Cinnamon Coconut Paleo Pancakes

I've mentioned before that my husband follows the paleo diet. 

Well, a short time ago I went on a family vacation with my siblings...and since I allow myself (within reason) to eat what I want during those times...I ate pancakes.  

When I got home I really wanted to eat more pancakes, but I was not on vacation anymore...so, I had to find a way to make them permissible.

After doing some web browsing, I came upon several recipes for pancakes that are actually paleo friendly:  they are grain free!  So today we tried this recipe, and I have to tell you that they were pretty good!  They are a little different from conventional pancakes, but I could get used to eating them.  The interesting thing:  the banana in the batter makes them very sweet on their own.  The riper the banana, the sweeter the pancake. You can taste the cinnamon too... you might even like them without syrup!

Cinnamon-Coconut Paleo Pancakes

Yield: 12 pancakes

These are my Cinnamon Coconut pancakes!  Yum.

2 eggs

3 T canned coconut milk (full fat)

1/2 medium banana

1/2 t. apple cider vinegar

1/2 t. vanilla extract

1 1/2 T coconut flour

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1/4 t. baking soda

a pinch of salt

coconut oil or ghee (for frying)

Mash the banana and add  place in in a blender. Add all the remaining we ingredients into the blender and mix thoroughly. 

In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients together, blending with a fork. 

Just before serving, mix the wet and dry ingredients together. 

Meanwhile heat some ghee or coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat. Form a pancake and place in heated skillet . Watch for bubbles to form, flipping pancake over when bubbles pop open.


Recipe source:nomnompaleo

Easy Marinated Pork Tenderloin

I really like pork loin... it's so lean and figure friendly! It is also very tasty if prepared creatively.  I am always on the lookout for new ideas with respect to flavoring. Recently I gave this recipe from Allrecipes.com a try.  I have to say, I really do like it.  It's a keeper!

Easy Marinated Pork Tenderloin

4-6 servings

2 pounds pork tenderloin ( I used 2 loins, approx. 1 pound each)

1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

3 T. Dijon-style  mustard

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 c. soy sauce

1/4 c. olive oil

Mix garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, soy sauce and olive oil in a bowl. Pour mixture into a one-gallon sized zip-lock style bag.  Place pork loins in bag. Seal it and mix contents around so they are evenly distributed.  Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour before cooking time.

Preheat oven to 375 ℉. Place meat in a glass baking dish and pour marinade over top.  Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until meat is no longer pink and instant-read meat thermometer reads 145 ℉.  Tent loosely and allow to rest about 15 minutes or so before serving.

Sources: Allrecipes.com, Flickr

Pasta e Fagioli

As I have mentioned before, I am an avid fan of  Giada de Laurentiis, ...this recipe the first Giada recipes that I ever attempted. Of course it was delicious!!! Over time,  I adapted her recipe to make it "my own."  Here is the result of that effort:

Pasta e Fagioli

serves 6

Image source: Flickr

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup chopped onion

3 ounces pancetta or bacon, chopped

2 teaspoons minced garlic

5 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed

1 bay leaf

2 (14.5-ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

3/4 cup ditalini pasta

Freshly ground black pepper

Pinch red pepper flakes, optional

Freshly grated Parmesan,optional

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, pancetta, and garlic and sauté until the onion is tender, about 3 minutes. Add the broth, beans, and dried herbs. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to medium and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes. Add the macaroni and boil with the lid on until it is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Using an immersion blender, partially blend the mixture in the saucepan and stir well. Season the soup with ground black pepper and red pepper flakes.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with some Parmesan cheese if desired.

You can see the original recipe by clicking here.