The Paleo Isotonic Super Booster

Well with such a boring picture I had to give this an interesting name! This is the ultimate Paleo sports performance drink!

When I first got back into running after having my first two kids I started to drink those awful sugary isotonic drinks, and well I started to learn that they were actually no good for performance and I would often burn out fairly fast. I deecided to switch back to regular water and up my salt intake. This did work well but not well enough. Fast forward 5 years and going strong on the Paleo diet I started to become more familiar with chia seeds and their benefits within sports performance. I also started to become more aware of the roles of carbohydrates, citrus and sea salts aiding in hydration and electrolyte/isotonic balance. That’s when I came up with this little number.

It is super quick to make and will help you blast out a good endurance run or hour and a half of intensive exercise.  This is best consumed about 30 minutes before you do exercise but you can also drink this first thing in the morning as it will hydrate you and help get those adrenals going!

This drink is also ideal for kids – my kids love this because it is nice and fizzy from the bicarbonate of soda! But this drink isn’t just for athletes and kiddies it is great for the elderly and anyone who is suffering from the flu or a stomach bug with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea.

So what is so great about all of the ingredients in this drink and what do they do?!

• Carbohydrates from the raw honey will help to replenish your muscle glycogen whilst increasing the intestinal water absorption rate. It also contains fructose, glucose and maltose which all absorb into the bloodstream at different rates thus making it the ultimate energy source for sports performance.
• The Himalayan pink salt contains 84 minerals and trace elements including the electrolytes sodium, magnesium, potassium & sulfate.
• The bicarbonate of soda contains sodium chloride which again aids in topping up your electrolytes.
• The lemon and lime juice is a great substitution for potassium citrate as it contains high levels of both potassium and citric acid. It also chelates calcium which basically means that it stays firmly attached for better absorption.
• On to my favourite little power houses – chia seeds. Chia seeds are hydrophillic meaning that they love water, so much so in fact that they can hold up to 12 times their weight in water! This again extends your timeframe for hydration. Chia seeds are also hight in omega-3 fatty acids, dietary fibre, protein and antioxidants. These beauties were used by the ancient aztecs and I have never turned back. They fuel you for a good hour or so of exercise.
• Water… well yes I think we all know what water is good for!

But anyway now onto the actual recipe! Just to let you know these make excellent freeze pops too for the summer!

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

400ml filtered cold water
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tbsp raw honey (or maple syrup for Vegan substitution)
1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp milled or whole chia seeds

Method:

1. Start by pouring your water, lemon juice & lime juice into a large glass container and stir.
2. Add in your raw honey and Himalayan pink salt and leave to sit for 5 minutes.
3. Stir in your bicarbonate of soda and chia seeds and leave to sit for another 10 minutes to allow the chia seeds to absorb the water thoroughly.
4. Alternatively you can place all of the ingredients except for the bicarbonate of soda into a blender and blend for a couple of minutes before leave to sit the 10 minutes. You can then stir in your bicarbonate of soda at the end before drinking otherwise the gases will build up and you will be likely to have a little explosion on your hands!!!

Paleo Blueberry Pancake Muffins

Yup and just when you thought breakfast (and a Paleo Pancake Day) couldn’t be much fun – BAM! I throw these crazy bad boys in your face!

This takes all of the faff out of making pancakes, is relatively low in sugar and is a complete breakfast in well ummm a muffin? puffin? no that’s a bird… well some sort of muffin and pancake hybrid anyway. The texture is very similar to a pancake but slightly more airy and muffin like. If you have made my Paleo Superfood Pancakes before then you will be familiar with most of the ingredients within this recipe.

Not only are these a great on-the-go brekkie they are also great for workout fuel and recovery! Splendid!

To create a beautiful muffin top (the only time when a muffin top seems to be socially acceptable) like in my pictures you will want to add 1/4 tsp of Vitamin C to the batter, although I have noted this down as being optional it really does gives a brilliant rise. But don’t worry they will still rise although probably not as spectacularly. I have also noted down using milled chia seeds, this is just my personal preference as it creates a really smooth texture to the muffins but if you have just some regular ones they won’t change the mix too much.

This recipe will require you to possess a muffin tin… obviously.

Makes: 7 medium sized muffins

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 large banana
1/4 cup coconut sugar (or 2 tbsp raw honey/maple syrup)
4 eggs
1 cup tapioca flour
2 tbsp almond flour
2 tbsp milled chia seeds
2 tbsp raw grass-fed butter or coconut oil
1.5 tbsp coconut flour
1 tbsp ground flax seed
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp Vitamin C (optional but gives a great rise!)
1/4 tsp vanilla powder (optional but delicious)
50ml almond milk (or 50:50 coconut milk:water)
3/4 cup blueberries (packed)

Method:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4.
2. Combine your banana, coconut sugar and eggs into a food processor or mash by hand until a smooth puree.
3. Process in the rest of your ingredients except for the blueberries until smooth. If you aren’t using a food processor then just whisk in the dry ingredients. Also pre melt your butter or coconut oil and then gradually add in your nut milk bit by bit to escape any nasty lumps.
4. Stir in your fresh or frozen blueberries. Leave the mix aside to rest for a few minutes. It will thicken up slightly due to your chia seeds.
5. Lightly grease your muffin tin. Spoon in enough mixture to fully fill each indentation. That was roughly around 1/4 cup and 1 tbsp for me.
6. Place into the oven and bake until fluffy and golden brown all over. They should be firm to the touch and bounce back. To make sure they are fully cooked place a knife into the middle and it should come out very hot to the touch and clean. This will take anywhere between 15-20 minutes but always keep an eye on them as everyone’s ovens differ!
7. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes before gently tipping out of the tray and leaving to cool on a wire rack- MUFFINS!!!

Paleo Bagels

So it was my protein fast today and I had a bit of a craving for bagels (probably because 1/4 of my blood is Israeli) … So I just went ahead and made some… like you do! I remembered that I had some potato starch that was given to me rather generously from the lovely Molly over at Perfectly Paleo who I have promised to make some gnocchi for (and I will sorry Molly) but I couldn’t help but give it a go in my dough. Potato starch is renowned for making bread nice and doughy.

This has to be my best bread dough that I have ever made – you don’t have to turn this dough into bagels if you don’t want to, you could make a braided bread loaf, and I’m pretty sure these could even be turned into doughnuts with a little bit of tweaking. But anyways, yes, bagels…

I sat there and contemplated over a few ways of making this dough and it was a big scientific experiment for me, I used xanthan gum to add to the chewiness and also vitamin C to aid with the rise.  This dough kneads like real dough, it also rises pretty much like real dough which is a first for me – I managed to squeeze double the rise which I think is pretty amazing for a Paleo bread! This recipe will require you to boil the bagels first and then to plunge them into a cold water bath before baking – but it’s all worth it just to get that awesome bagel flavour and chew that we all love!

So hell yeah! I bring you gluten-free, grain-free and bulls**t free bagels!!!

Enjoy!

Makes: 6 medium bagels or 8-10 mini bagels

Preparation Time: 1 hour (plus 1-1.5 hr rise time)

Cooking Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

For the yeast mix:

60 ml boiled water
3 tbsp coconut sugar
90ml almond (or any nut milk of your choice)
1 tbsp dry active yeast

For the bagel mix:

1 cup Sukrin Almond Flour
3/4 cup potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1 tbsp milled chia seeds
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp vitamin C
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt
1 egg
1 tbsp coconut oil (plus 2 tbsp extra for kneading)
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

For the boiling mix:

Medium sized pan 2/3 filled with boiling water
1/4 cup raw honey
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp Himalayan pink salt

Optional toppings:

2 tbsp poppy or sesame seeds

Method:

1. Firstly prepare your yeast mix. In a measuring jug pour in your freshly boiled water and stir in the coconut sugar until dissolved. Add your almond milk and mix well. Finally stir in your active dried yeast until fully dissolved and leave for 10 minutes until it forms a very frothy head.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine all of the bagel mix ingredients except for the egg, coconut oil, almond extract and apple cider vinegar. Stir the ingredients until everything is mixed thoroughly.
3. Pre-heat your oven to its lowest setting (50C usually).
4. Add in your egg, coconut oil, and almond extract. Stir your yeast mix and pour into the bagel mix. Now add your apple cider vinegar. Using a wooden spoon (or even a handheld whisk) mix until it forms a very tacky dough.
5. Oil your hands using the 2 tbsp of coconut oil that are remaining. Break a small amount off and work into the dough. Knead your dough repeating the coconut oil process until you have no oil left. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead on a clean and lightly floured work surface. Knead for around 10 minutes until you have a nice smooth dough.
6. Place the dough back into the bowl and cover with a damp towel or oiled cling film.
7. Turn your oven off and place the mixing bowl onto the lowest shelf of the oven and shut the door. Leave the dough to rise for at least 1 hour. If you feel that the oven is losing heat then turn it back on and heat it back up to 50C and turn it off again. You want to let the dough rise until it has roughly doubled in size. If after one and a half hours it is no longer rising don’t leave it to rise any longer as it probably won’t. If you want a more authentic bagel dough you can leave it overnight to ferment and then cook in the morning if you wish.
8. Once risen remove the dough from the bowl and knead on a lightly dusted surface for 10-15 minutes until the dough is silky smooth. Divide the dough into 6 pieces.
9.  Now it is time to place your pan of water, honey, bicarbonate of soda and salt onto the stove and bring to the boil.
10. Whilst the water is coming to the boil roll your pieces of dough into balls and shape into circles that are about 1″ thick. With a well greased index finger, push it through the centre of your dough circle and begin to spin it around onto the work surface. Flip sides and do the same until you have something that resembles a doughnut. You want the hole to be fairly large and the dough expands upon boiling. Repeat the process until you have made all 6 bagels.
11. Fill a large mixing bowl with very cold water. This is necessary to plunge the bagels into after boiling to help make them even chewier although you can skip this step if you wish.
12. Pre-heat your oven to 180C.
13. By now your water should be boiling. Lower 2 bagels into the pan as carefully as you can and set a timer for 3 minutes. Once your time is up flip the bagels using two chopsticks and boil for a further 3 minutes. Remove your bagels using the chopsticks and drop into your cold water bath. Repeat the process until all of your bagels are cooked.
14. Line and lightly grease a baking tray and place on your bagels. If you wish to top your bagels you can do with poppy seeds or sesame seeds, or anything else that takes your fancy that is!
15. Place your bagels into the oven and cook for around 10-15 minutes or until they are golden brown and the inner ring of the bagel is no longer tacky to the touch.
16. Serve toasted with lashings of butter and some smoked salmon!

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Paleo Crumpets

Yes you did hear me right! PALEO CRUMPETS!!!

Not a huge fan of bread but I am a mahoosive fan of crumpets! Nice, crisp on the outside, squidgy & chewy on the inside… crumpets…crumpets with big chunks of grass-fed raw butter on them… mmmm…

Start drooling and making Homer noises (like I do) people – because now you can make these delcious gluten and grain free crumpets for yourself!

It’s not as hard to make as you may believe (as long as you follow the instructions) you should end up with a batch of fabulous crumpets that you can devour on your own or share – if you’re the crumpet sharing type that is. One particularly instruction that is crucial to gaining those beautiful holes that you love is the bicarbonate of soda! Yes you really must add this last and yes you do have to leave it for the 15 minutes. If you don’t they won’t be very holey!

As with all breads this batter has a proofing time – do not skip this stage! Really don’t you’ll have flat and lifeless crumpets!

This recipe does require you to purchase some crumpet rings, I actually used egg rings! If you don’t have either of these you may want to attempt using some large biscuit cutters leaving the crinkle side facing up. It will however be a lot harder to remove the crumpets before you flip them as sadly biscuit cutters aren’t too ummm ‘non-sticky’ shall i say. When I first started to make my crumpets (about a year ago now) I used my biscuit cutters and what I found the most helpful was lifting the whole crumpet with attached cutter out with a tea towel and then carefully using a sharp knife to cut from the underside, tracing around the ring until the crumpet had loosened sufficiently to pop out.

The cooking time can also be reduced with the more crumpet rings that you have in your possession! I only have 2 crumpet rings so it took me about 45-50 minutes to make 10.

Best served with raw grass-fed butter but for a super naughty crumpet spread on some raw honey, drizzle on some maple syrup or even use a nice dollop of my Black Forest Chia Jam!

Makes: 10 large crumpets

Preparation Time: 10 minutes (plus 45 minutes proofing)

Cooking Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour

Ingredients:

For the yeast starter:

100ml cold water
100ml boiled water
3 tbsp coconut sugar
1 tbsp active dried yeast

For the crumpet batter:

1 cup tapioca flour
3/4 cup Sukrin almond flour
1.5 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp milled chia seeds (optional but great for texture)
1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt
100ml almond milk
2 eggs
1 tbsp raw honey/maple syrup
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

25g raw grass-fed butter (for cooking)

Method:

1. Firstly start by switching on your oven at the lowest heat. Leave for 10 minutes to warm sufficiently.
2. As your oven is pre-heating begin to make your yeast starter. In a cup or measuring jug combine hot water with the coconut sugar and stir until dissolved. Stir in your cold water followed by your yeast. Leave to rest for 10 minutes or until it begins to become very frothy.
3. In a large mixing bowl sieve in your tapioca and almond flours. Add your baking powder, milled chia seeds and Himalayan pink salt. Using a whisk thoroughly mix the ingredients until evenly distributed.
4. Slowly pour in your almond milk whisking fastly – I use a handheld electric whisk as it’s the fastest thing to do and prevents any lumps from forming.
5. Now whisk in your eggs and honey until you have a nice smooth batter. Now is the best time to turn off your oven!
6. Mix together the frothy head and watery yeast mix of your yeast starter until it’s a nice brown and smooth liquid. Pour into your batter a small amount at a time, whisking thoroughly. Gradually pour in more of the mixture until it becomes the consistency of thick cream – think double cream. Set the rest of the yeast mix to one side as you may need it after the proofing stage!
7. Cover the mixing bowl with a damp towel and place into the pre-heated oven. Be sure to leave the door open for the first 15 minutes of proofing and then close for the remaining 15 minutes!
8. Remove your mixture from the oven and give it a quick whisk – if your batter seems thicker than the consistency of double cream then pour in a little of your reserved yeast mixture.
9. Add in your bicarbonate of soda and whisk. Leave to one side for 15 minutes.
10. Heat a large frying pan on a low heat with your crumpet rings in the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and place a small knob of butter into the pan until it melts. Using a pastry brush, brush the inside of the crumpet rings and the bottom edges. Return the pan back onto the heat.
11. Next take 3 tablespoons of your mixture and spoon into each ring. That’s 3 tablespoons per crumpet. Be sure not to stir or agitate the mixture in the mixing bowl or the pan otherwise you will lose those beautiful holes!
12. The first stage of cooking the crumpets will take you about 6 minutes. Firstly you will see lots of tiny bubbles appear on the surface, next those bubbles will turn into larger ones and then begin to burst.
13. Once the outer half of the diameter of the crumpets begins to look firm, and the inner half semi-firm  it will be time to lift the rings off. Using two forks anchor into the upper lip of the rings firmly and slowly lift the rings off, you could use a teatowel but the fork method can be a lot of fun.
14. Using a spatula flip over your crumpets and cook for a further 1 minute until lightly golden. Repeat the process (right from the start of step 10) until you have cooked all of your beautiful crumpets! Serve up with some grass-fed butter et voila! Paleo Crumpets!!!

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Paleo Black Forest Chia Jam

This jam is well… uhhh… jam packed (cringe) full of nutrition, flavour and more importantly is low on sugar!

It is perfect for kids and adults alike – in fact my whole family seems to enjoy this a lot more than real jam itself.

Chia seeds are incredibly hydrophilic – basically a posh word for ‘loving water’ and in layman’s terms this means that chia seeds will soak up as much water as possible making them a great baking tool to have in your arsenal as well as for helping to keep you feeling fuller for longer thus staying trim. Not to say that they are all filler and nothing else though; chia seeds are high in dietary fibre, high in good quality protein, & high in omega-3 fatty acids. What isn’t there to love about them?!

Chia seeds were also used by the Aztecs as a running fuel as they helped to keep them hydrated and running harder, faster and for longer. If you’re wanting to up your athletic performance and stamina I couldn’t recommend them anymore!  So this jam is great as a pre-workout breakfast or snack.

If you want a smooth and lump free jam you can place it all into a blender at the end if you wish but I think it works best with some nice lumps of fruit in it.

It is best slathered on to some of my Paleo Granary Bread or Paleo Crumpets!

Yields: Roughly 2.5 to 3 cups

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups of frozen/fresh cherries, grapes, blueberries, blackberries, & blackcurrants
1/3 cup raw honey or maple syrup
Juice of 1/2 lemon
3/4 cup milled chia seeds

Method:

1.  Place your fruit, honey and lemon juice into a medium sized pan. Place the pan on a medium heat.
2. Stir the mixture frequently until the honey has melted and bring the mixture to the boil.
3. Reduce the heat and crush the fruit with the back of a wooden spoon until soft. It is upto you to determine the texture of the fruit that you want in your jam. Leave to simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and whisk in your milled chia seeds. Transfer to an airtight mason jar or into a jam jar. If using a jam jar be sure to use cellophane and wax discs to help keep the jam airtight! Store the jam in a cool dry place and use within one week of making – although it really won’t last that long!

Paleo Almond ‘Multigrain’ Porridge

So you wanna call this faux porridge? forridge? I don’t know what a good name for this is but what I do know is that this is ridiculously tasty, and high in fat and protein so not only is it delicious but it’s great for a pre or post-workout meal. I have called this a porridge as the shelled hemp seeds create a beautiful oaty like texture that really is like porridge!

It’s best served with a handful of berries and a big dollop of my Paleo Lady Grey Curd.

This is gluten-free, grain-free, dairy free, and Vegan. It’s fantastic.

Serves: 2 people (or 1 hungry person grrrr)

Preparation Time: 1 minute

Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Sukrin Almond Flour
1/3 cup Sukrin Coconut Flour
1/3 cup ground almonds
1/3 cup shelled hemp seeds
1/3 cup milled flaxseed
2 tbsp milled chia seeds
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tbsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
600ml nut milk of your choice

Optional Toppings:

Handful of berries
1-2 tbsp Paleo Lady Grey Curd

Method:

1.  Place all of the ingredients except for the milk into a medium sized heavy based pan. Mix together so that everything is evenly distributed.
2. Pour 1/4 of the milk and whisk into a smooth paste.
3. Place on a low heat and gradually add the rest of the milk in small amounts, whisking continuously.
4. Bring to the boil and remove from the heat.
5. Serve up, top with your favourite toppings and enjoy!

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Paleo Lady Grey Drizzle Cake

Yeah… I so went there… I took your traditional (and slightly too vanilla) lemon drizzle cake and jazzed that bad boy up. It’s like having a cup of Earl Grey Tea with a subtle touch of Lady Grey to it (orange and lemon).

This recipe requires some fresh bergamot which isn’t that easy to get hold of but Natoora stock it as well as Ocado (stocking Natoora’s bergamot).

This is so delicious you’ll probably devour the whole thing at once. It has the perfect bounce to it, as I have added a small amount of milled chia seeds to it. This also helps (along with the coconut flour) to soak in the ‘drizzle’.

I don’t think I can say anything to do it justice so you’ll just have to give it a go yourself! It’s a very simple bake and even a beginner can’t go wrong. All of those complex flavours will make you feel like you’ve baked something straight out of Masterchef!

Makes: 1 small ‘loaf’ (about 10-12 slices)

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

For the sponge cake:

50g raw unsalted grass-fed butter
50g coconut oil
3 eggs
1 egg white
1/2 cup Sukrin Almond Flour
1 cup tapioca flour
1 tbsp Sukrin Coconut Flour
1/2 tbsp milled chia seeds
1/3 cup raw honey/maple syrup
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tbsp orange extract
1/4 tsp vanilla powder (optional)
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp bergamot juice
Zest of 1 unwaxed bergamot

For the ‘drizzle’:

Zest & juice of 1 unwaxed bergamot
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp vanilla powder (optional)
1/2 tbsp orange extract
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 cup raw honey

Method:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180C.
2. Combine all of your ingredients for the sponge except for the egg white and the bergamot into a food processor. Process until you get a smooth cake batter. Be sure to scrape down the sides frequently.
3. Zest and juice your bergamot. Add the zest and 1 tbsp of the juice to your cake batter and process. Set aside your remaining juice to use in your syrup.
4. In a large mixing bowl whisk your egg whites until it can form stiff ‘peaks’. The bowl should be able to be turned upside down without the egg white sliding or falling out. Do not whisk anymore after this otherwise the egg will begin to liquify again. This will take some gunpower so stick at it! The best technique is to use a really light wrist and big sweeping movements to lift the egg up into the air and around and back down again to try and get as much air as you can into it.
5. Pour in your cake batter and fold the egg white into the mixture again with big sweeping movements to get as much air into it as possible.
6. Line a 9″x5″ loaf tin. Pour in your cake batter and smooth with a spatula or back of a spoon. Create a substantial dip into the middle of the batter – about 1cm will do. This will ensure that it will rise evenly.
7. Put your cake into the oven on the middle shelf. Leave to cook until it is golden brown all over and when you insert a toothpick into the centre it comes out clean and hot to the touch. This should take around 40 minutes.
8. Whilst your cake is baking make a start on your syrup. In a small pan combine all of your ingredients and place on a low heat. Leave to come to the boil and stir every now and then.
9. Once boiling reduce to a simmer and leave to cook for about 10 minutes or until the syrup begins to thicken slightly.
10. Once your cake has baked remove from the open and using a chopstick (or something similar in size) pierce the cake very deeply – almost to the bottom several times. I mean a lot of times. The more holes the more drizzle will seep through and saturate the cake.
11. Pour over all of the syrup. You may need to do this in batches to allow the syrup to seep through the cake, and you may even have to heat the syrup so that it saturates it even further.
12. Leave to cool completely. If any of the syrup is still remaining then put the cake bake into the oven on the lowest temperature until it seems to soak through.
13. Slice and enjoy with a yummy cup of tea or coffee!

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Paleo Goji Berry Semolina

Gone are the days of lifeless and boring semolina! Yummy!

As some of you may already know, the wonderful people at Nua Naturals sent me out some of their coconut flour, coconut sugar and some goji berries to review and get creative with. This is what I came up with.

If you haven’t heard about NUA Naturals before then I shall let you know a little about them! They are an Irish health food business at the cutting edge of the global trends of ‘Raw Food’, ‘Gluten Free’, and ‘Vegan’. They’re lovers, suppliers and artisan producers of organic health foods. 95% of their range is Organic (excluding their goji berries, MSM & bee pollen) and the only product of theirs that is not Vegan is the bee pollen. Such a fab company that could do with a bit more exposure in England I think!

Anyways, when you think of Semolina you probably think of having it for a pudding at school, right? And I bet it was lifeless and tasted horrendous? It did didn’t it?! Not this one though!

My kids love this grain-free and gluten-free semolina. It’s delicious, nutritious and looks kinda pretty too with those vibrant goji berries! It has the texture of a well cooked semolina and the flavour is as near as it’s gonna get so get rustling this up in the morning and beat this miserable, cold British weather! Oh and did I forget to mention that it was Vegan? Because it is! How awesome!!!

Serves: 3- 4 people

Preparation Time: 1 minute

Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup goji berries

1 tbsp coconut sugar

1/4 cup milled chia seeds

3/4 cup almond flour

Pinch of Himalayan pink salt

1 tbsp cinnamon

2 1/4 cups water

1 tin coconut milk (400ml)

1 tbsp coconut oil

Method:

1. Place all of your dry ingredients (except the goji berries) into a medium, heavy bottomed pan. Mix until evenly distributed.
2. Add your water gradually, whisking until smooth.
3. Now add your coconut milk and whisk until it is smooth.
4.  Hold aside a small handful for of your goji berries for decoration. Add your remaining goji berries and mix in.
5. Place on a low heat until it begins to simmer. Be sure to whisk frequently to ensure that you don’t end up with any lumps.
6. Turn off the heat and add in your coconut oil, mixing until it is fully melted into the semolina.
7. Serve up and sprinkle with your remaining goji berries.

 

Got a favourite breakfast you want paleofying up? Drop me a comment and i’ll see what I can do!

Paleo Vegan Pancakes… (yup you heard me right!)

These super chewy & nutritious pancakes are just gorgeous topped with my cacao & orange sauce!

So it often happens in my household that we run out of certain food staples – we’re on a pretty tight budget and struggle to keep it all in stock by the end of the week.

This recipe uses milled chia seeds as an egg replacement.  Chia seeds tend to last for a while and are super nutritious, so when you initially fork out you may feel like it’s expensive but it really isn’t.  And what’s best is that they are super nutritious!

The texture of these is somewhere between mochi and a crepe, which to be honest I quite enjoyed the chewiness, and my children went quite mad over these as well! What’s even more of a relief is that these taste like a pancake, no doubt about it.  Once I have some almond flour I’d quite like to try out combining some in the recipe to boost the nutrition up a little!

If you’re Vegan I’d really appreciate your feedback on this recipe, and if you’re Vegan and Paleo then even more so!

Makes: 6 medium pancakes

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 12 minutes

Ingredients:

For the pancakes:

Egg replacement (2 tbsp milled chia seeds, 6 tbsp water)
1 mashed banana
3tbsp water
3tbsp coconut/nut milk
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp coconut flour
3/4 cup tapioca flour
Pinch of Himalayan pink salt (optional)
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar (with the mother)

For the cacao & orange sauce:

Tin (400ml) of coconut milk
Juice, pulp and zest 1 orange
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp coconut sugar (optional)
1 tsp orange essence
1.5 tbsp cacao powder
Thickener (2 tsp tapioca flour in 4 tsp water)

Method:

1. For the sauce, combine all of your ingredients (except your thickener) together in a small pan on a low heat and whisk together until it begins to boil.
2. Add in your thickener mix and whisk rapidly until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and set aside. (Is best chilled in the fridge/freezer).
3. For the pancakes, start by combining your egg replacement mix and set aside for about 3-4 minutes or until it ‘gels’
4. In a medium sized mixing bowl mash your banana and combine with the egg replacement.
5. Add in your water, coconut/nut milk, and maple syrup and mix thoroughly.
6. Add in your coconut flour and tapioca flour and stir until a smooth batter.
7. Lastly add your Himalayan pink salt, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and apple cider vinegar. Mix evenly into the batter.
8. Heat a heavy bottomed non stick pan and dry fry your pancakes.  This means do not use any oil at all! Add 2 tbsp of the mix and use the back of your spoon to form into rounds.
9. Cook the pancakes 1 minute on both sides until golden brown and hot to the touch.
10. Serve with your sauce or even just eat on their own!