Tag: fall

Paleo Pumpkin Muffins

chloew3stLeave a comment

I have a friend who has this serious thing for baking. It’s a delightful thing. She shares all sorts of delicious (and nutritious) recipes with me. She has tested and perfected this particular recipe over the last year and the end product is a tantalizing fall treat. I feel the need to bless you all with it.

You’re welcome.

Oh, and did I mention:  A).  It’s Paleo  and  B).  It’s perfect. It’s easily tweak-able too, which I always find desirable because I tend to get a little too carried away getting “creative” with my baking (which never turns out well, haha).

Enjoy these muffins as a delightful afternoon snack, an on-the-go breakfast, or a post-dinner dessert (best with an Earl Grey Almond Milk Latte).

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Ingredients:

1 C. Pumpkin Puree (or Sweet Potato Puree**)

1/2 C. Coconut Flour

1/4 C. Maple Syrup

3 Tbsp Coconut Oil

4 Eggs, Room Temp.

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

Handful of Mini Choco. Chips

Coconut Flakes (for topping)

Spices:

2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

1/2 tsp Ginger

1/4 tsp Cloves

1 tsp Vanilla

1/2 tsp Salt

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400*

2. In a medium-large bowl, stir all ingredients until moist and even. Don’t stir too thoroughly or the coconut flour will become too tough, ruining the lovely texture. Also, the more spices added, the better these taste! Experiment with the spice quantities for a flavor you will most enjoy. If you want to try something really fun, add about half an orange-rind worth of zest to the batter. Oh man, so good.

3. Spoon into paper cups in muffin tins, filling 3/4 full and pressing gently to flatten tops. Spread coconut flakes (or sunflower seeds) over the top of each muffin. Having a garnish that’s a bit broiled makes these wonderful.

4. Place on rack and bake for 18-20 minutes (or until toothpick runs clean through). Don’t wait too long or they will dry out.

5. Place on cooling rack for a few minutes and enjoy!

This recipe makes about 6-8 small muffins. It can be doubled easily (and I highly recommend doing so, because they are difficult to share)

**My friend suggests sweet potato puree instead of pumpkin and it really does taste better. The consistency and flavor are perfect for this particular use. Either buy a can of puree, or roast a couple sweet potatoes prior to baking, peel, and be thankful. They seriously are the best!

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Let me know what you think  ðŸ™‚

~Chloe

Sweet Potato Porridge

chloew3stLeave a comment

I’ve been on a strict paleo diet for the month of October, trying to eliminate certain food groups to see if I have an intolerance to any. Dairy and grains are my nemesis. I grew up over-consuming both, so it took my body a while to re-establish what is healthy vs. what is toxic. And as some of you who have kicked gluten-heavy things out of your diets know: once you do, it’s really hard to go back. I am loving the creativity and challenge that is “gluten free.” Here’s a recipe I concocted to satiate my morning hot cereal craving. It’s simple, yet dense with nutrients and delish! I hope you enjoy.

 

Ingredients:

-1 sweet potato, already cooked*

-1 Peach, sliced small (or any desired fruit)

-2 Tbsp Coconut Oil

-1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract

-2 Tsp Allspice (or cinnamon, cloves, etc)

-Splash of milk or cream to taste

Directions:

1. In a small pot, over medium-low heat, melt the coconut oil.

2. Place cut peaches, sweet potato (cooked and peeled)*, vanilla, and allspice; stir thoroughly. Make sure to keep stirring so as not to burn the bottom. In about five minutes, you should have a smooth consistency, like cream of wheat.

3. Add the milk or cream (I use 1Tbsp of coconut cream and it’s delicious) and stir until desired consistency. Serve in a bowl and enjoy!

Additional Notes:

*Pre-cook the sweet potato (I do it the night before and just leave it cold in the oven for the next morning). You can roast it or boil it. If roasting, wrap in Aluminium foil and poke holes throughout. Keep oven at 400* for about 15-20 minutes or until soft. In the morning, your little guy will be all ready to go, just slide the skin off and place in the pot.

Also, I prefer to freeze my fruit in bulk which adds a little more stirring time in the beginning, but makes the consistency nice and smooth. Any fruit goes well with this, just keep in mind that each fruit cooks at a different pace. This is a perfect time of year to use apples!