Paleo Macaroons

For people who follow a Paleo diet, or for those who choose to limit certain foods, dessert is always a bit of a complication. Most desserts contain milk. Most desserts contain sugar. And most desserts are not Paleo friendly. But...

You can still eat dessert!

Here's how: When attempting to make Paleo desserts you should try to make something that does not require a lot of rising, has easily substituted ingredients, and isn't too finicky. Here is my take on Paleo Macaroon Balls.

Enjoy!

Paleo Macaroons

• 2 large egg whites
• 1/4 tbsp organic raw honey
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• pinch of cinnamon (optional)
• 2 1/2 cups of organic unsweetened coconut flakes or shredded coconut
• 4 squares of organic 80% dark chocolate
• 1/4 tsp cayenne powder (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°C. 

In a large bowl mix together your egg whites and honey with a whisk or fork. Then add sea salt, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Next add in coconut flakes or shredded, and stir together until it is all mixed together. 

Here's the trick. Place mixture in freezer for 10 minutes. Remove from freezer and scoop onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Use a scoop that gives you golf ball sized balls. 

Bake in oven for 10-15 minute, until they are golden brown. Remove and let cool for at least 1 hour. 

On stove top bring water to a boil. Place a stainless steel bowl on top and put in your chocolate. You can use a double boiler if you have one. Heat chocolate until melted. Add cayenne powder to give you a slight spicy chocolate flavor. Drizzle melted chocolate over top of macaroons. 

Store them in an airtight container in the fridge or even freezer if you prefer a cold treat. 

Enjoy!

Yield: 16-18 golf ball sized macaroons

Review of Coconut, Almond and Soy Milk

As a CaveGirl who lives in a busy city, coffee is a big part of my life. I would consider it one of my passions. It's the reason that I go to bed at night, the reason that I wake up in the morning, and the reason I was successful in University.

As I began my Paleo journey, my main concern was "Will I be able to drink coffee"?

The answer is yes.

Not only can you drink coffee, but you can explore new coffee creations that you might not have thought of otherwise!

I will review three milk-substitutes and score them on based on taste, availability, and affordability. I will also post a recipe for a luxurious Cinnamon-clove Coconut Latte.

Coconut Milk

Taste: 4/5

Affordability: 3/5

Availability: 4/5

Coconut milk is really big in Paleo recipes. I used to drink coconut water as a hangover cure and then I realized you can also buy coconut milk in most grocery stores. The brand that I buy is Coconut Dream. I usually just buy the small tetra pack containers because I only use it for coffee. But if you use it in recipes like curry, then it might be worth it to buy the bigger size. That's what I have displayed here. To be honest it's a better value. 

Price: $4.49 - Sale $2.25

Available Stores: Supervalu, Whole foods, IGA Marketplace, Safeway, London Drugs, Saveon Foods

Coconut milk has the lowest carbohydrate content of the three. It appears to have the highest fat content, 5g/240mL, but if you have not already discovered, fat is a good thing. It's protein is quite low and calories are low as well. Overall my favourite alternative. 

Tip: I recommend that you heat up your coconut milk before putting it in coffee. Just put it in the microwave for 40 seconds (or heat it up on the stove). This makes it more smooth and creamy. 

Almond Milk 

Taste: 3/5

Affordability: 4/5

Availability: 5/5

I started drinking almond milk last summer when I did the Wild Rose Cleanse. It was hard to get used to the Original Silk flavour and I didn't like the Vanilla Silk flavour because it was too sweet. The hardest thing for me was the lack of availability in coffee shops. 

You are lucky if you can find soy milk in coffee shops, now just try almond milk. I only found two places that offer almond milk:  Bean Around the World and Melriches. 

The good think about almond milk is that you can pretty much buy it anywhere, and it is usually on sale. Same as coconut milk, I would recommend that you heat up the almond milk before adding it to coffee. 

Price: $4.99 - Sale $3.49

Available stores: London drugs, Supervalu, Safeway, Savon Foods, Thrifty's, Superstore, Costco, Shoppers, Whole Foods, IGA, Cappers

Soy Milk

Taste: 5/5

Affordability: 4/5

Availability: 5/5

Just an FYI, soy milk is not actually Paleo. 

I first began drinking soy milk when I began my lactose free life in July of 2003. At this time soy milk was not readily available in all stores. And you could forget getting soy milk in a coffee shop. 

But now in 2012 you can get so many different brands of soy milk. Some of them are even these Asian brands that are more raw/unprocessed versions. 

I have completely cut soy from my diet. When I look back I was eating too much soy: tofu, edamame beans, soy milk, soy cheese, soy nuts. You would be surprised at how many products actually contain soy but wouldn't seem like it. Also, soy is a very common genetically modified food (GMO), better to avoid these when you can. 

Price: $4.99 - Sale $3.50

Available stores: Everywhere!

Addicted to Yoga

I'm pretty sure everyone has tried yoga at some point in their lives. Whether you practice Bikram's Yoga, Power Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, or your own practice, you have to be careful. Recently I have been experiencing really bad pain in my wrist and forearm. This is a cautionary tale...

I practice Yoga at the YMCA in Downtown Vancouver about 5-6 times/week. They offer a wide variety of yoga and I can usually make their evening classes. I like to think that I have pretty good form and I focus my attention on breathing and balance.

For the past week I started noticing a dull achy pain in my wrist. I usually just shake out my hand and the pain goes away. But it got progressively worse. I have pain all day long, from my wrist, outer forearm, and sometimes in my thumb. I take 600mg of Ibuprofen which helps but in no way is it a cure. I thought maybe it was my poor ergonomics when I type on my laptop. So I have been keeping my wrist elevated instead of laying it against the keyboard.

Still no change. Pain is getting worse.

Last night at Yoga there was a substitute instructor and she mentioned something that caught my attention.  During downward dog she said "make sure you don't put pressure on your outer hand...this can lead to tendinitis in your wrist and it will cause you a lot of pain." Throughout the class I couldn't get what she said out of my head...do I have tendinitis because of yoga?

So after class I went up and talked to her. Yes. It's true. I had been placing my hands wrong during downward dog/side plank etc and it created too much pressure on this one little bone on the outside of my hand. Since I do so much yoga it didn't take long do develop this. The good thing is that it's not permanent but I definitely have to be careful from now on.

In this photo you can tell that there is a lot of pressure on the outer edge of her hands. She needs to rotate her arms inward. 

You know I always hear "you have to have good form". I guess unless you do an activity on a regular basis, you won't develop an injury so quickly. I'm happy that this happened to me now because I can attribute it to yoga. If it had developed later on in life I would just probably think, "oh it's just normal aches and pains."

Ham and Zucchini Omelette

This omelette is all about the spices. It's really filling, has no prep time, and will keep you full for hours. If you don't have zucchini you can substitute any veggie like peppers, mushrooms, or tomato. Enjoy and leave comments :)

Side note: my new obsession is roasted garlic. Here is how you make it.

Step 1. Take a garlic.

Step 2. Put it in the oven.

Step 3. Set your oven to broil.

Step 4. Leave it in there for 12-15 minutes.

Step 5. Eat these with all of your meals! It's like garlic candy, and they don't taste bad, and they are so high in natural anti-bacterial properties. nomnom....

Ham and Zucchini Omelette

1/2 sliced zucchini
Sliced ham
5-6 cloves roasted garlic
1 egg
1/4 cup egg whites
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2tsp coconut oil
Cracked black pepper
Cayenne powder

Take 1/2 tsp of coconut oil and add it to a non-stick pan. Heat at medium. Add your sliced zucchini and season with cracked black pepper. Cook it over medium for 3 minutes.

Add about a handful of sliced ham. Cut them up into little bite-sized pieces. Cover the pan with a lid and heat over low-medium for about 5 minutes, or until the ham is just a bit brown. 

In a small bowl combine the following ingredients: 1egg, egg whites, coconut milk, cracked black pepper,  cinnamon, cayenne powder, dried oregano, and chia seeds. 

Whisk with a fork and pour into frying pan. 

Cook over low heat with the lid on for about 5-8 minutes. Don't remove the lid during this time. The steam will help to cook your omelette and make it light and fluffy. 

Prepare your plate with roasted garlic and a bunch of spinach. Add your omelette overtop of the spinach. 

And of course always eat breakfast with 1-2 cups of coffee. Try coconut milk and cinnamon in your coffee for a delightful surprise. 

Lemon Curry Baked Haddock

Tonight I came home from yoga absolutely famished. I had nothing in the fridge and still managed to whip together this exotic dinner recipe. Enjoy!

Lemon Curry Baked Haddock

1 tsp coconut oil

4 sliced green onions

1 sliced carrot

1/2 sliced apple

1 piece haddock

Curry Sauce

1/2 squeezed lemon juice

4 tbsp mustard

2 tbsp curry powder

1 tsp cayenne powder

cracked pepper

Take the coconut oil and add it to a small skillet. Add onions and cook over medium heat until tender.

Add your sliced carrots and apples. Continue cooking for only 3-4 minutes. Add cracked black pepper and cayenne powder. 

Remove ingredients from skillet and add to a baking dish. Add either fresh or defrosted haddock. If you cut them up into palm-sized pieces they'll cook faster.

I got my haddock from Costco. They were only $14 for 5 pieces individually wrapped.

Add your curry sauce overtop, cover the dish with tin-foil and bake at 400 for 12 minutes.

Servings: 2
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Deliciousness: Extreme

Breakfast Scramble with Fresh Mint

I love breakfast. I love it in the morning, and I love it with coffee, and I love the routine, and I love how it makes me feel and I love starting my day with a happy full belly.

A few comments about my recipes. I focus on the natural benefits of each ingredient.
1. For example, I eat a lot of onions. They have very high natural anti-bacterial properties and if you heat them up, they really don't taste like anything. I guess I use them as a natural filler for a lot of recipes.

2. I use cinnamon on everything. Whenever I eat fruit, I pour a whole load of cinnamon on top. I also use it to sweeten up recipes without using sugar. It helps to stabilize blood sugar and keep your hunger down.

3. Cayenne powder or Tabasco sauce is amazing if your goal is weight loss. It will naturally speed up your metabolism and add flavour without adding calories.

4. No more salt. For those of you who personally know me, you know that I used to over-use salt. I would lick on a salt stick if I could. But once you cut it out, after about 10 days, you won't miss it. Do not add salt to ANYTHING. Sodium is naturally found in a lot of foods, so just go with that.

Breakfast Scramble with Fresh Mint

1 tsp coconut oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 diced mushroom

1/2 diced tomato

1 egg

1 splash of Almond milk

2 tbsp Hot salsa

1 bunch of fresh mint

3 sliced strawberries

Cinnamon

Cracked black pepper

Cayenne powder

Take 1 tsp of coconut oil and put it into a little frying pan. Add your onions and heat over medium. 

When your onions are kind of see through, add cracked black pepper and cayenne powder (as much as you want). Then add mushrooms and tomatoes. Saute on low heat for 5 minutes. 

In a little bowl mix your almond milk, egg, and salsa. Add more cracked black pepper here. 

Pour your mixture into the frying pan. Cover with a lid and cook over low heat for 6-8 minutes. Do not open the lid until it's done (it will become fluffier if you don't take the lid off).

Put your sliced strawberries onto your place and cover with cinnamon. 

Place your fresh mint into a side bowl. You'll eat this mint alongside the meal. Add finished scramble to the plate and make yourself a cup of coffee. Enjoy! 

My Paleo Journey

            My name is Azin and I’m 27 years old. I live in Downtown Vancouver and have dual careers as Makeup Artist/Operating Room Nurse. I’m a city girl who loves beauty, fashion, surgery, and Paleolithic living. If anything, I’m probably more of a cave-girl than a city girl.

I started eating Paleo on February 27, 2012. I had 2 days where I fell off the wagon, but I got right back up and have been going strong ever since. Today marks my 3-month anniversary!!

The main reason I started eating Paleo was because I was bored with my eating routine. Don’t get me wrong, I was eating very healthy at the time but I had a very imbalanced diet. If I didn’t have specific instructions then I would just eat whatever was in the fridge/pantry. Then I would be hungry again an hour later. I ate lots of quinoa, oatmeal, brown rice, and popcorn. I would crave popcorn like an African craves water. Now, 3 months later, the only types of cravings I get are for red meat and more red meat.

When I first started following the Paleo diet I used the 30-day meal plan found in Robb Wolf's book The Paleo Solution. It was important for me to use this meal plan because I had no idea what I was doing. I needed guidance, structure, and exposure to the variety of recipes that you can create with Paleo. After 30 days I understood the core concepts of Paleolithic living and was excited to put my own spin on things.

My recipes are based on 4 ground rules: affordable, creative, tasty, fat-blasting.

My first ground rule is really important to me because I’m a single girl living in the city. I love beauty and fashion, so if I can save money on food and instead spend it on having fun, then sign me up!

My second ground rule is also really important to me. Before I started Paleo I would literally eat popcorn for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I had absolutely no motivation to cook because I was bored out of my mind by the same old recipes.  My nutrition was poor and but I thought I was in okay shape.

My third ground rule is also really important because it’s the reason that I actually eat the food! I’ve developed my palate to enjoy foods and spices that I used to absolutely hate. One spice in particular is curry. I can’t tell you how much I hated curry. I wouldn’t even step foot into an Indian restaurant for fear of smelling like curry. But now I love curry powder!

My fourth ground rule makes me very happy. Fat-blasting! What better reason to stick to a diet than weight-loss. While I have only lost 10 lbs since I started Paleo, I feel like I’ve lost more because my body shape has changed so much. The biggest difference has been in my stomach. By no means do I have abs, but it's definitely a lot flatter. 

My favorite meal is breakfast, but they tend to resemble brunch more than anything. I’m constantly eating almonds and I always start my day off with at least one cup of coffee. Cinnamon will be your new favorite all-purpose spice. It literally tastes good on everything! An always use cayenne powder or Tabasco sauce, that’s a no-brainer.

I’m dedicating this blog to Paleolithic recipes. I’ll post videos recipes or picture recipes. Even if you follow these recipes once a day/once a week/or all the time, you’ll be hooked! (Plus you’ll lose weight!!!)

Grilled Tuna Recipe