich, moist and chewy... and paleo friendly!

Adapted from Multiply Delicious, makes one dozen cookies

Ingredients

10 dates, pitted and chopped
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/3 cup coconut oil
2 eggs
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with Silpat or parchment paper.

Add the dates to a small bowl with 1 tablespoon water and microwave on high for 30 seconds.  Mash dates with a fork until they form a thick paste. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the date mixture, maple syrup, coconut oil, eggs, molasses and vanilla extract. Mix until combined. 

Add the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves, mixing until combined, scraping the bowl as needed. Stir in the chocolate.

Spoon heaping tablespoons of dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, leaving at least an inch between cookies.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes.

♥  Amy

Mint Chocolate Meringue with Strawberries

I pinned this recipe forever ago and was quite happy when some friends invited us over for dessert so I finally had an excuse to make it. Even their 2½ year old loved it. Apparent he keeps asking if I will come over again with a "white cake".



Meringues always sound intimidating but are actually quite easy. They just require a lot of time, a gentle touch and some patience.

They are the perfect dessert for summer entertaining since most of the work can be done the day before and then quickly assembled before serving.

Adapted from Today's Nest, serves six

Ingredients

3 egg whites
¾ cup superfine sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
1 ½ ounces semisweet chocolate, grated plus additional for garnish

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, finely chopped plus additional for garnish
2 tablespoons superfine sugar

2 cups strawberries, sliced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 275°F. On a piece of parchment paper draw three rectangles approximately 4 inches wide and 10 inches long. Place the parchment on a baking sheet and set aside.

If you don’t have superfine sugar, simply pulse granulated sugar in your food processor or blender for about 30 seconds. Do not use icing or powdered sugar.

Beat the egg whites in the stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add ½ cup of the superfine sugar and whisk until mixture is quite stiff and glossy. Fold in the remaining sugar, cornstarch, and grated chocolate just until incorporated. Folding must be done very gently as to not deflate the egg whites.

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a ½ inch plain tip or large star tip. Pipe lines of batter to fill the rectangles on the parchment paper. Be sure your lines of batter touch slightly to keep the meringue in one solid piece.

Bake for 45 minutes. Rotate tray. Bake another 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow the meringues to cool completely inside the oven.

Once the meringues are cool, melt the chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a simmering pot of water, stirring until smooth. Spread the chocolate on the bottom of the meringue layers. Set aside.

To make the whipped cream filling, add the sugar, mint and cream to a chilled bowl and whip to soft peaks.

When ready to assemble, place one of the meringues on the serving dish. Spread half of the whipped cream on top of the meringue. Cover with a layer of strawberries. Add another meringue, followed by the remaining whipped cream and another layer of strawberries.

Add the final meringue. Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream, strawberry slices, mint leaves and grated chocolate.

 

Be gentle with meringues while assembling as they are extremely fragile.

Refrigerate until serving. For best results, cut with a very sharp serrated knife using a sawing motion.

♥  Amy

Paleo Pumpkin Pudding

This recipe saved us during our 30 Day Paleo Challenge when the sweet cravings hit.

From Health Bent, serves 6

Ingredients

14 ounce can 100% pumpkin puree
14 ounce can coconut milk
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package gelatin powder
1/4 cup water, luke warm

Directions


In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the luke warm water and stir to combine, making sure there are no lumps. Set aside.

In a small sauce pot over low heat, whisk together the pumpkin, coconut milk, maple syrup, cinnamon and vanilla. Bring to a simmer and then immediately remove from the heat.

Whisk the gelatin into the pumpkin mixture.

Pour the pumpkin custard into ramekins or small bowls.

Press a small square of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custards. Refrigerate at least six hours prior to serving to allow the custard to set-up and get firm.

Serve sprinkled with cinnamon, cocoa powder or cocoa nibs.

♥  Amy

Muhammara

Muhammara is a Mediterranean dip made of walnuts, roasted red peppers and pomegranate molasses. It is the perfect combination of savory and sweet. When ever I serve muhammara, it always gets rave reviews.

The best part? I was able to make it paleo friendly! It makes an excellent substitute for hummus and a great light lunch.

Pomegranate molasses can be found in any middle eastern grocery store. I found mine at Community Foods. I use roasted red peppers from a jar for convenience sake, which I find at Superstore, but you can also easily roast your own red peppers.

Adapted from Veggie Belly, makes 2 cups

Ingredients

1 cup walnuts
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
2 large roasted red peppers (approximately 1/2 of a 300 mL jar)
1 clove garlic
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili flakes
½ teaspoon salt

Directions

In a skillet on medium heat, toast the walnuts till they are slightly browned.

Put the toasted walnuts with all the other ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. If the mixture is too thick to blend, add a few tablespoons of additional olive oil.

Serve with vegetable slices or pita.

♥  Amy

Paleo Coconut Fudge

Food for backcountry activities - skiing and hiking - has been one of our big stumbling blocks with our paleo diet. When Dave headed out for a week of backcountry skiing at Icefall Lodge, I made a big batch of coconut fudge and it was a huge hit. Just the right amount of sweetness and a good hit of calories to provide the energy necessary for long days of skiing. This is not an everyday snack.

From Make it Paleo, makes 12 squares

Ingredients

1 cup coconut butter (or 3/4 cup coconut oil and 1/4 cup coconut flour)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions

Melt the coconut butter in a medium bowl in the microwave.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix until smooth. Transfer to a loaf pan lined with wax paper. Smooth flat with a spatula. Refrigerate over night, until firm.

Cut into squares and serve.

♥  Amy

Paleo Crepes with Coconut Whipped "Cream"

On the weekends when Dave is not working, we always do big breakfasts. Crepes with strawberries is one of Dave's favorites. We were both quite happy to find a paleo-friendly crepe recipe and now make it almost every weekend.

From Girl Gone Primal, serves four

Ingredients

100 grams almond flour
4 eggs
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted, plus extra for pan
1/2 cup water
1 cup strawberries, sliced

1/2 can coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup, optional

Directions

For the coconut whipped "cream", spoon the top thick layer of coconut milk from the top of the can into the bowl of the stand mixer. You can use the runnier coconut milk at the bottom of the can but it will not yield as stiff of whipped cream.

Using the whisk attachment, beat the coconut milk until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and sweetener, if using, and beat to combine. Set aside.

For the crepes, combine flour, eggs and oil in a large bowl. Stir well. Gradually add the water whilst stirring, until the desired consistency is reached. For crepes, the mixture should be runny. For pancakes, use only about half of the water.

Heat coconut oil in a large pan. Add about a quarter of the batter to the pan and swirl gentle until the batter covers the bottom.

Cook until it begins to borwn and bubbles form in the middle. Flip the crepes gently. Cook the second side until it begins to brown.

Remove from heat and serve immediately topped with strawberries and whipped "cream".

Enjoy!

♥  Amy

Vegetable Fritters

These make a fantastic fast lunch, light dinner or side dish.

Adapted from Spoon Fork Bacon, serves two

Ingredients

1 sweet potato, peeled and grated
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1 zucchini, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg
1/2 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Olive oil

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon curry


Directions

Squeeze as much liquid out of the grated vegetables as possible. Combine the vegetables, garlic, egg, flour, baking powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir well.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Form the 2 to 3 tablespoons of the vegetable mixture in to a ball with your hands. Gently press to flatten and place in the skillet.

Fry 4 to 6 minutes, flip, and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the fritters to a lined baking sheet in a warm oven to keep hot until serving.

To make the curry mayonnaise, combine the mayonnaise, cumin and curry in a small bowl.

Serve the hot fritters with the curry mayonnaise.

Enjoy!

♥  Amy

Paleo N'oatmeal Raisin Cookies

These cookies are good.

You would be hard pressed to guess that they do not contain any grains.

Adapted from Primal Palate, makes three dozen

Ingredients

2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup flax seeds
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/4 cup hemp hearts
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line cookie sheets with parchment or Silpat.

Combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on low speed until combined.

Using a cookie scoop, drop tablespoon size balls onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until starting to brown at the edges.

♥  Amy

Power Protein Cookies

These cookies are not your typical afternoon snack cookies. These cookies pack a serious (protein and calorie) punch.

I whipped up a big batch of these cookies for Dave to take with him to Icefall Lodge.

They can be made using your favorite protein powder. The original recipe used whey protein, I used chocolate flavoured soy protein.

Adapted from createlive, makes 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup almond butter or peanut butter
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 tablespoons flax seeds
2 tablespoons hemp hearts, optional
2 tablespoons chia seeds, optional
1/4 cup diced walnuts
2 scoops protein powder

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat.

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on low speed until combined. Scoop onto cookie sheet using a cookie scoop and flatten with a fork.

Bake for 14 to 18 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to brown.

♥  Amy

Paleo Baked Apple

An easy paleo-friendly dessert that would be fantastic served with paleo "ice cream".

Adapted from Making it Paleo, serves two

Ingredients

2 Granny smith apples
1/4 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1/2 cup raisins
2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Cut the top off the apples and remove the core.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, syrup and butter. Mix until well combined. Stir in the raisins and walnuts. Stuff the mixture into the centre of the apples.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

♥  Amy

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Make it Paleo, makes 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 eggs

3 cups almond flour

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the eggs, syrup and vanilla. Add the baking soda, salt and almond flour.  Melt the coconut oil and pour into batter. Mix until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough onto the prepare cookie sheets. 

Bake 15 minutes. 

♥  Amy

Carrot Soup with Ginger and Sesame

The original recipe called for miso paste but I substituted it with tahini - it was what we had in the pantry and it is paleo-friendly. You could also use peanut butter or almond butter.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, serves six

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons ginger, grated
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/4 cup tahini
1 tablespoon sesame oil
Green onions, chopped, for garnish
Cilantro, for garnish

Directions

Heat the oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion and garlic and saute until onion is soft. Add the broth, ginger, and tahini, stir to combine. Cover and simmer until carrots are tender or about 30 minutes.

Puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Add the sesame oil and stir to combine.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with green onions and cilantro.

♥  Amy

Roxanne's Granola

This recipe was given to me by a gluten-sensitive co-worker several years ago - I believe she modified it from a Rose Reisman recipe.

Makes 16 servings

4 cups combination of flakes of choice (oat, soy, kamut, rice)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup

Optional Additions:

1/2 cup chopped nuts of choice
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup goji berries, chopped
1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup dates, chopped
1/2 cup coconut flakes

Preheat the oven to 300 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat.

Combine the flakes, cinnamon, ginger, oil, orange juice, sweetener and nuts in a large bowl. Mix well.

Spread out on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the dried fruit and any other additions of your choosing. Allow to cool completely and store in an air tight container.

♥  Amy

Paleo Chicken Fingers

I feel like we are making big strides towards in our commitment to eating paleo or at least gluten free - the other day Dave demoted the toaster from its spot in the kitchen to storage in the basement in order to make room for his protein powder. I actually can't remember the last time we used the toaster...

Serves two

Chicken breasts or thighs, cut into strips
1 egg
1/2 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
Salt
Pepper

2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

In a bowl, combine the flour and seasonings. In a second bowl, whisk the egg. Dip the chicken in the egg and then dredge in the flour mixture. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked through.

In the meantime, prepare the honey-mustard sauce by whisking together the mayonnaise, mustard and honey.

Serve with sweet potato fries.

Enjoy!


♥  Amy

Paleo "Ice Cream"

This recipe is paleo-friendly, dairy-free and can also be made vegan and egg-free.

And it actually tastes like ice cream!

The egg yolks are completely optional but will result in a richer, creamier ice cream. I have used the base recipe to make Green Tea Almond ice cream (with out eggs) and Chocolate Almond Butter ice cream (with eggs). Other tempting flavourings: mango puree, instant coffee powder, coconut extract and shaved coconut, banana, fresh mint and chocolate... the options are endless!

Makes 1 litre

2 400 mL cans coconut milk
1/4 to 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
3 egg yolks (optional)
Flavourings as desired

If using eggs or flavourings that need to melt such as chocolate or almond butter, heat the coconut milk and flavourings in a small saucepan, do not boil. Whisk in the eggs. Add the sweetener to taste but remember that ice cream generally tastes less sweet once it is frozen. Transfer to the ice cream maker.

If you are not using eggs or a flavouring that needs to be melted, simply whisk every thing together in a bowl and transfer to the ice cream maker.

Freeze as per ice cream maker instructions.

Green Tea Almond

Ice cream base as above
1 tablespoon matcha tea powder
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
Toasted almond flakes (optional)

Chocolate Almond Butter

Ice cream base as above
1/2 cup 70% cocoa chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup almond butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean


♥  Amy