Paleo Nutmeal (oatmeal)(nut-free option)

My grain-free, protein rich version of a traditional comforting breakfast: Paleo Nutmeal

Oatmeal brings me tons of childhood memories. Growing up I was an extremely picky eater, there were about 5 things I could tolerate, but they needed to be spaced out with at least a week in between. Needless to say, meal times were always a torture. There were only three things that I looked forward to regularly: macaroni and cheese, flan, and oatmeal. Since then oatmeal has been sort of a comfort food for me and somehow my oldest daughter now feels the same way about it. Luckily for me, she eats most anything I put on her plate, but Paleo Nutmeal is something she always looks forward to.

If you don’t like cashews or you do not want to use a blender you can replace the cashews, water and dates for 1 1/4 cup of sweetened almond milk, Here is my recipe for it.

For a NUT-FREE version replace the cashew nuts and water for 1 1/4 cup of coconut milk.

For other sweet breakfast treats try my banana scramble, cream of chocolate or crispy paleo waffles

Ingredients:

1 large egg

1 tbsp of coconut flour

1 tbsp of  coconut oil

1 cup of water

1/4 cup of cashew or macadamia nuts

3-4 pitted dates or sweetener or choice

1/4 tsp of vanilla extract

a pinch of salt

1 tbsp of hemp seeds (optional)

Optional toppings: raisins, cinnamon, shredded coconut, lucuma powder, sliced bananas, chopped nuts, berries

 

Preparation:

• Using a blender combine all the ingredients together, except the hemp seeds.Blend until the nuts are finely ground.
• Pour the mixture in small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
• When most of the  liquid is absorbed, remove from heat, mix in the hemp seeds and desired toppings, and serve. You may add more water or almond milk if the consistency is too dry.

Paleo Nutmeal (oatmeal)

Recipe Type: Breakfast

Cuisine: Paleo

Author: Edible Harmony

Prep time: 3 mins

Cook time: 5 mins

Total time: 8 mins

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• Ingredients:
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp of coconut flour
• 1 tbsp of coconut oil
• 1 cup of water
• 1/4 cup of cashew nuts
• 3-4 pitted dates or sweetener or choice
• 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract
• a pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp of hemp seeds (optional)
• Optional toppings: raisins, cinnamon, shredded coconut, lucuma powder, sliced bananas, chopped nuts, berries

Instructions

1. Using a blender combine all the ingredients together, except the hemp seeds. Blend until the nuts are finely ground.
2. Pour the mixture in small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking at the bottom of the pan.
3. When most of the liquid is absorbed, remove from heat, mix in the hemp seeds and desired toppings, and serve. You may add more water or almond meal if the consistency is too dry.

3.2.2124

Disclosure of Material Connection: The links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a very small percentage. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

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This grain-free cauliflower pizza crust is impressively delicious and a much healthier and lighter alternative to regular pizza crust. I am going to give you a “cheesy” version and a dairy-free version.

Since going grain-free, cauliflower has been on my grocery shopping list every single time. I use it to make paleo versions of rice, potato salad, mash potatoes, shepherd’s pie, and I am about to adventure to make savory muffins with it.

I first heard about this recipe over a year ago and I have made it several times, changing ingredients, ratios, and cooking methods and I feel I finally got it to be the way I wanted it. The secret is to remove as much water as possible from the cauliflower.

Ingredients:

1 medium head of cauliflower
1-2 eggs, beaten
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese *
1-2 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp of dry oregano
Salt to taste

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
• Using a food processor or grater, cut the cauliflower into rice sized pieces. If using a food processor, work in small batches at the time.
• Put the cauliflower in a medium saucepan or Dutch oven, add ¼ cup of water and cook covered, over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until tender. Add more water if necessary.
• Drain and strain.
• Transfer the cauliflower to a nut milk bag, a kitchen towel or several layers of cheese cloth and squeeze as much water out as possible.
• Let cool off for 10 minutes and add the rest of the ingredient. Add one egg first and add the second egg only if the dough is too dry and not sticking together (Do not add the eggs while the cauliflower is still hot or it will cook them).
• Spread the dough over a greased cookie sheet or parchment paper into desired shape.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes.
• Remove from oven and add marinara sauce, cheese and your favorite pizza toppings. If you are using meats they need to be cooked beforehand.
• Return back to the oven for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

 

*For the dairy-free variation use one cup of almond flour and 1 tbsp of coconut oil or lard instead of the cheese and one extra egg, if the dough seems too runny add a little bit more almond flour. Bake for an additional 5 minutes before adding the toppings. For a dairy-free cheese spread you can use the one from the sweet plantain empanadas recipe.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Recipe Type: Paleo Appetizer

Author: Edible Harmony

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 55 mins

Total time: 1 hour 10 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 medium head of cauliflower
• 1-2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1-2 tsp of garlic powder
• 1 tsp of oregano
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Using a food processor or grater, cut the cauliflower into rice sized pieces. If using a food processor, work in small batches at the time.
3. Put the cauliflower in a medium saucepan or Dutch oven, add ¼ cup of water and cook covered, over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until tender. Add more water if necessary.
4. Drain and strain.
5. Transfer the cauliflower to a nut milk bag, a kitchen towel or several layers of cheese cloth and squeeze as much water out as possible.
6. Let cool off for 10 minutes and add the rest of the ingredient. Add one egg first and add the second egg only if the dough is too dry and not sticking together (Do not add the eggs while the cauliflower is still hot or it will cook them).
7. Spread the dough over a greased cookie sheet or parchment paper into desired shape.
8. Bake for 35-40 minutes.
9. Remove from oven and add marinara sauce, cheese and your favorite pizza toppings. If you are using meats they need to be cooked beforehand.
10. Return back to the oven for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Notes

*For the dairy-free variation use one cup of almond flour and 1 tbsp of coconut oil or lard instead of the cheese and one extra egg, if the dough seems too runny add a little bit more almond flour. Bake for an additional 5 minutes before adding the toppings. For a dairy-free cheese spread you can use the one from the sweet plantain empanadas recipe

3.1.09

 

Paleo Empanadas

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Since going Paleo/Primal there have been only three grain foods that I miss: empanadas, soft pretzels, and churros. These Paleo empanadas crossed one out of my list, now I have to work on the other two.

Made with  green plantains, lard, cumin and other spices, these Paleo empanadas taste very similar to the corn flour ones I grew up with. You can fill them with cheese, vegetables or any kind of meat you want. I used the Cuban Picadillo recipe I posted yesterday

Ingredients:

4 green plantains
5 eggs
5 tbsp of lard, coconut oil of preferred cooking fat, plus more for coating the plantains
1 tsp of cumin
1 tsp of garlic powder
Salt to taste

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
• Peel the plantains, the easiest way to this is to cut the ends, cut the plantain in half, cut a slit lengthwise and remove the peel.
• Cut the plantains into 1 inch rounds.
• Bake for about 15 minutes or until tender.
• Wait for the plantains to cool down, transfer to a food processor and grind the plantains until they become fine crumbs.
• Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until a dough is formed. Make sure the plantains aren’t too hot or the egg will cook.
• Roll the though into 1 ½ to 2 inch balls
• Place over a piece of parchment paper, cover with another piece of parchment paper and using your hands or a rolling-pin flatten them into a 1/8 inch thick tortillas.
• Place a small amount of filling in the middle of the tortilla.
• Using the parchment paper, fold the tortilla in half.
• Press the sides of the empanadas with your fingers to secure the filling inside
• Place empanadas in a cookie sheet and bake at 425 F for about 20 minutes on each side or until golden brown
• Serve as is or with fresh salsa, guacamole or chimichurri

Paleo Empanadas

Recipe Type: Paleo Appetizer

Author: Edible Harmony

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 55 mins

Total time: 1 hour 15 mins

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 4 plantains
• 5 eggs
• 5 tbsp of lard, coconut oil of preferred cooking fat, plus more for coating the plantains
• 1 tsp of cumin
• 1 tsp of garlic powder
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Peel the plantains, the easiest way to this is to cut the ends, cut the plantain in half, cut a slit lengthwise and remove the peel.
3. Cut the plantains into 1 inch rounds.
4. Bake for about 15 minutes or until tender.
5. Wait for the plantains to cool down, transfer to a food processor and grind the plantains until they become fine crumbs.
6. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until a dough is formed. Make sure the plantains aren’t too hot or the egg will cook.
7. Roll the though into 1 ½ to 2 inch balls
8. Place over a piece of parchment paper, cover with another piece of parchment paper and using your hands or a rolling-pin flatten them into a 1/8 inch thick tortillas.
9. Place a small amount of filling in the middle of the tortilla.
10. Using the parchment paper, fold the tortilla in half.
11. Press the sides of the empanadas with your fingers to secure the filling inside
12. Place empanadas in a cookie sheet and bake at 425 F for about 20 minutes on each side or until golden brown
13. Serve as is or with fresh salsa, guacamole or chimichurri

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Paleo Pumpkin Butter

Made with pumpkin puree, coconut oil, honey and spices, this Paleo Pumpkin Butter can be served over crackers, grain-free bread, or as a cheese and fruit dip.

I suspect that some of you are already tired of seeing so many pumpkin recipes and I still have about 10 more that I wanted to share with you before thanksgiving: pumpkin cookies, pumpkin breakfast “oatmeal”, pumpkin soup, banana pumpkin shake… but I guess I will have to save them for next fall.  Ever since I started this blog six and a half months ago, I having been writing down recipes of everything I make. Since I cook 3 meals a day most of the time,  I have a long list of recipes that I simply haven’t gotten a change to post. I decided  that someday I should write a recipe book, I am not sure when, because as it is, between my house, my baby, my toddler, my husband, all the cooking and this hungry blog, I already spread myself very thinly. But it will happen someday.

Would you ever consider purchasing a paleo recipe book, or is it pointless since there are so many free recipes online? If you were to buy one, what would you like to see in it? About how many recipes do you think it should have?  Would you prefer an e-book or a paper book?

Ingredients:

1 cup of pumpkin puree, canned or homemade
2  tsp of coconut oil
2 ½ tbsp of raw honey or maple syrup
½ tsp of ground cinnamon
¼ tsp of dry ground ginger
¼ tsp of ground cloves
pinch of salt

Preparation:

• .In a small saucepan bring the pumpkin puree coconut oil and spices to a soft boil over medium-low heat. If the mixture dries out too much you can add a little bit of water or apple juice *
• Allow the butter to cool off and mix in the raw honey, stir until the honey if fully dissolved.
• Serve warm or cold.
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

* Some pumpkin purees tend to be a little more watery than others, so you may have to simmer it longer to get the right consistency, keeping in mind that the coconut oil will solidify once the butter is cooled

For other spread idea try my rawtella

Paleo Pumpkin Butter

Recipe Type: Paleo Spread

Author: Edible Harmony

Ingredients

• 1 cup of pumpkin puree, canned or homemade
• 2 tsp of coconut oil
• 2 ½ tbsp of raw honey or maple syrup
• ½ tsp of ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp of dry ground ginger
• ¼ tsp of ground cloves
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan bring the pumpkin puree coconut oil and spices to a soft boil over medium-low heat. If the mixture dries out too much you can add a little bit of water or apple juice.
2. Allow the butter to cool off and mix in the raw honey, stir until the honey if fully dissolved.
3. Serve warm or cold.
4. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

3.1.09

 

Grain-Free Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

This Grain-Free Pumpkin Cranberry Bread mixes two of my favorite fall fruits: cranberries and pumpkin.  Well, technically pumpkin is not a fruit, or is it? When I think of fruit I think of the sweet kind that grow on trees or bushes, but I recently visited a local organic farm and while taking a guided tour they explained to us that the difference between fruits and vegetables is that fruits have seeds. This was a little bit confusing to me because I have seen lettuce and herbs seeds sold at the store.

I came back home to do further research and realized that different sites have different definitions for fruits and vegetables. One of the more convincing source defines a vegetable as edible roots, tubers, stems, leaves, fruits, seeds, flower clusters, and other softer plant parts… wait a minute so a vegetable is a fruit??? I am not making it up, see the sources cited at the bottom.

What gets really confusing is that since a grain is described as the dry fruit of a cereal grass, so then we can classify a grain as a vegetable too. That means that when congress decided to consider pizza and French fries as an acceptable vegetable for school lunches, they may have been on to something…or not.

The next explanation I read about the difference between fruits and vegetables talked about ovaries of seed-baring plants, which got even more confusing. Someone needs to sit down and talk to me about the birds and the bees.

For now I’ll just stick to my original definition of fruit or should I change this recipe name from Grain-Free Pumpkin Cranberry Bread to just “Vegetable Loaf”?

Ingredients:
½ cup of coconut flour
½ cup pumpkin puree
½ cup of pitted dates (about 12 deglet dates)
6 eggs
1/3 cup of coconut oil, plus more for greasing the mold
1/3 cup of fruit sweetened dry cranberries
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (or a combination of cinnamon, nut meg, clove and dry ground ginger)
1-2 tsp of cinnamon powder
½ teaspoon baking soda

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
• In a food processor, combine the dates with the eggs and coconut oil and blend until smooth.
• Pulse in the rest of the ingredients, except for the cranberries
• Mix in the cranberries by hand using a spatula or spoon
• Grease a 5.00″ w x  8.50″  bread loaf mold pan
• Pour the batter inside the mold and bake for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle of the bread comes out dry.

For other pumpkin recipe ideas, try my pumpkin spice creamer, pumpkin muffins or my paleo pumpkin cheesecake.

Grain-Free Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

Author: Edible Harmony

Ingredients

• ½ cup of coconut flour
• ½ cup pumpkin puree
• ½ cup of pitted dates (about 12 deglet dates)
• 6 eggs
• 1/3 cup of coconut oil, plus more for greasing the mold
• 1/3 cup of dry cranberries
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (or a combination of cinnamon, nut meg, clove and dry ground ginger)
• 1 tsp of cinnamon powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2. In a food processor, combine the dates with the eggs and coconut oil and blend until smooth.
3. Pulse in the rest of the ingredients, except for the cranberries
4. Mix in the cranberries by hand using a spatula or spoon
5. Grease a 8×5 inch bread loaf pan
6. Pour the batter inside the mold and bake for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle of the bread comes out dry.

3.1.09

Sources:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45306416/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/t/pizza-vegetable-congress-says-yes/

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1611/whats-the-difference-between-fruits-and-vegetables

http://ask.yahoo.com/20010411.html

Dairy-Free Pumpkin Ice Cream

I know it is a little bit cold and late in the year to be posting ice cream recipes, at least on this side of the globe, but is it ever really too cold for ice cream? And with this being a dairy-free pumpkin ice cream, finding pumpkin in the middle of summer could be a little bit more challenging. So, enjoy this bundled up by your fireplace with a good book on a lazy afternoon.

 I bought my first ice cream maker just a couple of months ago. Since then, it has become one of my favorite kitchen tools. You can modify this recipe by replacing the pumpkin puree for pretty much any other fruit, spice or even chocolate powder. My next test will be making sorbet… berries, mango, peach and maybe even a spiced sangria. I’ll let you guys know how those turn out

Ingredients:

2 14 ounce cans of full fat coconut milk or 28 ounces of homemade coconut milk
1 cup of pumpkin puree
1 tbsp of pumpkin pie spice (or a combination of ground cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and ginger)
1/4 to 1/2 cup of cashews or macadamia nuts (optional)*
2 tsp of vanilla extract
Raw honey to taste ( I used about 1/2 cup)
pinch of salt (optional)

Preparation:

• Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend untill smooth.
• Pour this mixture into your ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s directions
• When the ice cream is set, transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze for at least an hour before serving

* Adding the cashews makes the ice cream richer and creamier

Dairy-Free Pumpkin Ice Cream

Recipe Type: Dessert

Cuisine: Paleo

Author: Edible Harmony

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 2 14 ounce cans of full fat coconut milk or 28 ounces of homemade coconut milk
• 1 cup of pumpkin puree
• 1 tbsp of pumpkin pie spice (or a combination of ground cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and ginger)
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cashews or macadamia nuts (optional)*
• 2 tsp of vanilla extract
• Raw honey to taste ( I used about 1/2 cup)
• pinch of salt (optional)

Instructions

1. Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend untill smooth.
2. Pour this mixture into your ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s directions
3. When the ice cream is set, transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze for at least an hour before serving

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Paleo Pumpkin Cheesecake (dairy-free and nut-free options)

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I made two different “experiments” for this paleo pumpkin cheesecake recipe, one with regular cream cheese and a dairy free made with cashews. I personally liked the cheese recipe better, but the second one was still delicious.

Once again there was a debate going on my page tonight about vegetarian vs. omnivore diet! While I welcome and respect everyone’s opinions, after dealing with these discussions almost every single day, let me tell you that it gets old, and it makes me grumpy. Sometimes I feel like I should rename my page to something specifically paleo related to make our message a bit more clear from the start, but then I remember that I have quite a few wonderful and respectful vegetarian, vegan and grain eating friends that are very supportive of what I do.

One of my friends had a great point, she posted a picture of a starving child, and said: “I wonder if they are debating about eating meat and being vegetarian/vegan/whatever… those of you who are should understand how lucky you are that you have the opportunity to have a choice”. Thanks Debra for that sobering moment, we are here debating over good and bad food while there are so many that have nothing to eat. I couldn’t imagine what it would be to see my children go hungry.

If you are reading this today, consider yourself lucky. Happy thanksgiving!

For the crust:

¾ cups of coconut flour
1/3 cup of coconut oil
2 eggs
1 tbsp of raw honey

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 400 F
• Using a food processor combine all the ingredients until a paste is formed
• Grease a 9 inch pie mold and press the dough firmly on the bottom and around the sides of the mold
• Bake for 10 minutes.
• Let cool off

For a “nutty” crust try the one from this recipe

For the  filling:

14 ounces of cream cheese
14 ounces of canned (BPA-free)or homemade pumpkin puree
3 eggs
2 tbsp of coconut oil or butter
Raw honey or Stevia to taste ( I like the taste of raw honey better)
1-2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice
1-2 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of dry ground ginger
1 tsp of vanilla extract

Preparation:

• Using a blender or food processor, combine all the ingredients together until smooth.
• Bake at 375 for about 40 minutes or until the filling is firm and the middle is starting to crack.
• Remove from heat allow to cool and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving

Ingredients for the dairy-free cheesecake Filling:

3 cups canned or fresh pumpkin puree
1 ½ cups of raw cashew
¾  cup of full fat coconut milk, canned or homemade
1 egg or an additional ¼ cup of coconut milk (the egg will make it firmer)
¼ cup of arrowroot powder
¼ cup of maple syrup
¼ cup of raw honey or more to taste
3 tbsp of coconut oil
½ to 1 tbsp of lemon juice
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp of vanilla extract
1 tsp of dry ground ginger
¼ tsp of salt

Preparation:

• Soak the cashews in water for 2-3 hours and drain
• Preheat oven to 325
• Put the cashews and coconut milk into a into a blender and blend together until creamy & smooth
• Add the rest of the ingredients and blend together
• Pour mixture onto cooled cooked pie crust and bake for one hour
• Allow the pie to cool down and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving

 

Sesame Paleo Noodles

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Spaghetti squash is so versatile.  I have used it to replace the noodles in Italian dishes, Asian foods, soups, salads and even desserts. These vegetarian Sesame Paleo Noodles will make you wonder why you ever ate regular pasta before.  It  is so light, flavorful and easy to make. For added protein you can also add chopped grilled chicken, beef, shrimp or mushrooms.

I haven’t posted a recipe in a few days. I have been so wrapped up with discussions on proposition 37. First trying to spread the word, then following the polls, and then recovering from the disappointment of it not passing.

Today I feel a little bit more optimistic, we lost one battle but not the war.  We created more awareness. Before this campaign most people didn’t know what a GMO was.  Now even those who voted no, deterred by the unfounded fear of food prices raising, know what a GMO is. It is also true that the bill wasn’t perfect, so  perhaps now they can re-write and improve it. I have hope that other states may pass it. I know it will be a long battle, but maybe as we start to hear more and more about this issue, some companies will start labeling their products as non-GMO. Time will tell but I sure hope I live to see the fall of Monsanto someday.

Ok! Enough bitterness… let’s eat!

Ingredients:

1 medium spaghetti squash (approx. 3 lbs)
3 green onions, sliced
1/3 cup of chopped cilantro
¼  to 1/3 cup of coconut aminos (soy sauce replacement)
2 tbsp of sesame seeds
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 tbsp of coconut oil
1 tbsp of sesame oil
Red pepper flakes to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

• Cut the spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise
• Place both halves face down on baking dish and bake at around 380 F for 45 minutes or until the squash is soft
• Meanwhile spread the sesame seeds on a cookie tray and bake until they start to brown
• Using a fork separate the squash strings and scoop them out with a spoon
• In a large skillet, heat the sesame oil and the coconut oil
• Add the green onions , cook for a couple of seconds and mix in the spaghetti squash
• Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for a couple of minutes. Do not overcook it or your squash will get mushy

Banana Pumpkin Frittata

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Although it’s been several days since Halloween, I am still eating the remnants of my Jack-O-Lantern!  Breakfast, lunch, and dinner have all been pumpkin-based– I never get tired of eating pumpkin. Today we had a chili cook-off at my daughter’s school, and while I haven’t had chili in a very long time, there was one version that was gluten-free, grain-free, and Paleo-friendly.  It was nice to finally find a no-bean chili among the contestants.  Although there was only one version I could eat, I came back with some great ideas for Paleo chilies, among them: pumpkin turkey chili, beef brisket chili, ground beef and bacon chili; so if you are a fan of this Tex-Mex dish, stay tuned!  In the next several weeks, I will be experimenting and creating some new versions that will be strong contenders for your next chili-cook off—best of all, nutritious and delicious!

Back to the banana pumpkin frittata, while perhaps the thought of eggs with banana may sound unappealing or odd to some, it is actually like a big flowerless pumpkin pancake, similar to one of my all time favorite recipes: banana scramble, but with an autumn-inspired, Halloween-based twist.

Because my bananas weren’t too ripe yet, I added some lucuma powder to  make it sweeter and to give it more color, but I have made it without it and it is delicious still. Lucuma powder is considered a healthy alternative sweetener it comes from a south american fruit and it is very low in sugars. It is naturally rich in beta-carotene, niacin, and iron.

Ingredients

2 tbsp of coconut oil
1 ½ cups of shredded pumpkin
3 eggs
2 bananas
½ tbsp of pumpkin spice
1 tsp of cinnamon
2 tbsp of lucuma powder or ½ tsp of raw honey (optional)

Preparation:

• In a 10 inch skillet melt one tbsp of coconut oil and brown the shredded pumpkin until tender but not mushy.
• Meanwhile in a large bowl mash the bananas and whisk in the eggs, lucuma and spices.
• Add the cooked pumpkin to the bowl and mix
• Melt another ½ to 1 tbsp of coconut oil in the skillet and pour in the batter.
• Cook over low/medium heat until the center of the frittata is done.
• Put the skillet under the broiler and cook until the top is cooked.
• Serve as is or top with honey yogurt.
  

 

Paleo Pumpkin Donuts

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These Paleo Pumpkin Donuts are grain-free, soy-free, dairy-free, nut-free,refined sugar-free, and by far the “funnest” healthier breakfast I’ve made in a while.

I never thought I’d be having a donut for breakfast again, I had completely forgotten they even existed, until I was invited to a breakfast potluck that my midwife was putting together. Every time I get invited to a potluck type event I am torn between providing a healthy dish and providing a dish that everyone is going to like. Let’s face it, not everyone enjoys healthy or appreciates the extra efforts of providing an unprocessed snack or selecting good quality ingredients and it is so much easier and cheaper to just pick up something already made.

Since this event was going to be in the morning I was tempted to just stop by a bagel place, but then guilt started setting in… Why would I feed others something I wouldn’t eat myself? And so the paleo pumpkin donut idea came to mind. These are baked instead of fried and you will need a donut mold or donut maker (it looks like a waffle maker). If you don’t have one you can always make muffins or pumpkin bread with this dough.

Ingredients:
½ cup of coconut flour
½ cup pumpkin puree
½ cup of pitted dates (about 10 deglet dates)
6 eggs
1/3 cup of coconut oil
5 Tablespoons canned coconut milk
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1-2 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon baking soda

Ingredients for the glaze: (optional)
Softened coconut oil
Softened raw honey

Preparation:
• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Using a food processor or blender, combine the pumpkin puree, dates, eggs, oil and spices until the dates are completely ground.
• Add the rest of the ingredients and run the food processor for a few more seconds (If you are using a blender you may have to combine these ingredients manually in a bowl.
• Grease the donut mold, if you are using a silicon mold this step is not necessary.
• Pour the batter into the mold, do not fill to the top or will get a donut with a muffin top.
• Bake for about 25 minutes or until donuts are golden brown and a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out dry. Baking time varies depending on the oven and the size of the mold, if using mini donut muffins it will take about 15 minutes.
• Set in a cooling rack

If you wish to glaze these grain-free pumpkin doughnuts, wait for them to cool off and just combine in a medium bowl some coconut oil and raw honey to taste, soften a little bit by setting the bowl over hot water for a few seconds and whisking the mixture with a fork. You want this to be creamy and not liquid. Using a butter knife spread the glaze over the top of the donut.

You can also sprinkle some cinnamon or shredded coconut on the top.