Tag Archives: vanilla

Homemade Almond Milk

I have a request: please don’t buy almond milk sold in cartons in the store. It’s often processed using chemicals and is usually filled with sugar, chemicals and preservatives. Gross.

Luckily, there’s a really simple way to make almond milk at home, and it comes out even tastier than what comes in the carton. You’ll need a few special things to make this happen – a powerful blender and some cheesecloth or a nut milk bag – but that’s about it. I’ve made almond milk with soaked and unsoaked nuts, and both methods work as long as your blender is strong enough. Soaking the nuts, however, cuts down on the amount of phytic acid. In a nutshell – ha, no pun intended – phytic acid binds to minerals and blocks their absorption which is, well, not awesome. If you want to geek out on the science behind phytic acid, check out this post from Mark’s Daily Apple.

Prep time: 24 hours for soaking Make time: 10 min Makes: 4 cups

Ingredients:

1 cup raw almonds
4 cups filtered water
1 tsp vanilla extract, optional

Directions:

Place 1 cup of raw almonds in a bowl or mason jar and cover with water. Soak for 24 hours in the refrigerator. I drain the water off and start fresh for making the milk itself.
In a powerful blender, Vitamix or similar, combine soaked almonds and 4 cups of filtered water. Blitz for 1-2 minutes or until the nuts are completely broken down.
Strain the nut milk through several layers of cheesecloth or a nut milk bag. Squeeze out the excess moisture from the ground up almonds.
Stir in the vanilla extract, if desired.
Keep in a tightly covered container. Stays fresh for about 3 days.
*Bonus: you can dry the nut remnants in a very low oven (200F) to make almond flour.

Coconut Tapioca Pudding

I’ve been working on increasing my post-workout carb intake lately (yes, it was too low for the volume and intensity of CrossFit I’ve been doing). Those of you on strict Paleo may not ever eat tapioca, but it’s actually a great source of starch. Frankly, a girl can only eat so many sweet potatoes if you know what I mean.

If you want it sweetened a bit, you could add dates softened with boiling water and pureed, maple syrup, honey, etc. but I like mine on the plain side. Remember, for me this isn’t really about dessert.

Prep time: 15 min Cook time: 5 min Makes: 2 cups

Ingredients:

2.5 Tbsp dry tapioca pearls
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk
1 egg, separated into white and yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the tapioca and water. Let it sit and soften without heating for 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whip the egg white until it forms soft peaks. If you are sweetening the tapioca, you can add it to the egg whites when you whip them. Set aside.
Turn the heat on medium-low. Add the coconut milk and egg yolk to the softened tapioca and whisk well. Continue to whisk/stir until the tapioca thickens, about 3-4 minutes.
Turn the heat off and stir in the vanilla. Fold the hot tapioca into the beaten egg white.
Eat warm or refrigerate.

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Mexican Hot Chocolate

Today is the 5th anniversary of my 29th birthday, so I’m kicking up my heels a bit with this Paleo version of a classic favorite. Now, before you go all, “But what about your philosophy of not Paleo-ifying treats?!” rebuttal, let me assure you: this one is completely sugar free and is meant to be a treat, not your everyday drink of choice. If you don’t like the idea of adding the spices, you can leave them out and certainly, if you have homemade almond milk or something else yummy kicking around, you can substitute that instead. This one’s pretty rich and is meant to be sipped and savored.

Prep time: 5 min Cook time: 5 min Makes: 1 serving

Ingredients:

3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk (from a can)
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp good quality cocoa powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ancho chili powder
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Heavy whipping cream for topping

Directions:

In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the coconut milk, water, cocoa powder, cinnamon and chili powder. Whisk over medium-low heat until the ingredients combine and the cocoa is heated through.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
Serve with a dollop of homemade whipped cream and a sprinkle of chili powder or cinnamon.

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Apricot Ginger Applesauce

I’ll admit, fruit isn’t something I buy a lot of unless it’s fresh berries in the summer. Fact: the smell and taste of brown bananas actually make me queasy. Anyhow, I had a hankering for applesauce again when I saw the pictures of our pork belly meal from a few weeks back, but I wanted to kick up the flavors a bit. The apricots bring a depth of flavor that the apples just don’t have on their own, and the fresh ginger is warm and gives a bit of spice. If you decide to leave the applesauce chunky, be sure to mince the ginger very fine so you won’t bite down on any large pieces. If you don’t have a fresh vanilla bean lying around you could add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract instead. Serve this alongside grilled or roasted chicken for a nice departure from the old pork n’ applesauce combo.

Prep time: 15 min Cook time: 45 min Makes: ~4 cups

Ingredients:

3 lb of apples (I used Gala but any will do – a mixture of a few varieties seems to make the best sauce)

6 fresh apricots, pitted and roughly chopped

1 tsp fresh minced ginger (sub: 1/4 tsp powdered ginger)

1 vanilla bean, halved (sub: 1/2 tsp vanilla extract)

Water

Directions:

1. Peel and roughly chop the apples. Place the apples into a heavy-bottomed pot and cover loosely.

2. Cook the apples on medium-low for about 30 minutes. You may need to add some water as the apples cook down so they don’t stick to the pot. Stir frequently.

3. After 30 minutes, add the apricots and the minced ginger. Cook about 10 more minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla bean seeds.

4. Use a food processor to make the texture to your desired smoothness. I left a few chunks so the apricots would stand out a bit.

1 Reply

Eggnog Pudding (Dairy-Free)

This pudding is an adaptation of an earlier recipe I posted for Coconut Chia Seed Pudding. I was in the mood for a holiday treat the other day and thought “eggnog”…but then I thought how quickly drinking it down would be over and decided to make the eggnog but add chia seeds to thicken it (I also omitted the booze but hey, if you want to add it, go ahead…you’re the captain of the ship after all). The result was thick and creamy with just a tiny hint of sweetness. I used coconut milk instead of dairy but you could certainly use heavy cream or milk if that’s your preference.

You can make this the old fashioned way (temper the eggs, etc) but I just made it stupid-easy by dumping most of the ingredients in the blender and then heating it gently on the stove until it thickened. The quantities can be easily doubled / tripled or more if you want to make a larger batch.

Ingredients:

4 small dates (or 2 large)

1 cup full fat coconut milk

2 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

3 tbsp chia seeds

Directions:

1. Place the dates in a heat-proof bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit for 15-20 min to soften. Drain the water.

2. Add the dates, coconut milk, egg yolks and vanilla extract to the blender.

3. Blend on high speed until the dates are broken down (about a minute).

4. Pour mixture into a heavy-bottomed pot and heat on low, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens…this should only take a few minutes. Be careful! You don’t want it to curdle.

5. Turn off the heat and add the cinnamon and nutmeg.

6. Pour the eggnog mixture into a storage container (I like mason jars or other glass-lock type containers). Sprinkle the chia seeds into the eggnog and mix very well. If you pour them in without mixing, they’ll clump up.

7. Allow to sit for at least an hour, preferably 2 or more, before eating. Sprinkle with extra cinnamon or nutmeg before serving.

Coconut Butter and Almond Butter Cups

Pretty soon, the Stupid Easy Manifesto is going to hit this website, and once it does, posts like this won’t happen much again. After all, dessert is dessert no matter how you slice, dice or Paleo-ify it.Consider this the final dessert hurrah if you will.

I started making dark chocolate almond butter cups a couple of years ago for special occasions, and they’re so easy to assemble that it should be illegal. With Christmas and New Year’s right around the corner, these could be a decent alternative to traditional candies and treats but make no mistake: it’s still dessert, a treat to be savored.

I was thinking of how to change up the original recipe and decided to make a coconut butter filling. Guys. Seriously, they are good. So good, in fact, that the dark chocolate coconut butter cups might just be my favorites. Sorry, almond butter. I made a small batch (12) but this recipe is easily doubled–or more.

For the coconut butter filling:

Ingredients

1.5 cups unsweetened shredded coconut (reserve 1-2 tbsp on the side as garnish)
1 tbsp melted coconut oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt

Directions

In a food processor, combine the coconut, vanilla and sea salt.
Allow to process for several minutes–scraping down the sides of the bowl a couple times–until the coconut starts to become smooth. You may need to add melted coconut oil (1+ tbsp) to adjust the texture and make it stickier.
Remove to a separate container. You will have extra. Trust me, you’ll find some way to eat it…it’s really good.

For the almond butter filling:

Ingredients

1/4 cup smooth unsalted almond butter (I use Trader Joe’s brand)
1 tbsp coconut crystals (or sugar–powdered, white or brown)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
Mix until smooth.

For assembling the cups:

Ingredients

12 oz dark chocolate
Cupcake wrappers
Fillings from the above recipes

Directions

Break chocolate into chunks and put in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high, stirring frequently, until melted. The time completely depends on how dark the chocolate is, percent-wise and how powerful your microwave is. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn. You could also use a double boiler to melt the chocolate on the stovetop.
Place a heaping spoonful of melted chocolate into the wrapper, smoothing it out with the back of the spoon to create sides and a bottom. Refrigerate until hardened.
Scoop a small amount of the filling into the cup bottoms and flatten until it’s slightly bigger than the diameter of a quarter. Try to flatten the filling out so the chocolate will sit smoothly on the top. Hint: one batch of the almond butter filling should make ~6 cups.
Place another spoonful of melted chocolate on top and smooth out.
Garnish the almond butter cups with coarse salt (optional) and the coconut butter cups with some shredded coconut.
Store in the refrigerator for best results. May also be kept frozen!

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Coconut Chia Pudding

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Chia seeds, high in Omega 3 fatty acids, have an interesting ability to gel up upon mixing with liquid and create an almost tapioca-like texture. I kept this version unsweetened, but you could definitely add in some honey or maple syrup to make it more dessert-like. It’s best to let the chia seeds sit for 1-2 hours to soften and absorb as much liquid as possible which will yield a nice thick texture. Feel free to experiment with different spices as well.

Ingredients:

1 cup full-fat coconut milk

3 tbsp chia seeds

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Mix the chia seeds and coconut milk together in a mason jar or other glass container.

2. Blend in the vanilla extra and spices.

3. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours (but at least 30 minutes) for best texture. Serve with shave of dark chocolate, a splash of maple syrup or just as is.

4 Replies

Coconut Macaroons Two Ways

Everyone with a Paleo food blog seems to have a version of coconut macaroons in their arsenal…after all, they are relatively simple to make and aside from a small amount of honey or sweetener, they are pretty innocuous. I’m definitely not a big fan of Paleo-ifying every dessert known to mankind, and gluten-free (but grain-containing) recipes have their own issues. Sometimes though, you’ve got to have a little fun.

As I was macs4 contemplating how to spice these macaroons up, I just couldn’t make up my mind between a cocoa-infused cookie and something that had a vanilla base, so I divided the batter in half and made both (I just cut the spice quantities in half). If you want to make only Cardamom-Cinnamon or only Mexican Chocolate, follow the individual recipes. I wanted something different than just a spiced option, so adding cardamom (a completely underutilized spice, in my opinion) added a great dimension of flavor (for a description of cardamom’s flavor, check here. It’s one of the predominant flavors in chai tea). For the chocolate, I blended cocoa powder with a hint of chili powder to give a slightly smoky depth.

I’ll admit to being less than stoked with the incredibly fine flake of the only unsweetened coconut I could find at the market. It made the texture less chewy than I’d like. and my disher / scoop got all gummed up when I tried to portion it out. Regular shredded coconut is my preference.

Ingredients

Cardamom-Cinnamon Macaroons

2 egg whites

1/4 cup honey

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out

2 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp cinnamon

2.5 cups shredded coconut

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mexican Chocolate Macaroons

2 egg whites

1/4 cup honey

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

3 tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp chili powder

2.5 cups shredded coconut

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, combine the egg whites and honey. Beat slightly until the white have lightened a bit.

3. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

4. Refrigerate the mixture for about 30 minutes.

5. Use a small scoop or spoon to portion out the macaroons. How small or large is really up to you. I used a 1.5 tbsp disher / scoop which yielded about 16 macaroons.

6. Bake for about 20 minutes or until just golden brown. Cool and enjoy!

Banana Ice Cream with Chocolate Shell

Truthfully, I’m not the paleo dessert girl. It’s not that I’m anti-dessert…well, let’s just say that it leads me down the path of too many sweets most of the time. I really wish I did paleo desserts often on the blog because, let’s face it, I’d be far more popular. But alas, sticking to what I know is what I tend to do. This is so easy it should be illegal, and it’s perfect for making in tiny batches when you want just a bit of a sweet treat. This reminds me of summers as a kid when my family would walk to the neighborhood soft-serve place…we’d get big cones and always get chocolate “dip”–the crunchy shell that you’d have to race to eat or else the ice cream would come melting out from all sides. This one has no added sugar though

Ingredients for the “ice cream”:

1 frozen banana

2-3 tbsp coconut milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredients for the chocolate shell:

1/2 tbsp coconut oil

1/2 tbsp cocoa powder

Pinch of ground coffee (optional)

Directions:

1. Make the shell in a small bowl first by melting the coconut oil in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds. Mix in the cocoa powder and pinch of ground coffee.

2. Next, make the “ice cream”. (This is truly not an ice cream because there are no eggs/custard, but it’s a good stand-in IMO.)

3. Add the frozen banana to the food processor and break down a bit. Next drizzle in the coconut milk and vanilla extract. You may need to stop the processor and break up any big chunks. Process until smooth and creamy but not too melted.

4. Work quickly…scoop out the ice cream into a bowl and drizzle the chocolate shell on top. Immediately the coconut oil/cocoa mixture will harden up and get crunchy…mmm!

5. Eat. Enjoy. You could also top with shredded coconut, nuts or even some sliced berries to really put it over the top!

9 Replies

Apple Coconut Pudding

One of my favorite things to do while driving is listen to Robb Wolf’s Paleo Solution Podcast. While trying to catch myself up on back episodes, somewhere in the realm of episode 45-ish, I heard former co-host Andy Deas describe a dessert that really caught my attention because it sounded, well, amazing. And easy. And Paleo. So, while I can’t take credit for this creation, here is my take on Andy Deas’s pudding. Bon appetite!

Ingredients:

1 can full-fat coconut milk (look for one with as few ingredients as possible)
2 apples (I used one Jonagold and one Fuji), peeled and chopped
1 vanilla bean*
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Pour coconut milk into a small saucepan. Add chopped apples, coconut oil, and cinnamon.
Halve the vanilla bean and scrape the tiny black seeds of yumminess out. Add to the saucepan.
Simmer for about 30 minutes until the apples are soft.
Puree in the blender until smooth.
Refrigerate until chilled and the pudding is set.

*When I was in Bali, I bought a grip of vanilla beans at the Ubud public market. I treasure them because I bought about 500 grams of vanilla bean pods for roughly $10 American. This is ridiculously inexpensive. If you don’t have any vanilla beans, you can substitute with 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract (but it won’t be as tasty, in my opinion)