Coconut Paleo Protein Pancakes

Tweet this!

I was still sleeping at 8am when my husband walked into the room and said, "I'm going to the store for milk. Do you want anything?"

And I did. I sure as hell did. I must have been nose deep in some culinary dreams, because I sprang out of bed with visions of paleo pancakes swimming through my head. I had almost everything, you see, but a few things would make it perfect.

You know, the good things. Like dark chocolate and maple syrup.

And so off I went, makeup-less and crazy haired, glasses smooshed to my face, because I was AWAKE now that pancakes were in the mix.

They did not disappoint.

Coconut Paleo Protein Pancakes
Ingredients:
1/4 cup Coconut Flour
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp Coconut Milk
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1 tbsp flax seed
1/2 scoop protein powder (appx 1.5 tbsp)

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix until well combined.
2. Grease a cooking pan with coconut oil.
3. Pour in a bit at a time and cook uncovered over medium-high heat. *If you are adding blueberries or fruit, add it now, after you've poured the batter* 
4. Once you see bubbles appear, carefully flip with a small spatula. The top will be a bit liquidy still as you flip, so do it decisively! It's alright if a bit of it spills- just use the spatula to move your pancake around and pick it up!
5. If you are adding chocolate or something else that is melty, add it on top now!
6. After another two minutes, check the bottom of the pancake. When it reaches your desired darkness, serve.
7. TOP THAT SCHTUFF WITH MAPLE SYRUP, OBVIOUSLY.

Paleo Candy: Chocolate Coconut Fudge with ANYTHING YOU WANT Inside

Tweet this!

I know what you're thinking. Girl couldn't even go two weeks enduring the paleo diet without making some fake candy. What can I say? It was the weekend, I had time on my hands, and I figured pre-making some health-ified desserts for post-meal satisfaction couldn't hurt.

I was only partly right. Unfortunately, my husband is not into nuts (don't get me started...), so I was eating these all alone. And I. Could. Not. Stop.

I tried putting them in the freezer to make them so hard I wouldn't be able to have any instant gratification. Didn't work. I just dug right in and ate them frozen.

This stuff is that good. It's like crack or something (I wouldn't know first hand on that one, I'm just saying, it's addicting).

You can pretty much do whatever add-ins and toppings you want once you get the fudge base right. I went with roughly chopped walnuts and almonds, coconut flakes, and cranberries inside and some almond butter topping on top of half of my batch. I have to say, the dried cranberries were amazing and I wished I had thrown more in. 

Other ideas: any dried fruit (dried cherries? yumz), any nuts (pecans? PISTACHIOS? oh my gosh), fresh fruit (obviously this would limit its shelf life, but I think it would be amazing with some fresh strawberries and raspberries in the summer time), cooked unflavored quinoa (crunchy!)... the possibilities are kind of endless, and I can't wait to see what you guys come up with.

Chocolate Coconut Fudge with ANYTHING YOU WANT Inside

Adapted from: This Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups coconut oil
• 1 cup cacao powder
• 1.5 tbsp stevia or sugar substitute (Note: If your palate is used to natural sweetness as opposed to artificial, you will probably enjoy this treat with even less sweetness. If that's you, start with 1 tbsp and see how it tastes!)
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (OPTIONAL)
• Any add ins you want! Nuts, fruits, etc. 

Directions:

• Melt coconut oil in the microwave (60 seconds, then stir, and nuke for another 30 if not dissolved entirely).
• Stir in cacao, stevia, salt, and cayenne pepper (optional). Whisk until well combined. Taste test to ensure you like the balance, and adjust cacao/stevia/salt balance as you desire.
• Stir in your add-ins, like nuts, syrups, fruits, etc.
• Pour into a cake pan lined with aluminum foil, and fold back the foil to make this the desired thickness you want (you can just fold it and it will stay put!).
• Put in the freezer for 2 hours.
• To serve, let sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes for best texture... but let's be real, it tastes good no matter what (and it never freezes completely, so it won't break your teeth!).

Chili Chocolate Almond Truffles

Tweet this!
The rich sweetness of chocolate, the slight kick of chili powder, and the delicious crunch of almonds... what's not to love?

Warning: You're going to want to make these. I would advise trying to make them before a social gathering, so that you don't blink and accidentally eat them all. I also should warn you that you may inadvertently "taste test" far too many heaping tablespoons of the melted chocolate mixture. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Another warning... as I made these, I started singing a little song. The lyrics are simple, so you should probably join in: "Everyday, I'm truffling... Everyday, I'm truff-fa--fa--faling." <--There you go. Now you have an awful song stuck in your head. You're very, very welcome.

I made these for blogger book club this month. I hadn't spent much time thinking of recipe development for the group, so I had to kind of scramble the day before. I found a recipe online that looked pretty good, but I didn't have all of the ingredients, so it turned into a bit of an experiment.

This recipe is adapted from this Chocolate Chili Truffles recipe from Elana's Pantry. I love her recipes and would have followed it to a "T," except that I didn't have all of the ingredients on hand, so I had to improvise. Since I was bringing this to a book club where I know at least one person has a coconut allergy, I omitted coconut milk in exchange for almond milk (with almond extract already in the mix, I figured anyone with that allergy was already out!). Also had run out of agave, so I subbed honey for that. And had no finely chopped almonds (and no desire to chop whole ones), so I just subbed chia seeds there.

Chili Chocolate Almond Truffles

Ingredients... For Truffle Base:

• 2 cups Chocolate Chips
• 2 tbsp Honey
• 1 tsp Almond Extract
• 2 tbsp Chili Powder
• 3/4 cup Almond Milk
• 1 tbsp Chia Seeds

...For Truffle Powder:

• 2tbsp Cacao Powder
• 3 tbsp Chia Seeds
• 1/2 tsp Chili Powder

Directions:

1. Melt Chocolate using a double boiler or the microwave. I put it in the microwave for 90 seconds, take out and stir, then again for 30 seconds, and take it out and stir.
2. Add honey, almond extract, chili powder, chia seeds, and almond milk and mix well. If the almond milk is not mixing in with the chocolate, try heating it for another 30 seconds with all ingredients in the bowl, and then stir again.
3. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes, until it reaches a frosting-like consistenct.
4. Scoop into balls and place on parchment paper-lined sheet. Set aside.
5. Combine ingredients for truffle powder (Cacao Powder, Chia Seeds, more Chili Powder). 
6. Roll balls in truffle powder.
7. Serve.

The Coalfire Compromise of 2013 & Random Recipe Success

Tweet this!
You know how some weekends go by in an absolute flash? Welp, it's suddenly Monday again, and I feel like I closed my eyes and the world flipped from Friday to Monday. I might seriously think the world was playing a trick on me... if it weren't for my memories from the weekend.

THE COALFIRE COMPROMISE OF 2013:

Friday night, I felt full and wanted a salad for dinner. But, guess what? My fiance had his heart set on Coalfire, a local coal fired pizza joint that is quite literally on our block. We compromised and went to Coalfire. We both ordered a pizza. Naturally, he finished his entire pizza, while I had only a few pieces of mine and saved the rest for us to munch on as snacks throughout the weekend. We also enjoyed some beers and had a nice little date.



Now, when I said that we "compromised" and went to Coalfire, you thought I lost out on that deal, didn't you? Wrong. My end of the deal was that we went to the Container Store afterward. I know, what a hot date for a Friday night. Don't be jealous ;-)

 

My fiance found ways to entertain himself at the store. Some of you have inquired about how tall he is... well, here's the perfect picture. He is six foot seven. Tall peeps for the win!



Why did we go to the Container Store?
I'd been begging to invest in a bunch of boxes and organize the apartment for months on end, but it wasn't until reading Sierra's blog post on Friday that I finally pushed for it (and made what will forever be referred to as the "Coalfire Compromise").

I'll be posting some of the before-and-afters this week (as well as what my strategy was for easy organization that will actually hold up with time). I re-did my pantry, an in-wall shelving unit, and three closets.

For now, here's a sneak peak of the pantry...



Saturday morning, I got up early and made us breakfast. We'd stocked up on some Chorizo at World Market (which is located next to the Container Store, and thus we had to stop there), so I threw together a Chorizo, onion, and cheese omelet for my fiance, then some oatmeal with plain Greek Yogurt and almonds for myself.



Post-meal, we headed to the gym for a workout sess. We did weights together (kind of) for about 45 minutes, focusing first on upper body and then on lower body (which, according to Body By Science, is the order in which to do weights so that you optimize results and avoid a headache).

Post-weights, we did some cardio. I did a 35 minute run. The first half was more of a steady state run, while the second half was sprint intervals. Thanks to Netflix and Alias for the entertainment on thus run - though I'm somewhat perplexed as to how my iPad got so insanely dirty. Gross.



After the workout, we stopped at the bank to set up our joint accounts. It was relatively painless but felt like something to celebrate!



RANDOM RECIPE SUCCESS:
 
After the bank on Saturday, we headed up North to my parents' place. On the way, we met my mom at CostCo, and my fiance became utterly obsessed with the place. For the rest of the day, the joke was that we would catch him playing on his phone, and he would be on the CostCo website.



At my parents' place, my fiance and I cooked a delicious meal. For months, I've been talking about this made-up recipe that kept lingering in my head: whiskey-marinated steak with a chocolate and wine reduction sauce. I had never seen it before, but just had a hunch that it would be to die for. And it was. Don't worry, the recipe will be coming this week.





The entire back of their house is floor to ceiling windows, so it is occasionally pretty cold in the kitchen. I found my brother's thrifted "Season's Greetings from Minnesota" sweatshirt (dude, why do you own this?) and put it on as I cooked.




For dessert, I made a Creme Brulee recipe that was a twist on this protein Cheesecake recipe. I'm estimating that they are about 100 calories each. Again, recipe coming soon. Don't you worry :)



Sunday consisted of lots of coffee, church, and an afternoon of more organizing and cleaning. Since my beloved Revenge wasn't on, we rented The Campaign with Will Ferrel and Zach Gala... (cannot for the live of me spell that man's name, but I know how to say it now!).

Have you ever randomly imagined a recipe in your head? This happens to me occasionally, and included both of the recipes I made this weekend. There's something about making something you created from scratch that is just so satisfying!

Seen any funny movies lately? The Campaign was surprisingly funny. Also surprisingly raunchy... and it is always fun to see Will Ferrell as the bad guy.

Chocolate Banana Bread (with added Protein)

Tweet this!

Let's be honest, we've all let produce go to waste. Some things are unsalvageable (hello, most vegetables). But other things, just like a good wine, only get better with time.

Enter bananas. I have to admit, it takes the pressure off knowing that I don't have to finish my bananas before they turn brown. I first experimented with low cal frozen banana ice cream. It's a delicious treat, and extremely creamy. But as it gets colder, I've decided to make something warm instead.

Banana bread is wonderful. There's really not much better than taking a bite of a steaming hot piece of banana bread, straight from the oven, with a tasty slab of butter melting on top. Nothing. Better.

...except maybe if you made it healthier. Say, by using whole wheat flour... adding in some protein powder... and some greek yogurt to keep it moist without dumping too much added fat indo the mix.

Ah, and I should mention that the protein powder is chocolate protein powder. So now we're not just working with banana bread, it's healthy protein chocolate banana bread. I know, chocolate was the only word you remember from that sentence. Go ahead and take a bite!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Banana Bread (with added protein)
Ingredients:
...for the bread

• 1 1/2 scoops chocolate protein powder
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 egg whites
• 2 tbsp vanilla greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup oats
• Optional: 1/3 cup chocolate chips (if you want it really chocolatey - I skipped this step)

...for the topping

• 1/3 cup oats
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• drizzling of honey
• sprinkling of cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix dry bread ingredients in a medium size bowl.
3. Add bananas, egg whites, and greek yogurt, and mix well.
4. Spray a bread pan with nonstick spray, then pour mixed ingredients into the pan.
5. In the same bowl (which should now be mostly empty), mix topping ingredients with clean hands. Be sure to sprinkle enough honey into the mix so that the topping begins to stick/clump together. 
6. Sprinkle topping over the bread mix.
7. Put in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean (the topping will still be gooey, but the bread should be solid and clean). 

White Chocolate Cinnamon Oatmeal

Tweet this!

Creamy white chocolate in your breakfast bowl. Lite brown sugar and cinnamon to boot. That's right, people. Your oatmeal just got fancy.

I'm usually an eggs-for-breakfast kind of girl. Or toast with Peanut Butter. But I also have a need to keep a huge jug of dry oatmeal in my apartment at all times. It's like a Neurotic Oatmeal Hoarding Syndrome... NOHS.

The first step is admitting you have a problem. And Houston, we do.

So I find myself trying to make use of it, like I desperately need to use it, which only means that I'll later desperately need to buy more. I find myself thinking things like... I could make homemade Muesli! Or homemade granola, that's do-able... or some kind of fancy oatmeal.

Fancy oatmeal? Don't hold your breath, I tell myself. Oatmeal is just about the blandest thing on the planet... right?

WRONG, my friends. W-R-O-N-G, wrong.

Because, I don't know if you're aware of this, but adding white chocolate to anything automatically deems it fancy. Cinnamon can come too. And a lil bit of lite brown sugar, why the heck not. 

And Voila! You've got yourself the fanciest, most delicious oatmeal treat... ever. Good for breakfast if you want to stay full. Good for curing your ever evil sweet tooth. Good for bathing in when you're feeling sad... wait, don't do that. I haven't tested it yet.

White Chocolate Cinnamon Oatmeal

Prep Time: 1 minute

Cook Time: 1 minute 15 seconds

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Oatmeal
• 1 cup Water
• 1 tablespoon White Chocolate Chips
• 1 tablespoon Light Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp Cinnamon

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl.
2. Cover bowl with a paper towel.
3. Microwave for 1 minute, 15 seconds.
4. Dig in!

Chocolate-Cheesecake Protein Yogurt (Pro-Yo?)

Tweet this!

The flavor of rich, delicate chocolate cheesecake. The texture of smooth frozen yogurt. The health benefits of protein powder. It's a triple threat. It will soothe your soul, delight your taste buds, and cool your body. What's not to love?

It's a hot one, folks! I'm one to make an extra stop at Chicago's frozen yogurt shops when the temperature climbs this high. 


But, as with everything in life, there's an equation for frozen yogurt procurement. Here's mine. Getting frozen yogurt from one of the local shops requires:

1. that the place be open -- which it often isn't, and that's just depressing...
2. that it not be pouring rain -- because God knows I'm not walking 8 blocks in the rain to get anything...
3. that I spend money -- which I hate to do...
4. that I spend calories -- which I also hate to do...

Most of your typical frozen yogurt shops are slightly deceiving. They not only give you so many topping options that it's easy to add at least a hundred calories in toppings alone... but they also tend to add a lot of sugar to the flavors they have. Trust me, friends, there's a reason it tastes so darn sweet.

At the end of the day, maybe you're trying to avoid paying. Maybe you're trying to avoid calories. Maybe you don't want to walk in the rain. Or maybe you're just too lazy to leave the house. But you know what? I've got you covered. Here's some Chocolate-Cheesecake Protein Yogurt. 

Let's start a new thing. Instead of Fro Yo, let's call it Pro Yo. Ya dig?

Chocolate-Cheesecake Protein Yogurt

Servings: 2 per recipe
Calories: 115 per serving
Ingredients:

• 1 cup Vanilla Greek Yogurt
• 1 scoop Chocolate Protein Powder
• Optional: Freshly sliced strawberries

Directions:

1. Combine yogurt and protein powder and mix well.
2. Top with strawberries.
3. Serve!

Skinny Strawberry Almond Chocolate Trifle

Tweet this!

If you're having a huge dessert craving, this is for you. It is decadent, creamy, and rich... while still being low calorie. And you can trick your friends into eating it. They'll never guess it's low cal!

Time for dessert! You can make this in individual servings for yourself... or have them sitting out at your next cocktail party. I promise they will not disappoint.

P.S. Are you making one of these recipes? Send me a picture (via email or facebook!).

Strawberry Almond Chocolate Trifle

Servings: 6

Calories: 162

WW Points (Old): 3

WW PointsPlus: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Skim Milk
• 1 Box Jello Chocolate Mousse Mix
• 1/4 cup Coconut Flakes
• 10 strawberries, sliced
• 1/4 cup Sliced Almonds
• Whipped Cream (TruWhip is awesome), to taste (I used 2 tbsp per serving, or 12 tbsp per recipe)

Directions:

1. Combine chocolate mousse mix with 1 cup of skim milk and mix, using an electric mixer, on low for 30 seconds, then on high for 4 minutes.
2. Set mousse in the fridge to cool for 2 hours.
3. In individual wine glasses, begin with 2 spoonfulls of Chocolate Mousse. 
4. Add a layer of Coconut Flakes (or omit if you're not a fan!).
5. Add a layer of Strawberry slices.
6. Add a layer of Whipped Cream.
7. Add another layer of 2 spoonfulls of Chocolate Mousse.
8. Add a layer of Sliced Almonds.
9. Add a layer of Strawberry slices.
10. Add a layer of Coconut Flakes.
11. Add a layer of Whipped Cream and top with remaining Strawberries.

Just for shoots and giggles... how cute is this strawberry? It wants to kiss ya!

Protein Packed Chocolate Frozen Yogurt with Berries

Tweet this!

May I Have Your Attention, Please: This Just In! Ice Cream Is Finally HEALTHY For You! Go ahead, eat as much of this creamy, rich chocolate frozen yogurt... it will melt in your mouth, but only after wowing you with its sweet chocolatey ways.

Ummmmmm, froyo is the bomb. I first developed an addiction during my Senior year at Rhodes College, when a local Memphis froyo joint called "YOLO" opened up less than give minutes away from my apartment. I was a goner. So were my friends. Pretty much everyone I knew. (Sidenote, if you work at YOLO, you're welcome... we probably single handedly paid your operating expenses that semester).

I have to be honest with you here, this was sort of an accident. It all began with a lack of milk (sounds like the opening line for a hilarious book). You see, this workout-a-holic needed her post-workout protein shake. But how's a girl to nom some protein shake sans milk? 

Suddenly, I thought... I could make yogurt! And then another light bulb... and a scream... FROZENNN YOGGURRRTTTT! Imagine Justin's face as I stood in the middle of the kitchen, screaming about frozen yogurt. What a lucky man. ;-)

Have to give some mad props to my friend Monique over at Ambitious Kitchen for this one... After making this frozen yogurt as plain chocolate a few times (and eating it up before I remembered to snap a pic), I finally got a few shots of it con blackberries after I caught a glimpse of her Blackberry & Chocolate Greek Frozen Yogurt Cones and was truly inspired. Seriously. I actually ran back into the kitchen to make this again and add blackberries (after all, my favorite ice cream from Graeters is Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip, which seems fitting).

Protein Packed Chocolate Frozen Yogurt 

Servings: 4

Calories Per Serving: 145

Grams of Protein: 23g per serving

WW Points: 3

WW PointsPlus: 3

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Greek Yogurt, Vanilla (I used Chobani)
• 2 scoops Chocolate Protein Powder
• 1 heaping handful of Blackberries
• Optional (for thinning): 2 tbsp Coconut Milk

Directions:

1. Stir Chocolate Protein Powder into Greek Yogurt. You can either stir it in completely or leave it swirled. Up to you!
2. Freeze for 2 hours. 
3. Remove from freezer and let sit for 30 minutes, or until you are able to stir it a bit around the outside. 
4. To mix it up (which gives it the smooth texture), either pop it in a blender or add 1/2 tablespoons of Coconut Milk and try to stir until you're able to stir it up with a fork.
5. Add blackberries and serve. :)

Notes:

• You can make this with any flavor of protein powder! If you're looking for Vanilla Frozen Yogurt, stir in some vanilla protein powder. I've also tried Cookies and Creme protein powder, which would be wonderful in this treat! 
• Are you going to make this? Send me a pic! I'd love to share it with readers, whether you follow the recipe exactly, or add your own twist! Email it to carly@createliveblog.com or post it on my Facebook wall!

P.S. if you're a fan of ice cream-like desserts, but not into greek yogurt, try this recipe to make ice cream using bananas, this recipe for brown sugar tapioca and ice cream, these chocolate mousse filled edible cups, or this recipe to make a twist on Chunky Monkey Ice Cream... using pudding!