Paleo Nut Bar

Hello, I'm back!  My computer had some problems so I had to get it fixed.
I don't know if any of you have tried my granola recipe, but I make it all the time and take it with me everywhere I go for a little snack.  I noticed that it was to crumbly and messy, so I decided to make a little change in the recipe and make it into a bar that makes it easy to eat without the mess.

Ingredients:
2 cups whole almonds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup walnuts (or any nuts you like)
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbs vanilla extract
4 Tbs raw honey
2 Tbs coconut oil

Line an 8x8 square pan with parchment paper.
Chop almonds and walnuts with a sharp knife and place in a large bowl, add pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut, salt and cinnamon.  Mix all together with a rubber spatula.  Place honey, vanilla and coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl and microwave at high for 15 seconds, until the coconut oil is completely melted. Pour liquid over nut mix, mix throughly and place in the prepared pan pressing the mix against the pan and form an even layer of nuts.

 Bake at 350F for 8 to 10 minutes or until the mix has a golden brown color.  Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting.  Cut into your preferred size.  Store in a container and keep in refrigerator.  Enjoy!

Hazelnut Chocolate Torte

A torte is a European style cake that has a rich chocolate flavor, and a soft, moist, almost pudding like texture.  Excellent when served alone or with a scoop of paleo vanilla or strawberry gelato!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 tsp salt

4 large eggs separated

6 oz bittersweet dark chocolate chopped

6 oz unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)

1/2 cup coconut sugar divided

1/4 tsp cream tartar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp Brandy or marsala (optional)

Toast hazelnuts, let cool for 5 minutes then place in a food processor, along with the flour and salt, and process until the hazelnuts are finely ground.

Preheat oven at 375F and line an 8"x 3" round pan with parchment paper.

Separate the eggs.  Melt chocolate with butter over a double boiler and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer beat egg yolks with 1/4 cup of sugar, vanilla and brandy until pale in color and creamy in consistency.  

Gently fold the egg yolk mixture into the chocolate/butter mixture and nut/flour mixture.

Whip the egg whites until foamy and add 1/4 tsp of cream of tartar.  Continue beating until stiff pick form.  Gradually add 1/4 cup of remaining sugar. Beat at high speed until stiff.

Quickly fold into the chocolate flour mixture, do not over mix.  Pour into prepared pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

Cool completely on wire rack.  Enjoy!

Double Chocolate Cookies

These cookies are my husband's and kid's favorite cookie recipe, great with coffee or tea with a chewy consistency.

Ingredients
1 cup coconut sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
5 oz chopped dark chocolate 
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or macadamia nuts
4 eggs whites at room temperature


Preheat oven at 350°F. Mix all dry ingredients together and add the egg whites.  Stir until incorporated.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drop a tablespoon of dough. Bake for about 20 minutes. Cool and serve. Makes 1 1/2 dozen.

Cinnamon Rolls Scones

I have been craving cinnamon rolls since I started living Paleo and after trying to mix up some ingredients together nothing was coming out right to my taste until I finally came out with this recipe.  The consistency is more like scones or biscuits but delicious enough to satisfy my cravings. 

Dough

5 Tbsp coconut flour

3/4 cup almond meal

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 egg whites 

2 Tbsp coconut oil melted

1 Tbsp honey

Filling

2 Tbsp cinnamon

2 Tbsp coconut oil melted 

3 Tbsp coconut sugar or honey

1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Icing

1/4 cup honey

2 tsp vanilla extract

1Tbsp coconut oil

Preheat oven at 350.  In a large bowl mix all dry ingredients for the dough. In another bowl whisk liquids and add to dry mixture.  Roll dough on parchment paper about 1/4 inch thick.

Make filling, mix cinnamon with melted coconut oil, sugar and nuts (I didn't use any nuts on mine).

Spread over dough.

Roll and cut to make about 8 rolls. 

Position each roll on parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake until golden in color.

Let cool and in the mid time mix all the icing ingredients together. Pour over warm rolls and enjoy!

Health Benefits Of Coconut Oil

By no means am I an expert of health and nutrition, but I truly believe in the health benefits of coconut oil and here are some snippets of stuff I have found on the internet that has guided me in my belief:

Coconut oil is extracted from the kernel of matured coconuts harvested from the coconut palm. Throughout the tropical world, it has provided the primary source of fat in the diets of millions of people for generations. It has various applications in food, medicine, and industry. 
The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure,diabetes, HIV and cancer, dental care, and bone strength. 
Coconut oil contains a large portion of lauric acid which promote good health properties. Your body converts lauric acid into monolaurin, which has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-protozoa properties.  Coconut oil is also nature's richest source of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), also called medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs. By contrast, most common vegetable or seed oils are comprised of long chain fatty acids (LCFAs), also known as long-chain triglycerides or LCTs.
LCTs are large molecules, so they are difficult for your body to break down and are predominantly stored as fat. But MCTs, being smaller, are easily digested and immediately burned by your liver for energy, like carbohydrates, but without the insulin spike. 

Coconut oil is very useful in reducing weight.  MCTs actually boost your metabolism and help your body use fat for energy, as opposed to storing it, so it can actually help you become leaner. 

Coconut oil is one of the best natural nutrition for hair. It helps in healthy growth of hair providing them a shiny complexion. Regular massage of the head with coconut oil ensures that your scalp is free of dandruff, lice, and lice eggs, even if your scalp is dry. 

Coconut oil is excellent massage oil for the skin as well. It acts as an effective moisturizer on all types of skins including dry skin. It also delays wrinkles, and sagging of skin which normally become prominent with age. Coconut oil also helps in treating various skin problems including psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and other skin infections.

Coconut oil is beneficial for the heart. It contains about 50% lauric acid, which helps in preventing various heart problems including high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure.

Coconut oil helps in improving the digestive system. The saturated fats present in coconut oil have anti microbial properties and help in dealing with various bacteria, fungi, parasites, etc., that cause indigestion.

Coconut oil is also good for the immune system. It strengthens the immune system as it contains antimicrobial lipids, lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid which have antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties. The human body converts lauric acid into monolaurin which is claimed to help in dealing with viruses and bacteria causing diseases such as herpes, influenza, cytomegalovirus, and even HIV. It helps in fighting harmful bacteria such as listeria monocytogenes and heliobacter pylori, and harmful protozoa such as giardia lamblia.
Coconut oil kills viruses that cause influenza, measles, hepatitis, herpes, SARS, etc. It also kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and gonorrhea, etc. Coconut oil is also effective on fungi and yeast that cause candidiasis.

Coconut oil is very soothing and helps in removing stress. Applying coconut oil to the head followed with a gentle massage helps in removing mental fatigue.

Coconut oil is very useful to women who are prone to osteoporosis after middle age. Improves the ability of our body to absorb important minerals. These include calcium and magnesium which are necessary for development of bones.

Paleo Pancakes

Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut flour
4 eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp honey or coconut nectar
coconut oil for pan

Preheat pan over medium-low heat. Beat eggs in a stand mixer until frothy. Mix in milk, vanilla, and honey.  In a small bowl combine coconut flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and whisk together. Combine dry mixture with wet in the stand mixer and beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl then mix on medium to medium-high for another minute or two or until the coconut flour is completely mixed into the batter.  Grease pan with coconut oil. Pour batter to create pancakes that are about 3 inches in diameter.  Cook for approximately 3 minutes, flip and cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Serve hot spread coconut oil, drizzle with honey, sprinkle with paleo granola and top with fresh fruit.
Recipe from: paleo spirit 

Paleo Granola

Ingredients

1/2 cup almond meal

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup shredded coconut

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 Tbsp honey

2 Tbsp coconut oil softened 

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Line a baking pan with parchment paper (I use a 8x8 square pan) and preheat the oven at 350.

Mix all ingredients in a big bowl and spread evenly in the pan.  Bake for about 3 minutes or until golden in color.  Let cool for 15 minutes, store in airtight container at room temperature or refrigerate to keep fresh for months.