RECIPE: No-atmeal

Crazy name, huh! Well, I have fond memories of eating oatmeal when I was a kid, but since it's a grain, it's a no-no. Since I have sensitivities to oats, it's a double no-no. So, I went in search of alternate recipes for a hot breakfast dish that would be similar to my once-beloved oatmeal. 
I was digitally 'thumbing through' the Primal Blueprint Reader-Created Cookbook when I fond something interesting ... No-atmeal, submitted by Doug Descant. 
NO-ATMEAL (No-Oat Breakfast Cereal)

INGREDIENTS

1 small handful of walnuts

1 small handful of pecans 

2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
1 tablespoon unsweetened ground coconut

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1 pinch of ground nutmeg 

1 pinch ground ginger 

1 tablespoon almond butter 

1 banana, mashed 

3 eggs 

1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (add more if you prefer it a little runny) 

2 teaspoons chopped macadamia nuts*

1 handful of fresh strawberries

(**NOTE: Macadamia nuts are not in photo below - They were an after-thought)

Quoted from the cookbook ... 

"Pronounced “note-meal” (as in, no oatmeal), Doug’s recipe is for all you ex-cereal lovers out there and for anyone who needs a warm bowl of comforting goodness on a cold winter morning. As Doug says, “it’s a hot meal full of essential proteins and fats, not to mention the necessary vitamins and minerals, in order to stay energized for the cold weeks ahead.” Just thinking about eating No-atmeal for breakfast is guaranteed to coax you out of bed in the morning."

DIRECTIONS

1. Add walnuts, pecans, flax seed and spices to a food processor and pulse it down to a course grain, making sure to stop before it’s totally ground into a powder. Set aside. 

2. Whisk together eggs and almond milk until the consistency thickens a little bit into a loose custard. Thoroughly blend together the mashed banana and almond butter and add it to the custard, mixing well.

3. Stir in the nut mixture. 

4. Microwave until the “no-atmeal” reaches your desired consistency; this should only take a few minutes. I checked and stirred it every 30 seconds and removed it after 2 minutes.

5. Sprinkle macadamia nuts and strawberries on top. Add more almond milk if you want. 

6. Lick the bowl clean!

RECIPE: Strawberry Banana Smoothie

I guess you can tell I'm enjoying exploring smoothies. I've never really liked them, but that's before I discovered Paleo! Now that almond milk and coconut milk are the base of my smoothie recipes, I can enjoy them without intestinal problems. TMI, huh ... Sorry, but it's true!

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 banana
8 strawberries
1 tablespoon almond butter
8 ice cubes

DIRECTIONS:
Blend until smooth and creamy. Enjoy!

RECIPE: Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pecans

I love sweet potatoes and I am very glad that the Paleo Lifestyle allows for the occasional consumption of such a wonderful, tasty vegetable. I found a recipe earlier today that contained sugar, so I decided to give it a more Paleo flair. I was serving this dish with a meal based on a Mexican theme, so I decided to spice it up some. When making this dish you can change the "heat index" by adjusting the final ingredient. (By the way, I often cook for two, so feel free to adjust the quantities accordingly.)

INGREDIENTS:
1 large sweet potato
1 tablespoon olive oil
coarse salt
1 tablespoon coconut oil (or butter)
1 tablespoon agave
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Wash and peel sweet potato.
3. Cut into sections approximately 1/2 inch thick, then cut in half.
4. Coat each piece with olive oil, then sprinkle with sea salt.

5. Roast potato sections for approximately 25 minute, stirring occasionally.
6. Melt coconut oil or butter, then add agave, cinnamon, nuts and cayenne pepper, and stir well. 
7. Pour over sweet potatoes and enjoy!

RECIPE: Chocolate Chip Smoothie

For years I have jokingly said the four food groups were "round things, flat things, onions, and chocolate. I realize it's not quite that simple ... or silly ... but chocolate is a popular component in weekly meal planning. It blows my mind how people differ in how they view "dessert." I believe rich, decadent desserts are treats. Rarities. Indulgences. Not an expected end to every meal. A fruit dish, or a crumble with nuts and fruits, or even a smoothie make excellent, healthy "desserts", as well. 

This morning I had a craving for chocolate. Out of the blue, I might add. So, I decided this might be a good time to try a chocolate smoothie. What I came up with was absolutely wonderful!! In a weird way it brought back memories of one of my favorite episodes of "I Love Lucy" ... See? I told you! Weird! If you've ever seen the episode where Lucy and her best friend, Ethyl, work in the factory where they are to take frozen bananas, dip them in chocolate and then roll them in nuts, you'll know why that memory popped into my mind! Here's my recipe ... Try it and see if you have a similar experience.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup unsweetened almond milk (vanilla, but chocolate would be great!!)

1 banana

1 tablespoon almond butter

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1 tablespoon carob chips

6 - 8 ice cubes

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put ingredients in blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

2. Pour into your favorite insulated cup and enjoy!

RECIPE: Tropical Energy Smoothie

I hope y'all don't get tired of smoothie recipes because I have several more I want to try. I'm really enjoying trying them, plus I stay full all day after drinking one. Even on cold days I blend one up! Since I had some pineapple left from the other day I decided to go tropical ... 

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (vanilla)

1 tablespoon almond butter

1 banana

1/2 avocado

1 large piece of fresh pineapple (approximately 1"X5"X2")

2 tablespoons unsweetened grated coconut

6 - 8 ice cubes

 DIRECTIONS:
1. Pour milk into blender.
2. Add remaining ingredients.
3. Blend until smooth and creamy.

 4. Pour into your favorite insulated cup and enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

RECIPE: Fruity Power Smoothie

Smoothies are a great way to consume fruits and vegetables especially those of us with busy schedules. Imagine being able to get several servings of fruits, vegetables, and some serious protein while on the go. Folks, it's super simple and they taste great, too! Trust me  ... I had my doubts about putting avocados and spinach into a blender, but add the rest of the ingredients and you don't even know they are there! I am yet to taste the avocado. All it seems to do is add a wonderful creaminess to the smoothie. I assure you ... I would not blog about it if I wouldn't eat it myself! (And I'm pretty darned picky about stuff like this!)

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup unsweetened almond milk (vanilla)

1 tablespoon almond butter

1 banana

1 small peach

1 small apple (I used fuji)

1/2 avocado

2 cups spinach

6 - 8 ice cubes

 DIRECTIONS:
1. Put almond milk into blender followed by all remaining ingredients
2. Blend until smooth and creamy.

 3. Pour. Serve. Enjoy!