Food Diary: Chunky Monkey “Ice Cream”

Don’t worry… I haven’t forgotten all that I learned during my 21-Day Sugar Detox.  This was a little treat that we made last night (right after a dinner full of protein AND fat!), and it is AMAZING!

It is made up of three ingredients: banana, unsweetened cocoa powder, and coconut milk.

One of the things I have really missed since going Paleo is Ben and Jerry’s “Chunky Monkey” Ice Cream.  It is delicious banana ice cream with hunks of chocolate, banana, and walnuts (if I remember correctly).  This little creation tastes IDENTICAL.  It is pictured plain… I’m still on a Whole30, so no chocolate chunks yet!  But it would be fantastic with some chopped nuts and pieces of dark chocolate.

You have to try it to believe it.

.

Chunky Monkey “Ice Cream”

1 1/2 FROZEN bananas (I cut my bananas in half before freezing them)

1/2 C. COLD coconut milk (very important that it be cold!)

2 TBS. unsweetened cocoa powder

chopped walnuts (optional)

chopped dark chocolate (optional)

.

Blend all ingredients until smooth.

Add chunks of dark chocolate and chopped walnuts, if you please!

Food Challenge: Chocolate Chili

A few weeks ago, I decided to start a weekly “Recipe Challenge” on my Facebook page.  Basically, I asked my fans to recommend a favorite recipe… or just one that they’re too afraid to try!  As long as it was Paleo-friendly, and available either online or in one of the cookbooks I already own, I would commit to making the first recommendation!

This week I got a recommendation from Wendy Shaw. She challenged me to make Chocolate Chili from Melissa Joulwan’s Well Fed.  I was pretty excited to try this one!  I absolutely LOVE Melissa, and every recipe I have tried from her website or her cookbook has been fantastic.  

I have to admit, I was a little doubtful that cocoa powder in chili could really be good.

Check out the process…

 

I love tons of onions in any chili, so I was excited to see that this recipe called for two!

Browning the meat with tons of onions and garlic… yum!

And in goes the cocoa powder… stirred into chili powder, oregano, cumin, allspice, and salt.

“This seems so weird!!!”

Time to simmer!

I almost named this post “Kitchen Tip: Always Read The Entire Recipe Before Starting To Make It.”  Why?  Because at this point in the process, I realized that the chili has to simmer for at least two hours.  Oops!

I dumped some rotisserie chicken into a bowl with some guacamole so we could snack a little until our main dish was simmered to perfection.

Look at that!  Only an hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds to go!

And this chili smells AMAZING!

And I really need a new timer… this one has been around for almost 10 years…

Okay- back to the challenge!

The first taste… can you see the delicious THICKNESS of this dish?

The cocoa really adds a unique richness to the chili.  I was very impressed!

Yeah… we kinda liked it.  Kinda alot.

For the complete recipe, be sure to grab your own copy of Well Fed!  And actually, I believe you can also find it in her FREE 30-page preview… check it out here.  But beware… it’s going to make you want to buy the whole book.  And you totally should.

 

Food Diary: *pinch me* Chocolate Chip Cookies!

We have been to several family events lately where the dessert tables were filled with “there’s-no way-we’re-eating-that-grain-filled, sugar-filled-junk ” items. All this Paleo determination has made me pretty hungry for some paleo-friendly DESSERT!

Tonight I decided to come home and make a late-night batch of chocolate chip cookies.  I found the recipe on one of my favorite blogs, “The Food Lover’s Primal Palate.”  I could not make these fast enough… it was just so exciting!

As I posted on Facebook, this was the first time I had made chocolate chip cookies without starting with a stick of butter and a TON of sugar. It felt a little weird, and I wondered if they could really be as delicious as I hoped.

As the smell of fresh-baked cookies filled my tiny apartment, my doubts flew out the window, and I had to fight the urge to open the oven and watch them rise.

These cookies definitely surpassed my expectations.  They are amazing, melt-in-your-mouth delicious!

Keep in mind, maple syrup and chocolate chips are not technically Paleo-approved (and certainly not Whole30-approved!), so these are definitely a cheat/treat that should not be enjoyed every day. But pure maple syrup and dark chocolate chips are a much better option than the grain-and-sugar-filled cookies I used to make.

Give these a try, and let me know if they aren’t the best cookies you’ve ever eaten.  The fact that you can eat them without a guilty conscience just makes them more amazing.

Oh yeah.

Food Diary: Paleo Chocolate Cake? Yes.

 

I have been making alot of Paleo desserts lately… probably too many! Maybe it’s because I’m so eager to try every single recipe from my new cookbook, Paleo Comfort Foods.  So far they have all been delicious, and this one definitely goes in the “AMAZING!” category, though I would also categorize it as a “cheat dessert,” because it does contain butter and dark chocolate chips (and I could not find any that did not contain some added sugar).

Decadent Chocolate Cake with a Kick is rich and moist.  It is made mostly of eggs, butter, and dark chocolate chips, but it also contains coconut flour, a little vanilla, and a few other ingredients.  The “kick” in the recipe comes from a little cayenne pepper and chipotle powder.  I did not have chipotle powder, but I was brave and tried the cayenne pepper.  I have to admit, I wish I had left that part out.  It was a little too much of a “kick” for me!  When you take a bite, you’re amazed at the truly decadent richness of the chocolate, but then when you reach the after-taste, you think “wow- that is spicy!”  In my opinion, chocolate cake and spices do not mix well, but that’s just me.  This recipe will definitely be made again… without the “kick.”

 

Cheating?

Dark Chocolate is amazing.

It is not allowed on the strict Whole30 program (no sugar, people!), but now that we have finished our 30 days, we splurge on some organic dark chocolate on the weekends.

I know, 85% Dark Chocolate is not a major “cheat.”  But it is SO good!!  And it actually has very little sugar. In fact, check out this fantastic article by Mark Sisson on the health benefits of dark chocolate.

And while we’re on the subject of “cheating,” I’d like to explain why I do not typically like to use that word to describe veering off the Paleo path.  ”Cheating” makes it sound as though you are on a super-strict diet for the purpose of losing weight.  Granted, if you are in your Whole30 then you ARE NOT allowed to veer off the path, or you will not accomplish your goals (resetting your metabolism, breaking bad habits, learning how specific foods affect your own body, etc.).  But if you are using Paleo foods for your regular menu items, then you are allowed to have some occasional extravagant treats!

Obviously, you would not want to eat a whole Dark Chocolate bar every single day, but it is totally acceptable to have some every now and then, especially if it is 75% to 95% cacao.  It is full of antioxidants, and it is creamy and delicious!

So why don’t I like “cheating” as a word choice here?  Because it makes the Paleo diet sound strict and harsh like a typical weight-loss diet, and that is not what it is.  Paleo is eating the delicious foods that our bodies are wired to digest and absorb for ultimate health.  There are no rules about how much you can eat, either!  (Trust me, you would probably be surprised at my personal portion sizes!) We have been eating Paleo-style since July 21st, and we certainly have not felt as though we’ve been on a diet.  In fact, we have felt better than ever in nearly every way.

Also, as you finish your Whole30, you can gradually add a few things back into your diet to see how your body reacts.  A little sugar every now and then is probably okay, but when I added a little regular dairy back in (some organic heavy cream in my coffee), I got a zit almost immediately.  Now I know that my body does not love dairy, and I’d rather have clear skin than heavy cream!  Dustin and I will also have some corn chips next time we eat Mexican food (normally corn is not considered “paleo”).  The only thing that you definitely, DEFINITELY want to stay away from is gluten.  Why?  Well, that is definitely a topic for another post.  Stay tuned.

In the meantime, grab a Green & Black Organic Dark Chocolate Bar and tell me what you think!