Pumpkin Spice Latte

This recipe is dedicated to my dear, sweet grandma who passed away on September 21, four short days after my grandpa's passing.  

My grandma was an amazing woman - I can only hope to be half the woman she was.  She was kind, smart, strong (she could arm wrestle like no other!), beautiful, stubborn (yes, grandma, really), and a sharp dresser (she always wondered what happened to me...:)).  She loved dressing up, but had no problems going fishing, camping, hiking, hunting (she was a crack shot) or talking care of our HUGE yard.  "Can't" was not in her vocabulary.  She never complained, even on the day she passed away.  You just got up and "took care of business". 

But, my grandma did have one small weakness...she had a SWEET tooth.  I know that she would have enjoyed this (it would only have been better with something chocolate served with it!).  I served this to my family in her china, which has been passed down to me.  Hope you enjoy it (and one or two family pictures as well).

As always, please remember this is treat, not something for everyday.

Ingredients:

• Coconut milk (enough to fill your cup most, but not all, of the way)
• Pumpkin Spice Syrup (how much?  It really depends on the size of your cup...and your taste buds...I'd start with less and keep adding until it tastes right to you:))
• Brewed coffee (if you're really into lattes, you want either espresso or really strong coffee...we're not really coffee drinkers, so regular-strength worked well for us -- and again, this really depends on the size of your cup)
• Chilled coconut cream (the part in the coconut milk can that separates from the water) [optional]
• Maple syrup [optional]
• Cinnamon [optional]

Directions:

1. Mix together coffee and milk and heat (you want this pretty hot so that the whipped cream doesn't cool it down too much).
2. While the coffee/milk is heating, blend together coconut cream and maple syrup (I mixed about 1 cup of "cream" with 1 Tbs maple syrup -- this is a lot more than you need for a cup or two).
3. Mix syrup in the coffee/milk, starting with less and adding more to taste.
4. Add whipped cream.  Sprinkle with a little cinnamon and enjoy.

 

Grandma & I - camping

Grandma & I - going to "town" (i.e., shopping)

Grandma & Grandpa - going to church

Pumpkin Spice Syrup

You know the thing about something like a syrup?  The pictures are pretty unimpressive, especially when you aren't a good photographer to begin with (bet you never noticed that, huh?):)  But, don't let the photo keep you from reading on - this is good stuff! 

Fall is in the air (and here in Albuquerque, hot air balloons as well)!  Everyone seems to be talking about Pumpkin Lattes at Starbucks.  Aside from the cost, I actually can't have one due to the dairy (and I don't drink soy).  Maybe you have the same problems and are lamenting your loss... 

But, never fear, this recipe will take care of you!  This is a base syrup, which is easily combined to make a Pumpkin Spice Latte (recipe coming).  Much easier than one would think.  And, a whole lot cheaper, plus better on waistline than Starbucks:)  

I adapted this recipe after a long perusal on the Internet.  Usually a simple syrup is equal parts water and sugar.  I used coconut milk hoping I could cut down on the sugar.  Seems to have worked really well.  

Use in moderation (because hey, though there's less sugar than the comparable syrup, there's still a fair amount!) and enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup coconut crystals
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 Tbs pumpkin puree

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, combine coconut milk and coconut crystals.  Place over medium heat and cook until sugar is dissolved.
2. Then, add the remaining ingredients (cinnamon sticks through pumpkin) and stir well.
3. Let cook for awhile (15 mins or so) until the syrup has thickened somewhat.
4. Remove cinnamon sticks and use in your favorite recipe.

Egg in a (Squash) Hole

Lately, I've seen a couple of recipes for eggs wrapped in other food, including this one (page 46) from The Food Lovers and this one from Jan's Sushi Bar.  

As I was cutting the top part of the butternut squash the other day, I thought, how cool would it be to cook an egg in the hole?  Turns out, it tastes pretty good (though don't expect my picture to look good like the ones by Bill & Haley or Jan).

Ingredients:

• Butternut squash
• Cayenne Pepper
• Salt
• Cinnamon
• Fat (ghee, coconut oil, etc.)
• Eggs

Directions:

1. Cut squash into thick slices, maybe about 1" (it needs to be thick enough to hold your egg).  Cut off the outer peel and remove the seeds.  For the portion without seeds, use a round cookie cutter to make hole in the center.
2. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add fat.
3. Season squash with a little cayenne, salt, and cinnamon (get both sides).  Add to the pan and cook until tender (about 15-20 minutes).
4. Once squash is softened, crack an egg into each squash hole.  Let cook until egg is almost cooked (3-5 minutes?) and then carefully flip (I lost a bit of egg in each flip).  Depending on how you like your egg cooked, let cook on this side for another minute or two.
5. Serve and enjoy.

 

Adovada Enchiladas

I had two different food-related thoughts that came together this weekend.  First, I wanted to use the Carne Adovada (one of my favorite New Mexican recipes) sauce developed by Use Real Butter, but I wanted to make it with ground beef (I was originally thinking Adovada burgers or something).  Then, my library hold of Mark Sisson's The Primal Blueprint Cookbook finally came in (hooray!) and I was intrigued by his use of egg white crepes to make the enchiladas.  Aha, I thought (in what I like to think was a rare moment of brilliance), adovada enchiladas could be something really good. 

I thought about making coconut flour tortillas, but eggs are generally used to tame down heat here in New Mexico (and since I don't eat dairy...these kind of things help:)), and frankly Mark's crepes looked pretty easy (I subbed coconut milk for the cream).  I found it took me a bit to make the perfect crepes, but once I got the hang of it, life was good.  [You cannot taste the coconut milk in the crepes once you are done.]

Anyway, this recipe is a bit, er, time intensive?  But, for a special weekend meal, I think well worth it.  Also, I added veggies to my sauce mixture - you can change them up or omit them as you prefer (I figured since I was doing so much work, I wasn't going to take the time to make another side dish...).

Served above with fresh mango and avocado to tame the heat and add a lovely bit of sweetness!

Ingredients:

• 20 dried, red New Mexico chiles (to tone down the heat, remove the seeds)
• 3-4 tsp sea salt
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 tsp oregano (original calls for 2 tsp, but I'm not a real fan of oregano, and I can totally taste when there are 2 tsp)
• 3-4 cups beef broth/stock (you can use water, but I think the beef broth adds a needed depth/body)
• 1 pound ground meat (I used a mixture of pork and beef - pork (carne) adovada is a very traditional New Mexican dish)
• 2 yellow squash
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 1 bunch spinach
• 8 egg whites (save the yummy yolks for something else)
• 1/3 cup coconut milk (if you let the can sit in the 'fridge, the "cream" separates from the water -- I used the cream part)
• Oil (to grease the crepe pan)
• Sliced mango (optional)
• Sliced avocado (optional)

Directions:

Begin by making the sauce

1. Preheat oven to 325 degree (F).  Place dried chiles on a baking sheet and cook until blackened and blistered, about 8-10 minutes (keep the door open a crack...also, be careful of the fumes...and be VERY careful to handle the peppers and their seeds).
2. Meanwhile, bring beef broth to a boil.
3. Remove from the oven and cover peppers with beef broth.  Cover and let steam for about 30 minutes.
4. Remove pepper from broth, reserving liquid.
5. In a food processor (or blender), mix together peppers, salt, oregano, and about 2 cups of the broth.  Blend until pureed.  You may need to add a little broth/water to get the desired "sauciness".

Make the filling [you can start this while sauce is being prepared}

1. Begin to brown meat. 
2. Chop veggies (if using). 
3. Once meat begins to release a little of its fat, add veggies (except spinach) and let begin to soften.
4. Add sauce and spinach and cook until thickened and spinach is wilted.

Make the crepes

1. Whisk together egg whites and coconut milk.
2. Meanwhile, heat a pan or griddle, add oil, and pour just a little bit of the egg white mixture.  The key here - you want it to be THIN.  Mark suggests about 1/6 cup.  I don't have a cup that is 1/6 cup, so I just eye-balled it.  Once the crepes begin to form little bubbles all the way through (like pancakes), flip.  It doesn't take too long on the other side.
3. Set aside on a plate until all the crepes are cooked.

Assemble the enchiladas

1. If you turned your oven off, turn it back on to 325 degrees.
2. Put a crepe on a plate, stuff with filling, roll, and place into pan.  Do this until you are done (whether because you ran out of food or no more will fit in your pan).
3. Cover with foil and place in an over for about 20 minutes (this helps the flavors meld together...we tried it both with and without baking, and I prefer the end result after baking).
4. Plate.  Serve with diced mango (this is really good, and really helps tame the heat) and/or avocado slices.  Enjoy your Paleo enchiladas! 

Chocolate Coconut Squares

I recently saw a post on making your own chocolate bars.  I was pretty intrigued.  Although I've learned to make a lot of things at home, chocolate bars never really occurred to me.  What a brilliant idea.  Of course, I couldn't use the original recipe due to my dairy intolerance, but I figured coconut milk/oil would work splendidly.  And, well, yeah, it worked (probably too well!). 

I can't decide whether stumbling across these bars was the best or worst thing I've discovered in a long time:)  My husband says they taste like a Newari treat - Chaku - eaten with ghee (chocolate and clarified butter?).  My mom said they taste like a Mounds bar.  Everything thought they were fantastic.

So, disclaimer time.  Please remember that these are a treat/occasional indulgence.  Particularly if you are working on your body composition, remember that SUGAR=SUGAR=SUGAR, regardless of the fact that the ingredients are "healthier".  Accordingly, these absolutely delicable little squares should be treated as a treat.  But, when you do indulge, savor and enjoy!

 

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup coconut oil (melted)
• 1/2 cup coconut milk (if you use the canned kind, try to get the "cream" that separates from the water)
• 1/2 cup coconut crystals (I think honey or other sweeteners would work as well)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

[The original recipe calls for 1 T vanilla extract and 1 tsp salt -- my palate is not necessarily all that sensitive and I couldn't tell a noticeable difference...so I left these out.  But, you might notice that these ingredients add a certain extra "oomph" that you enjoy.]

 

 

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.
2. Blend until thoroughly mixed.
3. Line a small pan with parchment paper (or, grease the bottom of your pan well with coconut oil.  If you have candy molds - which I don't - you could use those as well).  Pour chocolate mixture into pan.
4. Refrigerate for about 1/2 hour.  Then, cut chocolate into squares and refrigerate another hour or two.
5. Best stored in the refrigerator...although if you're like my family, they don't last all that long.

Super-Simple Sausage Bites

Looking for something quick and easy for breakfast?  Look no further than these super-simple sausage bites (you could form them into patties - but I'm too lazy for that!).  They take very little time in the morning - I promise!  I can't tell you how often I've been having these for breakfast... 

The recipe easily doubles or halves. Since everyone has a difference spice level preference, start with less and add more later.  It's easier to add than to subtract...  This spice level consistent with our taste profiles -- yours is likely to be different.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 1/2 Tbs garlic powder
• 1 Tbs fennel seeds
• 1 Tbs red pepper flakes (if you can't take much heat start with a little and add more later)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:

1. Heat skillet over medium heat.  Add ground beef. 
2. Break your beef into small bits with the spatula. 
3. Add seasonings and stir to combine.
4. Cook until done to your desired temperature (I like my pretty browned when I'm having "sausage").
5. Taste, and adjust seasonings if necessary.
6. Serve and enjoy.

Cure for the Common Egg: Curried Eggs

This is something I eat for breakfast.  Yes, I'm weird...but my family has known that for a long time:)  But, hey, breakfast is just another meal where I try to get quality protein, a little fat, and my veggies.  If you can't stomach this much spice for breakfast, it's good any time of the day.

Ingredients:

• 1 dozen (12) hard-boiled eggs, halved or quartered
• 1 can no-salt added fire-roasted tomatoes (sub fresh if you want)
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 2-3 Tbs curry* (start with less and add more)
• 2 small heads cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 bunch fresh spinach, cut roughly

Directions:

1. If you don't already have hard-boiled eggs, begin by boiling eggs.
2. Prep veggies (cauliflower and spinach).
3. Combine together tomatoes (including liquid), coconut milk, curry, and cauliflower in a stock pot.
4. Heat until boiling, then reduce heat and let simmer until cauliflower is almost cooked.
5. Add eggs and spinach; cook until spinach is wilted and eggs are heated through [I leave the eggs for the end because I don't want them to get too cooked, but you could add them earlier if that's easier].
6. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
7. Serve and enjoy, although it is even better the next day.

*  Curry

• 2 parts turmeric powder
• 2 parts paprika powder
• 1 part salt
• 1 part chili powder (adjust up or down for more or less heat)
• 1 part cayenne powder (adjust up or down for more or less heat)
• 1 part coriander powder