Nutty Truffles

I  had a bit of a hard time coming up with a name for these little balls… they have so many tasty and healthy things in them that it was not easy to focus on just one to name them. So, I am simply calling them Nutty Truffles.  Once you read the ingredient list, you will see why.

I made up the batter and then left it in the fridge for about an hour because as gooey as it is, it is much easier to work with when it’s cold.

I used my favorite North Coast Naturals 100% ISO vanilla whey protein powder and their hemp seeds to make these little goodies. You can use your own favorite brands. I also used PB2 instead of peanut butter just to keep the calorie count down… use your favorite nut butter of course.  It’s just a template… feel free to experiment.

 

Nutty Truffles
Makes 11 truffles

for the truffle batter:

• 4 Tbs PB2
• 3 Tbs Almond Breeze, vanilla unsweetened
• 2 Tbs coconut flour
• 2 Tbs almond meal
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder

for the coating:

• 1 Tbs hemp seeds
• 1 Tbs fine coconut, unsweetened 

1. Mix all the truffle batter ingredients together in a small bowl and refrigerate till chilled, about one hour.
2. Mix the coating ingredients together in a very small bowl and set aside.
3. To make the truffles, scoop out a portion of the batter with a small spoon, and roll into a ball with your hands.
4. Drop the ball into the coating mixture and roll it around till completely covered.
5. Set on parchment paper and repeat process 10 more times.
6. Refrigerate till ready to eat.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 1.
Calories 46; Protein 4g; Carbohydrate 3g; Fat 2g; Fibre 1g.

Drop the rolls into the coating mixture.

Roll around till completely covered.

Set on parchment paper and put back in fridge to chill before serving.

The whole recipe N.I. is as follows so you can recalculate for each truffle if you happen to make more or fewer with your batter.

Calories 508; Protein 45g; Carbohydrate 29g; Fat 26g; Fibre 15g.

Printable Recipe

5 Fabulous Fall Soups

There is a lovely aroma in our apartment right now… a new Fall soup on the stove… this one with kabocha squash, carrots, and cauliflower… and onions and garlic, of course! I love to make soup when the days become a bit shorter, and a bit cooler, and the local farmers are flooding our produce markets with sweet potatoes, root veggies,  and all kinds of squash.  Mmmmm.

I have a usual method that I use to make vegetable soups… and the variations are endless depending upon the veggies and spices and broth you select. You can make them gluten-free, paleo vegetarian, and even vegan if you choose the right ingredients.  They are are all delcious.

You really can’t go wrong.

I will share this new soup later, but today I want to share some other favorite Fall soups from the last couple of years.

In no particular order… just click the picture to find the recipe.

Of course there are lots more on my blog and you can find them under my Soups, Salads and Dressings  tab… If you give any of my soups a try or Pin them, I would  love to know!

And if you are looking for some other ideas for homemade soups, check out these articles too:

• How to Roast Red Bell Peppers
• How to Make Homemade Turkey (or Chicken) Broth
• How to Make Your Own Vegetable Broth

Do you like to make Fall soups, too?  What’s your favorite?

Coconut Chia Pudding

I have been looking for ways to add bits of coconut to my food.  I am convinced that coconut has lots of health benefits… I have read so much about it over the past couple of years, and now find, with one of my own health issues, that the type of fat in coconut is very beneficial to my body.

I shall spare you the details!

I already use coconut oil exclusively for cooking, and I have also been brushing my teeth with a mixture of coconut oil and baking soda occasionally… but now I am eating more coconut meat.  And I have been adding shreds to lots of my Breakfast Bowls and mixing it in to my snacks, too.

This Coconut Chia Pudding is something I started experimenting with a while back, and I have finally tweaked it to my own satisfaction so it is ready to share.  The use of the microwave oven warms the almond milk and helps it to set up the chia seeds faster… but you can leave this step out if you like… just be prepared to leave the pudding in the fridge for several hours or even overnight to set up and thicken your pudding.

Coconut Chia Pudding
Makes a single serving

• 1 Tbs shredded unsweetened coconut meat
• 1 Tbs chia seeds
• 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• dash of cinnamon

1. Mix the coconut, chia, and milk together in a small microwave safe dish.
2. Place in the mike and cook on HIGH for 30 seconds.
3. Stir in a dash of cinnamon and then chill in refrigerator for about an hour.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 3.
Calories 112; Protein 7g; Carbohydrate 7g; Fat 14g; Fibre 7g.

I do like to have a banana with mine occasionally.  I think that it would be nice made with coconut milk, too, but I haven’t tried it yet.






These are pictures of one I just took out of the fridge a couple of minutes ago!

Are you a coconut fan, too?

Another Hot Grainfree ‘Cereal’

I haven’t been eating grains for a few months now, but every once in a while I get a yen for a bowl of hot cereal in the morning. 

In the past I would have whipped up a pot of my Hot Flax ‘Cereal’ but I wanted something that didn’t have any protein powder in it either… I came up with this and we were both pleasantly surprised.

The Captain is a good guinea pig, but sometimes his enthusiasm is somewhat lacking... I am always very happy when he is surprised in a good way!  He approached this bowl very tentatively, I must admit, but ended up finishing it with great relish and asked if there was more!





Hot  Grainfree  ‘Cereal’
Makes 2 servings

• 1 medium banana
• 2 Tbs gluten-free milled flax seeds
• 2 Tbs almond flour
• 1/2 cup egg whites
• 1/4 cup light coconut milk

Toppings:

• 1 Tbs shredded unsweetened coconut
• 2 Tbs raisins to sprinkle on the top

1. Mash the banana in a medium bowl.
2. Add the flax, almond flour, egg whites, and coconut milk and beat well.
3. Pour the mixture into a saucepan over MEDIUM heat, and bring to a very gentle boil, stirring continuously to avoid burning. It will take about 5 or 6 minutes and will thicken as it cooks.
4. Remove to 2 serving bowls and sprinkle each with 1/2 Tbs of shredded unsweetened coconut and 1 Tbs raisins.

Per serving with toppings.
Weight Watchers P+ = 6.
Calories 235; Protein 11g; Carbohydrate 26g; Fat 10g; Fibre 5g.

Printable Recipe

Fruity Egg Cake

This recipe was given to me by my dear friend Sharon who lives in Nova Scotia, on the other end of Canada.  She has been doing the Whole30 Paleo Challenge for several days now and came up with this mixture in order to get in a bit of ‘sweet’ one afternoon.

I thought it looked very good and so I made it up and had it for breakfast recently.  It doesn’t look like much, volume-wise, but the fat in the coconut and almond butter, and the protein in the egg whites and almond butter really kept me satisfied for several hours… even through a sweaty and hard 20 minute strength workout.

I have put together little egg white cakes before, but never thought to add these kinds of sweet and chewy bits to them.  Such a great idea!

I will be definitely be making it again… and I think the possibilties for little changes are endless… raisins, shaved almonds, cashew butter, vanilla... and on and on.

Fruity Egg Cake
Makes 1 serving

• 2 egg whites
• 10g dried unsweetened coconut shreds
• 10g dried dates, chopped
• 10g dried cranberries, chopped
• 2 tsp almond butter

1. Whisk egg whites till frothy.
2. Fold in coconut, dates, and cranberries.
3. Put in small microwave-safe dish with sides that has been lightly coated with non-stick spray.
4. Drizzle almond butter over the mixture and pull through with a knife to swirl and spread somewhat.
5. Microwave on HIGH in 30 second increments, for 1-1/2 minutes.
6. Remove to plate and serve.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 6.
Calories 211; Protein 10g; Carbohydrate 19g; Fat 12g; Fibre 4g.

Printable Recipe

Craving Coconut? Give These Cookies a Try!

At a recent Weight Watchers meeting, the leader gave out samples of  a new coconut and chocolate bar that they are introducing for sale.  It was really good...  and I came away with coconut and chocolate on my mind.

When I came home I started hunting through coconut cookie and bar recipes on the internet and couldn't quite find anything that was quite what I was after. But I did find these Coconut Oatmeal Cookies on a blog called  Everybody Likes Sandwiches.  With a few changes, it could satisfy my coconut craving.

My plan to add chocolate meant that I needed to lighten it up so I substituted mashed banana for 1/4 cup of the canola oil.  And then I added 1/4 cup of mini dark chocolate chips and left out the 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds from the original recipe.

They got The Captain's approval, and I like them too!  And it is a nice bonus that you only use 1 bowl and don't need your mixer to prepare the batter for them.

Here is how I made them.

Coconut Oatmeal and Chocolate Cookies
Makes 30 cookies

• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup mashed banana
• 1 c brown sugar (not packed)
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut shreds
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips 

1. Preheat oven to 350° F and cover cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, pour the oil, mashed banana, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Beat well until smooth.
3. Add the rolled oats, coconut, and flours in layers without stirring. Add the baking soda, baking powder and chocolate chips, and then stir the whole mixture slowly until evenly mixed.
4. Using a tablespoon, drop the cookies onto a baking sheet, leaving enough room for them to expand. 
5. Bake for 11 minutes then remove  to a cooling rack. 

Per serving of 1 cookie.
Weight Watchers P+ =2 .
Calories 78; Protein 1g; Carbohydrate 11g; Fat 3g; Fibre 1g.

Beat the wet ingedients together in a medium bowl.

Add the dry ingredients one at a time, then stir till well blended.

Drop by spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet.

Bake for 11 minutes and then remove to a cooling rack... wait till cool, if you can!

Printable Recipe