Paleo Recipes & Expat Living
As you know I’m currently taking some time off from the blog but I have lined up some guest posts for you during this time. Today I’m happy to have Venus from Ravenous Venus sharing her recipe for Fried Sweet Plantains with Maple Avocado Mousse.
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The first time I tried coconut butter was when Joe and I were living in the States. We had a Whole Foods close by to where we lived (man I miss that place!) and I was there ALL the time, so much so that most of the people working there knew me as that girl from Australia! Anyway before going ‘paleo’ I never really thought about coconut products, I didn’t even know things like coconut oil existed! And now… well now I just can’t get enough coconut! Coconut oil, coconut milk, coconut flour etc etc!
So the first time I tried coconut butter I thought WOAAAHH this stuff is good! Like a silky smooth spread with the taste of coconut but then I realised if I was going to continue my coconut butter eating I’d have to come up with a better solution that the store bought stuff because that stuff is E X P E N S I V E! The one I used to get back in the States cost me around $12 and to be honest I haven’t even looked for one in the UK because I’ve just been making my own ever since I realised I could!
What is coconut butter? It’s the meat or flesh of the coconut that has been processed into a thick creamy paste. When warmed it’s runny and spreadable and when chilled it hardens up (like coconut oil). I like to eat it as is or add it to things like smoothies or even to tea or coffee. As a spread you can spread it like a glaze over cake or use it on top of pancakes.
Here’s the how to…
Add the shredded/desiccated coconut, coconut oil, salt and any flavouring(s) you want to use into a high-powered blender.
Blend on high for a minute… that’s it!
Using a spatula or wooden spoon, add the mixture into glass jars or containers.
Can be store in the panty/cupboard for a few months, unless you eat it all before then!
Place all ingredients into a food processor as stated in the blender instructions above.
Process the ingredients, making sure to stop the food processor every now and then to scrape down the sides using a spatula or wooden spoon.
You should reach coconut butter consistency after about 8-10 minutes of processing.
Again store in a glass jar or container and store in the pantry/cupboard.
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If there’s two things the Paleo/Primal community is obsessed with it’s bacon and coconut milk…just kidding… kind of 😉
Honestly though dairy is what is known as a ‘grey-area’ food due to the fact that many are intolerant to lactose and until you remove it from your diet for at least 30 days you won’t know how it affects you. Of course whether or not you choose to include dairy in your diet is for you to decide, but for those who can’t coconut milk can be a life saver! [Read more…]
We’ve been having a bit of a crazy heatwave here in England, which is a welcome change to the usual cold, wet weather but when you have no aircon and no fly screens on your windows it can be a pain! This extended heat is unheard of so those things aren’t very common in houses here or so I’m told.
To make it worse both Joe and I have been sick recently. First it was me and then yesterday he was REALLY sick and spent most of the day in bed, hardly being able to eat! Luckily today he is feeling a bit better but is taking the day off today as well just to be on the safe side. Also we are having some issues with our rental property right now which is doing our heads in so we are currently in search of a new place to move into! It’s not so easy though… we’re having problems finding something that suits our needs. Fingers crossed something good comes up soon!
Anyway since it has been so hot lately, I have been struggling a bit with my usual breakfast of eggs + veggies or leftovers from dinner etc and I’ve been having a bit more fruit than usual, mainly berries just because they are so good! The other day I decided I wanted to make something different to my usual breakfast because I just really didn’t feel like eating any of my usual breakfast foods.
I would definitely call this a breakfast treat though and it’s not something I personally would have on a daily or even weekly basis, it’s probably something I’d have every now and then just to change things up. It’s super quick and easy to make and it tastes delicious!
I had a bit of a hard time coming up with a name for this recipe but since cereal is one of the first things that popped into my head that’s what I decided to go for. So here it is…
*I always buy full-fat coconut milk and most of the time unless I am making something that specifically calls for the thick coconut cream that sits at the top of the can I pour the whole thing into a glass mason jar and shake. I then take another glass mason jar and pour half of the mixture into that one and then I fill up the rest of the jars with filtered water and give them another good shake before placing them in the fridge. I personally find it too heavy to have the coconut milk out of the can as is and this is what I did for this recipe. You can use the milk straight out of the can without diluting it though if you wanted to for this recipe.
Place the coconut milk, coconut, cashew/almond butter, cinnamon, vanilla extract, Medjool dates and Himalayan Pink Salt into a blender.
Blend until well incorporated then pour into a bowl.
Add your blueberries and strawberries on top. Sprinkle with some chopped hazelnuts for some added texture and crunch. Enjoy!