Coconut Paleo Protein Pancakes

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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.

Coconut Fried Shrimp with Almond Flour and Coconut Flakes - Paleo and Gluten Free

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Paleo March was a smashing success, so we've decided to extend it for April as well (and probably forever, but hey, let's start with April).

I am a huge shrimp lover, but a girl can only eat shrimp and avocado salad so many times in a week. I was starting to desire something more complex.

On my trip to Naples, I had some amazing coconut shrimp at Tommy Bahama's and was determined to recreate a lower calorie, lower carb, gluten free, paleo version of it. What can I say? I like a challenge.

Coconut Fried Shrimp with Almond Flour and Coconut Flakes

Servings: 2
Ingredients:

• 30 small shrimp (or 16 large) - I used pre-cooked baby shrimp because I'm lazy, but you can use raw and with the tail on. If you keep the tail on, just make sure you peel them first so that you can bread the shrimp itself and not its shell.
• 1/2 cup almond flour (coconut flour works well, too)
• 1/2 cup coconut flakes (look for unsweetened to keep sugar and carbs down)
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp coconut oil

Directions:

1. Set out 3 bowls with almond flour, egg, and coconut oil, separately. 
   
2. Wash, peel, and dry shrimp. 
3. Dip shrimp in the whisked egg, then shake off excess. Dip in almond flour on all sides, and then in coconut flakes. 
   
4. Heat coconut oil over medium-high heat. Place shrimp in the oil and flip once the bottom turns brown, about 1-2 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and serve! I served with sriracha, but sweet-and-sour sauce would also be great!

Paleo Candy: Chocolate Coconut Fudge with ANYTHING YOU WANT Inside

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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!).

Coconut Kefir Cornbread

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*Disclaimer: Lifeway Kefir sent me the kefir used in this post. It was mighty tasty.*

Guys, I've got a loaf in the oven. A super tasty one with some pretty abnormal ingredients. And I've got one word for you: Cornbread.

 

If you're from the North (where I reside, so no judgment), you might be thinking... "Ew, really? Cornbread? Where are we, insert-least-favorite-southern-state-here?"

And if you're from the South (where I went to school, so again... no judgment), you might be thinking... "Hah! That chick from Chicago think she can make cornbread?"

So basically, from the beginning, I was fighting an uphill battle with this recipe. Then, I decided to swap coconut oil for the butter and plain Lifeway Kefir for the milk. Now I've divided you in a new way: the traditionalists are rolling their eyes. The food bloggers are wondering if it turned into a mess or worked out.

Well, go ahead and clap! This cornbread is incredibly moist and dense, thanks to the Kefir that Lifeway sent me to try out recently. And there is just the slightest added bit of sweetness, thanks to the coconut oil. Moist, dense, slightly sweet cornbread? Let's file that one under #winning.

I do have to warn you, though, there are no chunks of corn. Lawd, how I wanted to dump a little fresh corn in there, because I love the way it surprises you when you bite down and "pop" it. But, alas, it is Wintertime in Chicago, and I didn't want to do the canned corn thing, so I opted to skip it.

You should also know that this recipe is not from scratch. It's a total twist on a "Natural" boxed recipe. That said, it's also an easy thing to make - takes about 3 minutes to mix up and 20  minutes to bake - so it might just be the fastest cornbread you've ever met.

Coconut Kefir Cornbread

Ingredients:

• 1 box Krusteaz Natural Honey Cornbread
• 2/3 cup Mixture of 90% Lifeway Kefir, 10% water (You can eyeball this. I just filled it almost all the way to the top with kefir and then added some water to thin it out)
• 1/3 cup melted coconut oil (if you are using the cold-pressed oil, microwave it for 30 seconds and stir, then microwave again for 15 if it is still thick)
• 1 egg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir with a spatula until moistened. If you like a bit of variation, just stop here. If you want it to all be the same consistency, stir for longer, until well mixed.
3. Divide between two greased bread loaf pans. You could also pour into one 8x8 pan, or pour into small muffin tins.
4. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick or fork comes out clean. 
5. Cut slices to eat. Serve plain, with butter, with jam/jelly/fruit preserves, or with nut butter!

Notes/Substitutions:

• If you are making muffins, your cooking time will be more like 14-16min.
• Feel free to use regular milk instead of the Lifeway Kefir. If you do choose to make this change, omit the water and do the full 2/3 cups milk.
• Feel free to use vegetable oil/olive oil instead of the coconut oil. Proportions are the same.

And now for that gratefulness we've been working on:
Dear J. K. Rowling,
Thank you for reminding me that there's never just one hero. Instead, there are always lots of people who have to step up and play their card along the way to make life work out. You reminded me that life is a shared burden.
Love,
Carly

Mixed Berry Coconut Smoothie (And Wildberry Coconut Cocktail)

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I was sick as a dog last weekend. I'm not even sure what "sick as a dog" means, but whatever it is, I was it. Headache, throat ache, nasty cough bark, the whole sha bang.

So what'd I do? Darn right, I made myself a smoothie! My mom used to make fruit smoothies when I was sick so I "Pulled a Bonnie" and did the same.

Only a sick person has much less energy than her energizer bunny mom. So, I couldn't even think about combining lots of freshly cut up fruit. Enter frozen fruit, my best friend. And coconut milk, my other best friend. When combined, the two make a lovely child.

Note: This would be to die for with rum. Malibu is high in sugar but might be worth it if you like it sweet. Otherwise, stick with a light rum that is either normal flavored or berry flavored.

Mixed Berry Coconut Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Frozen Fruit (I used a bag of mixed berries, including strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries)
• 1/2 cup Coconut Milk
• Optional: 1 tablespoon Agave Nectar

Directions:

1. Combine in a blender and mix well. If the blender gets stuck and won't mix any further, add coconut milk in small increments until you are successful!
2. Serve!

Wildberry Coconut Cocktail

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Frozen Fruit (I used a bag of mixed berries, including strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries)
• 1/2 cup Coconut Milk
• 1 1/2 shot, White Rum

Directions:

1. Combine in a blender and mix well. If the blender gets stuck and won't mix any further, add coconut milk in small increments until you are successful!
2. Serve!