In the summer of my 37th year (which would have made me 36), I discovered the Beach Boys. Oh, of course I had heard the Beach Boys before, but in my college years I disdained them as air-heady, bleached blond frat boys and leaned more towards the "deeper" music of Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. And then, in 1984, I saw the error of my ways. The Beach Boys provided the perfect soundtrack for the summer my kids and I spent cruising to the local swimming hole, eating Fritos and Baskin Robbins ("Hey, Mom's letting us eat crap, " they marveled ), and singing "Help Me Rhonda" at the top of our lungs. It was one of the best summers of my life (and, fortunately, it was also the summer I started running, so I burned up all those calories).
Cracker Jack Hack
Remember the definition of hack? It's doing something that demonstrates cleverness or ingenuity; solves a meaningful problem; and is not a common solution to the problem.
So here's a perfect summer hack for that nostalgic baseball stadium staple, Cracker Jacks. The real thing is verboten: corn, peanuts, molasses, and corn syrup, but this easy substitute tastes great, doesn't need a recipe, and is actually good for you (in small portions).
So here's a perfect summer hack for that nostalgic baseball stadium staple, Cracker Jacks. The real thing is verboten: corn, peanuts, molasses, and corn syrup, but this easy substitute tastes great, doesn't need a recipe, and is actually good for you (in small portions).
Ingredients
Paleonola Granola (available from Whole Foods or on line from Thrive Market, www.thrivemarket.com). My favorite flavor is Pina Colada, but Maple Pancake is good, too (or Original or Apple, or Chocolate, which would add a whole other dimension)
Extra virgin olive oil
Coarse sea salt
Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350 degrees. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the granola (you want just enough to make the salt adhere to the granola, but not enough to make it greasy), sprinkle on a little sea salt, mix, bake on a baking sheet for two or three minutes, cool, and it's ready to munch. Of course, you can also whip up a batch of your favorite Paleo granola recipe and proceed from there).
Paleonola Granola (available from Whole Foods or on line from Thrive Market, www.thrivemarket.com). My favorite flavor is Pina Colada, but Maple Pancake is good, too (or Original or Apple, or Chocolate, which would add a whole other dimension)
Extra virgin olive oil
Coarse sea salt
Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350 degrees. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the granola (you want just enough to make the salt adhere to the granola, but not enough to make it greasy), sprinkle on a little sea salt, mix, bake on a baking sheet for two or three minutes, cool, and it's ready to munch. Of course, you can also whip up a batch of your favorite Paleo granola recipe and proceed from there).
Krispy Kremes (Not)
Makes 6 donuts
Ages ago (40 years), my dear friend Linda and I were both pregnant with our second children and experiencing donut cravings on the very same day, so we bought a dozen and scarfed them down (yes, all of them). I was so sick after that that I could never even look at another donut. Until, that is, 16 years later when I was living in New Jersey and working in New York. Every day, walking through the concourse of Penn Station on my way home, I would pass the Krispy Kreme stand with their "Hot Now" sign and most enticing aroma. One day, it was just too much and I had to buy one and eat it on the spot. And if I hadn't been running to catch a train, I would have turned around and bought another one (or three). After that day, sad story, I was hooked, and a couple of times a week, I bought a dozen to share with my donut-loving spouse (but only 9 made it home).
So, when I embarked on my Paleo junk food quest, Krispy Kremes were at the top of my list. Thank goodness I was unable to recreate my nemesis. What you have below, is a recipe for a perfectly good donut, one which Henry, my resident donut maven, says is better than Dunkin' Donuts. I ate one, and it was pretty good, but since it was not Krispy Kreme, I didn't have another. That's o.k...Henry ate the rest.
So, when I embarked on my Paleo junk food quest, Krispy Kremes were at the top of my list. Thank goodness I was unable to recreate my nemesis. What you have below, is a recipe for a perfectly good donut, one which Henry, my resident donut maven, says is better than Dunkin' Donuts. I ate one, and it was pretty good, but since it was not Krispy Kreme, I didn't have another. That's o.k...Henry ate the rest.
Ingredients
1/3 cup coconut flour
1 tsp arrowroot powder or tapioca flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of sea salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 large eggs
2 tsp ghee (clarified butter), melted
3 TBS coconut sugar
1/2 cup canned, full-fat coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla
Coconut oil for greasing donut pan
Glaze
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp arrowroot powder
Pinch of sea salt
1 TBS (or more) canned coconut milk
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease donut pan with coconut oil.
2. Whisk dry ingredients, then stir in the rest of the ingredients.
3. Pour into a six donut mold pan and bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
4. Cool on wire rack before glazing.
For glaze
1. Put coconut sugar and arrowroot in a high-speed blender and blend for a few seconds to make powdered sugar.
2. Add a small pinch of salt and enough coconut milk to make a syrupy glaze.
3. Drizzle over cooled donuts
(Note: Because coconut sugar is brown, this glaze comes out looking a little like chocolate. The donut photo was taken pre-glaze).
1/3 cup coconut flour
1 tsp arrowroot powder or tapioca flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of sea salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 large eggs
2 tsp ghee (clarified butter), melted
3 TBS coconut sugar
1/2 cup canned, full-fat coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla
Coconut oil for greasing donut pan
Glaze
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp arrowroot powder
Pinch of sea salt
1 TBS (or more) canned coconut milk
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease donut pan with coconut oil.
2. Whisk dry ingredients, then stir in the rest of the ingredients.
3. Pour into a six donut mold pan and bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
4. Cool on wire rack before glazing.
For glaze
1. Put coconut sugar and arrowroot in a high-speed blender and blend for a few seconds to make powdered sugar.
2. Add a small pinch of salt and enough coconut milk to make a syrupy glaze.
3. Drizzle over cooled donuts
(Note: Because coconut sugar is brown, this glaze comes out looking a little like chocolate. The donut photo was taken pre-glaze).
Duck Fat Sweet Potato Fries
Serves two
There is a little lunch place in Portland, Maine, called Duck Fat because they fry their potatoes in (duh!) duck fat. I think that they serve the best, the very best fries ever. While white potatoes aren't Paleo, sweet potatoes are. And if you make the following recipe with Japanese sweet potatoes, which are white and not quite as sweet as the orange ones, it's pretty darn close to the real thing. The duck fat makes all the difference.
Serves two
There is a little lunch place in Portland, Maine, called Duck Fat because they fry their potatoes in (duh!) duck fat. I think that they serve the best, the very best fries ever. While white potatoes aren't Paleo, sweet potatoes are. And if you make the following recipe with Japanese sweet potatoes, which are white and not quite as sweet as the orange ones, it's pretty darn close to the real thing. The duck fat makes all the difference.
Ingredients
1 large Japanese or regular sweet potato
2 TBs duck fat, melted (if you can't get this locally, you can order on-line from Epic Provisions, www.epicbar.com, or from Thrive Market (www.thrivemarket.com)
2 TBS arrowroot powder
Pinch of sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper, optional
1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
2. Peel and slice sweet potato as you would for hand-cut French fries.
3. Toss slices in melted duck fat, then in arrowroot powder,and sprinkle with salt, and pepper, if using.
4. Bake on baking sheet for about 20 minutes, turning halfway through, until fries are nicely browned.
1 large Japanese or regular sweet potato
2 TBs duck fat, melted (if you can't get this locally, you can order on-line from Epic Provisions, www.epicbar.com, or from Thrive Market (www.thrivemarket.com)
2 TBS arrowroot powder
Pinch of sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper, optional
1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
2. Peel and slice sweet potato as you would for hand-cut French fries.
3. Toss slices in melted duck fat, then in arrowroot powder,and sprinkle with salt, and pepper, if using.
4. Bake on baking sheet for about 20 minutes, turning halfway through, until fries are nicely browned.
Paleo Doritos
This recipe is an adaptation of a tortilla chip recipe from Elana's Pantry (www.elanaspantry.com) and is published with permission. My addition of nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor.
Even if you're not following a Paleo diet, the list of ingredients in real Doritos might inspire you to try this healthy version, to wit: corn, vegetable oil, cheddar cheese, maltodextrin, wheat flour, whey, monosodium glutamate, buttermilk solids, Romano cheese, whey protein concentrate, onion powder, partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oil, corn flour, disodium phosphate, lactose, natural and artificial flavor, dextrose, tomato powder, spices, lactic acid, artificial color (3 of them!), citric acid, sugar, garlic powder, red and green bell pepper powder, sodium caseinate, disodium inosinate ( which spellcheck just tried to change to insinuate), disodium guanylate, nonfat milk solids, whey protein isolate, and corn syrup solids.
Whew! Better living through chemistry? I think not.
That list just makes me want to rush into my garden and eat raw kale!
Even if you're not following a Paleo diet, the list of ingredients in real Doritos might inspire you to try this healthy version, to wit: corn, vegetable oil, cheddar cheese, maltodextrin, wheat flour, whey, monosodium glutamate, buttermilk solids, Romano cheese, whey protein concentrate, onion powder, partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oil, corn flour, disodium phosphate, lactose, natural and artificial flavor, dextrose, tomato powder, spices, lactic acid, artificial color (3 of them!), citric acid, sugar, garlic powder, red and green bell pepper powder, sodium caseinate, disodium inosinate ( which spellcheck just tried to change to insinuate), disodium guanylate, nonfat milk solids, whey protein isolate, and corn syrup solids.
Whew! Better living through chemistry? I think not.
That list just makes me want to rush into my garden and eat raw kale!
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup golden flaxseed meal
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp sea salt
3 tsp nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix all ingredients in a food processor until a ball of dough forms.
3. Separate dough into two halves.
4. Place each piece of dough between two pieces of parchment paper.
5. With a rolling pin, roll each piece 1/8 of an inch or thinner ( the thinner, the crispier)
6. Remove top pieces of parchment paper and transfer the dough on the bottom sheets of paper to a baking sheet.
7. Cut into triangular wedges.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until starting to brown. Cool.
1 1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup golden flaxseed meal
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp sea salt
3 tsp nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix all ingredients in a food processor until a ball of dough forms.
3. Separate dough into two halves.
4. Place each piece of dough between two pieces of parchment paper.
5. With a rolling pin, roll each piece 1/8 of an inch or thinner ( the thinner, the crispier)
6. Remove top pieces of parchment paper and transfer the dough on the bottom sheets of paper to a baking sheet.
7. Cut into triangular wedges.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until starting to brown. Cool.
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