Paleo Nut Bark

This recipe is simply an adaptation of the Candy Bar recipe. 

Here is what I did: 

Line a rimmed pan with foil or wax paper. I used a cookie sheet. You may need to experiment with size and it depends on how thick you want your bark to be. 

3/4 cup coconut oil, melted

3/4 cup cocoa

Mix well. Add sweetener of your choice to taste. I used:

2 Tbsp granulated erythritol (any powdered sugar substitute will do)

10 drops liquid stevia

I don't like it at all sweet, so feel free to add as much as you like. Too much liquid may affect the final texture.

Mix well. Pour half out onto your prepared pan. While it's still liquid, add nuts or other fillings of your choice. Pour the remaining chocolate over fillings so they're coated. 

Filling Variations: 

Any nuts or seeds of your choice

Dried fruits

Cocoa nibs

Coconut

 I used about a cup of pecan halves and a small handful of cocoa nibs.

I finished with a small sprinkle of the granulated erythritol, just because I like the little added crunch! It's exactly like regular sugar in that regard.

Place pan in refrigerator or freezer until firm. Break or cut into pieces and store in refrigerator or freezer.

A little funny story - while making this, I decided to mix the pecans in so they would be well coated. I store my nuts in the freezer, and had gotten them out to come to room temperature as I was mixing the rest. But I forgot to check first! The instant I poured them in, the coconut oil hardened. I could have ended up with some awesome pecan clusters. I ended up sticking it in the microwave for 20 seconds to soften it back up enough to spread it properly. Lesson learned!

Paleo Candy Bars

I wanted to find a treat I could enjoy while eating paleo. My nutritionist wants me to eat some coconut oil and some raw organic chocolate every day, so I figured I could start with that.

The base of this candy is just that - equal parts raw, organic cocoa and coconut oil. You could just mix the two together and have a tasty candy (add a few drops of liquid stevia to your taste). I did just that for awhile. I mixed it in an old coconut oil jar, left it in the fridge and grabbed a spoonful (with a clean spoon, of course!) whenever I had a sweet tooth.

I got the idea to step it up a notch when I found similar items for sale online, for a hefty price. "I can do that!" I said, so I did!

I can think of tons of variations. Stir in a little nut butter, dried fruits, your favorite extract. I don't really taste the coconut from just the coconut oil, but you might, so plan your flavors around that. You can certainly leave out or vary any of the nuts, seeds, coconut etc. Remember, it's a very tasty just with the cocoa, oil and sweetener.

Virgin coconut oil's melting point is 78 degrees F, and it's soft below for a few degrees below that. Chilling will make it candy bar consistency. You will want to store these in the fridge or freezer and eat it immediately.

I have oval shaped molds, and put 2 Tbsp for each serving. An ice cube tray or mini muffin tin would work great, or you could spoon out onto tray. Refrigerate until solid, then pop out and store in a ziploc bag. As far as I know, they keep indefinitely. It's a great treat when you're craving something you shouldn't be eating!

Here are some of my favorites:

Spicy (or not!) Dark Chocolate

1 cup coconut oil
1 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cayenne pepper (leave out if you don't want spicy)
1/2 cup each: sunflower seeds, pepitas, coconut
1/4 cup chopped almonds
30 drops liquid stevia

Melt coconut oil over low heat. Remove from heat when melted. Add other ingredients, mix well. Pour into molds and chill until firm.


Cinnamon-Vanilla

1 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup almond flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp sea salt
40 drops liquid stevia
1/2 cup each: coconut, sunflower seeds, pepitas, chopped almonds

Stir 1 tsp raw cocoa nibs into each mold if desired.

Pumpkin Cake

A delicious paleo, gluten free cake. My pumpkin lovers heartily approved.

2 c. almond flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. baking soda

4 large eggs

1 15 oz. can pumpkin

1/2 cup honey

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease 9x13 inch cake pan, or spray with non-stick spray. 

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

In a separate mixing bowl, with electric beaters on medium, mix together eggs, pumpkin and honey until smooth.

Add dry to wet and combine on low speed until smooth.

Pour batter into cake pan and smooth with spatula.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

Completely cool on rack before cutting and serving.

Top with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.

** You could probably substitute sweeteners, but you need to compensate for the liquid. I have not tried any other sweeteners in this.

Honey Nut Cookies

Makes 8 to 12 cookies

1 Cup almond flour
2 T butter, melted
2 T honey
10 drops liquid stevia extract
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp baking powder
large pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 275 degrees (you read that right).

Stir together all ingredients except almond flour and pecans until well mixed. Add flour until a smooth dough forms, then stir in pecans. Drop by tablespoons onto a lightly greased cookie sheet; form into flat rounds. Bake for about 15 minutes. They will brown slightly around the edges, but not all over. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from pan.

These are even better the next day, if they last that long.

I think the raw dough would make an excellent fruit crumble topping.

Pumpkin Hummus

I happened on this while looking for pumpkin dessert recipes. It was wonderful! It's even better the next day - so much so that I would make it ahead from now on.

I personally like it a little chunky so I mixed it by hand. Use a food processor if you like it smoother.

I would add even more garlic and lemon juice, but that's just me. Taste it first and decide for yourself.

Makes about 2 cups.

INGREDIENTS

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree 

1/4 cup tahini

1 tsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp sea salt

1 Tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice

1 Tbs fresh minced parsley

Mix all ingredients together. If you like it smooth, use a food processor. If you like it more chunky, do it by hand.

Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. This is SO much better the next day, that it's worth the wait to make it a day before you need it.

Shepherds' Pie, Family Size!

I was in the mood for Shepherds' Pie so I Googled for a low carb version. Of course I tweaked it quite a bit!

It is *mostly* low carb and *mostly* paleo. I did take a couple of liberties as you will see. You will be able to easily make changes to make it more exact if you want.

It filled my huge lasagna pan, and the six of us barely ate half. I have a hard time switching back and forth to the college boys being home. When they are here, it seems there is never enough! But this would be easy to adapt quantities, too.

It was liked by all, and will be a keeper.

Shepherds' Pie

4 pieces bacon, chopped
3 pounds ground beef
large onion, chopped
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 cups chopped vegetables of your choice. I used carrots, yellow squash, and broccoli.

2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 head cauliflower (or 16 oz. package frozen)
1 medium potato (peeled if you like. I don't peel mine.)

1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
2 T butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper

In a large skillet, fry the bacon until crisp. Remove and set aside. In the same skillet, brown ground beef and onion. Drain. Add the vegetables and heat for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Mix the 1/2 cup yogurt with the beaten eggs. Stir into meat mixture along with 1 cup of cheese. Spread into pan(s). I used a large lasagna pan. It's about 15x12. You could also use two 9x13 pans with no problem.

Meanwhile, cut the potato into chunks and cook with cauliflower in boiling water for about 12 minutes until very tender. Drain well. Put the cauliflower, potato, 2 T butter, 1/2 c yogurt and 1/4 c cream into a food processor. Process until smooth. Adjust seasoning if necessary, then spread over the meat mixture in the pan(s). Sprinkle the remaining cheese on the top.

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

NOTES:
* To lower carbs and make it more "legal", leave out potato. It added more authentic taste and texture for not a lot of carbs per serving, but would be fine without it.

* You can cut this recipe in half and use either a 9x13 pan, or a 9x9 pan (will be thicker). We could easily have fed 6 on one pan of this.

* Add whatever veggies you like, in whatever quantity you like, or none at all. The beauty of something like this dish is it's great to use up what you have languishing in the fridge! It would also be a great way to sneak something in that the kids usually don't eat. For instance, I had a few kale leaves that needed to be used, not enough to make kale chips (which the kids will eat), so I chopped it up and stuck it in. :)

* I think in the future I would like the meat mixture to be a little creamier, so if I cut the recipe in half I would use the same amounts of egg and yogurt. If I made the large recipe, I would double that. Just my personal preference.