Paleo/Vegan Ice Cream Sandwiches

It was 95 degrees in Los Angeles today. The three year old learned to swim and we made ice cream sandwiches. A good day all in all.

Chocolate Cookies 
paleo, gluten free, vegan, nut free, refined sugar free
Makes 8 big cookies

1/2 cup coconut flour (I most often buy this one)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup cocoa powder 
1/4 cup arrowroot starch
1/3 cup maple syrup powder
pinch of salt (I like pink Himalayan salt)
pinch of ground vanilla bean
2 tbsp unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp coconut milk 
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted  (I might consider adding a little bit more next time, the cookies were slightly dry on their own but just fine with the ice cream)

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix all the ingredients together - first the dry ones and then add the liquids.
3. Form balls from the dough and flatten them on a cookie sheet using the palm of your hand. The size won't change a lot so make them the size you want the cookies to be.

Vanilla Ice Cream
paleo, vegan, refined sugar free

2 cups full fat additive free coconut milk (I use this one for best results)
1/3 cup maple syrup
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp ground vanilla bean (I use this one)

Mix all ingredients together and follow ice cream maker's instructions.

To make the ice cream sandwiches:

Let the cookies cool down completely first before you even make the ice cream because it takes longer, I know now from experience. It takes also longer than the kids can wait so use freezer to cool the cookies quicker if you need to. Take a cookie and press a scoop of ice cream on it and press another cookie on top. Enjoy!


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Plantain Pancakes (updated recipe!)

We make these grain free and vegan pancakes a lot. They are fast to make even on busy mornings. Kids love them, adults love them. Kids like to help making them. It is our new favorite breakfast in addition to leftovers and homemade maple pork sausage patties (I use the recipe from Nom Nom Paleo book for those). Last week I made some of this pancake batter at home to take camping and we fried them on our camp stove in Joshua Tree. During last months we have made all kinds of updates to the earlier recipe I posted. I started updating that post but there were so many updates that I decided to make a new post altogether.


I found this recipe from Purely Twins for grain free pancakes. I modified it a little to suit our diet. We have kept modifying the recipe to make it our own and here is the result of months of experimenting!

Our newest discovery were burro bananas as our grocery store was out of green plantains. They worked even better than plantains. The consistency of the pancake was amazing.

Grain free vegan pancakes
autoimmune paleo, vegan, grain free

1 green plantain or green burro banana (you can use yellow ones too, the batter will be just less starchy and more difficult to maneuver when turning the pancakes, I suggest adding 2 tbsp arrowroot starch or 1 tbsp coconut flour in this case)
1/2 cup full fat coconut milk or coconut kefir
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp coconut oil, melted (I buy mine from here, affiliate link that supports my blogging)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
pinch of sea salt (I like Himalayan pink salt, affiliate link)

1. Peel the plantain, chop it and add in the blender or food processor (this is a perfect job for little kids!)

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.

3. Warm your pan on medium-low heat.

4. Spread the thick batter on the pan. You might need to spread it a little bit with a spatula so the pancakes are not too thick.

5. Cook on one side until you are able to turn them. They are ready when they seem solid.

6. Serve them with maple syrup, jam, berries, unsweetened apple sauce, whatever you like. My kids favorites are apple sauce and the other one's maple syrup. You can transform them to a healthy lunch (school lunch too!) or even dinner by adding spinach and making spinach pancakes. Or eat them later cold as "bread".

Have a great Easter weekend! Easter post coming soon!

Sirpa

Carrot Top Pesto And 10 Other Ways To Use Carrot Tops

Carrots store best with their tops removed so remove
 them as soon as you bring them home or harvest them.

Not throwing away food is one of my pet peeves. A new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report found out that 30% of the food produced in the United States is wasted every single day. That is a lot. Big part of it is of course the stores and restaurants, not all households throw away a third of their food but still. I have nearly zero tolerance for throwing away food. I have noticed that when not buying bread and milk and junk foods, we throw very little food away. The vegetables rarely go bad if stored right. Some vegetables like roots and cabbage and hard shelled squashes and pumpkins last for a very long time. Fermented, they last even longer. The meat, stored properly (ours is most often in the freezer), does not have to go bad. Overripe fruit I freeze for smoothies or bake, all others we eat. I use all parts of vegetables usually and I boil leftover bones, chicken legs, necks, fish heads and carcasses etc. to nourishing broth.

I am always looking for more ways to utilize all parts of our food sources. I was asked recently how to use the carrot tops so I thought I'd collect ideas in a post. I first heard about utilizing the carrot tops when someone told me that in Finland - where I used to sell vegetables and berries and chantarelles at a small town farmers market - Chinese immigrants come to collect the carrot tops the sellers throw away as the customers do not want them in their baskets. Wow, so you can eat them too. here are five ways to utilize them and lastly the recipe of a carrot top pesto.

Oh and before you bring up the myth about carrot tops being toxic, check out this excellent post busting the myth.

1. Mix them in your sauteed greens

Chop greens like chard, kale, collard, mustard greens or turnip greens and mix some carrot tops in the mix. Sautee in a pan in broth.

2. Use them instead of parsley

Carrot is in the same plant family as parsley. The flavor is not exactly the same but you can just fine use it instead of parsley in recipes. Try it for instance in Robin Hood Chicken.

3. Add them to your stock pot

When making vegetable or meat broth, some use vegetables and parsley to improve the flavor. Try adding the carrot tops in your next batch of broth.

4. Add to salads
Garnish any salad with carrot tops. Chop them first or cut in one inch pieces with scissors.

5. Herbes Salées (Salt Herb Preserve)

Preserve your end of the season herbs with carrot tops in a jar with salt. Very cool recipe from Well Preserved.

6. Steam them

Simple recipe: Steam the carrot tops, add some coconut aminos (try coconut oil too) and enjoy!

7. Green smoothies
Add some carrot tops to your green smoothie. Our favorite green smoothie is: 1/2 banana, 1/3 cup blueberries, a few handfuls of greens, a few splashes of water or coconut milk and ice. Put in a blender and blend until smooth!

8. Juice them
Just like with smoothies, use the greens like any greens in your green juice. Juice some carrot tops with an apple, carrots, a small piece of ginger and a small clove of garlic (my favorite juice recipe).

9. Medicinal uses (Source: http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/carrotops.html#medicinal)
Carrot greens have antiseptic qualities. They have been added to mouthwashes. They have also been mixed with honey and used to disinfect sores.They are also diuretic and can help treat kidney disease and edema. Chewing carrot leaves can heal injuries in the mouth, bad breath, gum bleeding and mouth ulcers. Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides (c. 40-c. 90), who catalogued over 600 medicinal plant specie, said that the Greeks used carrot leaves against cancerous tumors.

Make carrot top tea for detoxing, strengthening kidneys or urinary issues: Take a handful of carrot leaves, wash them, tear them in pieces and put them in a pot. Pour boiling water on them, cover and steep until tea has cooled down. Strain the tea and drink it or store in the fridge for a few days.

10. Yellow dye

Use them for yellow natural dye! Incredible, huh? Follow these directions.

And finally:

Carrot Top Pesto

Tops from 3 bunches of carrots

1-2 cloves of garlic

1 tsp sea salt

1/2-3/4 cups of olive oil (or enough for the blender to blend well)

a handful of fresh basil leaves 

(ground black pepper to taste)

(1 tsp nutritional yeast)

Add all ingredients in a blender and blend until desired consistency. You can also use a food processor. Eat with zucchini pasta, put on grilled veggies or dip veggies in it.

For more autoimmune paleo recipes, check out this roundtable by Phoenix Helix where this recipe is posted as well.

Vanilla Cupcake With Strawberry Frosting (Grain Free, Vegan, Paleo)

I don't make a lot of sweets but then there are special occasions. I made these for my three year old's birthday. Technically these cupcakes are AIP legal as well but they might be too sugary as some may try to avoid even natural sweeteners. Some avoid vanilla bean as well and that could be left out. I like to make mini cupcakes so that you can eat just a small bite. Then again, if you eat five mini cupcakes because they are soooo good... Hmmm. These were very good. I might have had more than one.

Vanilla Cupcake
grain free, vegan, paleo, refined sugar free
makes about 24 mini cupcakes

1/2 cup coconut flour (I use this one, affiliate link)
1/4 tsp baking soda
a pinch of salt (I like to use Himalayan pink salt, affiliate link)
1 apple peeled and grated/pureed
1/2 tsp ground vanilla bean (I use this one, affiliate link)
1/2 cup maple syrup (or honey)
1/2 cup coconut kefir

1. Preheat your oven to 350F and line your cupcake pan.
2. Mix coconut flour, baking soda, salt and vanilla bean in a bowl.
3. Mix finely grated apple, maple syrup and coconut kefir in another bowl.
4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix.
5. Pour into muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes or until done.
6. Let cool and frost.

Strawberry Lime frosting 
grain free, vegan, paleo, corn free, refined sugar free

1 cup organic palm shortening (this one is great, affiliate link)
1/3 cup maple syrup
a pinch of ground vanilla bean (I use this one, affiliate link)
8 smallish strawberries, cut in small pieces
1 tbsp lime juice

1. Measure all ingredients in a bowl and mix with a hand mixer until desired consistency. You might have to mix for even 5-10 minutes. It starts separating first but just keep going.

2. Decorate the cupcakes and serve immediately or refridgerate.

Quick Snack Idea (Great For Kids!)

My son who turns three tomorrow likes to make his own sushi snacks. This snack is easy to do with anything you have available, can be accomodated to any diet that allows sea weed and can be packed to go as well. It would make a fun and healthy school lunch.

I cut nori sheets in pieces and give him prepared sushi rice and different fillings like carrot sticks, cucumbers, smoked salmon, cooked shrimp, avocado pieces etc. he can choose from. He will place the fillings on the sea weed and eat it like a taco. Today I had set up just carrots but he chose strawberries and sugar snap peas leftover from breakfast. :)

Grain free/rice free version: Leave out rice!

Vegan version: Leave out meat fillings!

TIP:  Use those ready sea weed snack packs instead of cut nori sheets for an even faster option. Remember to read the ingredients on those to check for any foods you might be avoiding. They have more ingredients than the nori sheets usually. I like these raw nori sheets (affiliate link to Amazon).

Strawberry Milkshake (Vegan)

I read on Facebook that an industrial milkshake from a fast food place contains 59 different ingredients! Holy strawberry! (I hope at least one of the ingredients is actually strawberry.)

Reading something like that makes me want to start a food revolution! I made this two ingredient strawberry shake (two ingredients with optional add ons) last weekend as my answer to the 59 ingredient shake. Here you go!

Strawberry Shake

1 small bag of frozen strawberries (I buy organic as strawberries absorb pesticides like crazy), let them thaw slightly if you have time
1 can of coconut milk or coconut milk kefir (I used full fat and it was pretty creamy, I might recommend light coconut milk for the first time in my life, or replacing some of the full fat milk with water)

If it is too thick, add water.

Other optional additions to try:
a pinch of salt (somehow it seems like a pinch of salt balances the coconutty flavor)
vanilla
maple syrup or honey to taste (a couple of tablespoons should do)

Mix in a blender until smooth.

Fermented Blueberry Jam (Probiotic and Vegan)

I found the directions for the fermented berries from Oh Lardy - who I think get their inspiration from Nourishing Traditions.

Fermented Jam from Fresh Blueberries

12 oz (about 2 cups) of fresh blueberries (preferably organic)

2 tbsp of raw honey (optional)
1-2 tbsp culture from a previous ferment like sauerkraut (or whey but it is from milk so I don't use it, or some sort of starter culture you can buy online)

1/4 tsp salt (I use Himalayan pink salt)
filtered water

1. Put the berries into a wide mouth pint size mason jar or a Pickl-it jar.

2. Press the berries down with your washed hands or with a wooden spoon or something similar. It is ok to if the berries structure break a little bit and the juice starts oozing out. You can also puree them if you like.

3. Mix all the other ingredients in a cup and pour in the jar.

4. Fill jar with filtered water to the shoulder or little below. Leave about an inch room, otherwise your fermenting jam might climb out of your jar or your jar burst as the pressure builds up.

5. Press the berries down with a spoon or your fist. All the berries should be under water for them to ferment well and to avoid unwanted bacteria or mold from developing. You can use a small plate, a clean rock or a plastic bag filled with water as a weight to keep the berries under the brine. If you use an airlock system like the Picklit, it is not as critical to keep them under water. The fermenting time is much shorter in this type of ferment as well than in fermented vegetables so I think in general the under the brine rule in this is not as critical. I have made condiments like ketchup and mustard I keep out for a couple of days only and they are not under the brine. If you puree the berries you won't be able to keep them under the brine.

6. Put the lid (and airlock if using) on and leave to room temperature for 24-48 hours. Don't keep it out longer as it can turn alcoholic. If your room temperature is really high, shorten the fermenting time. The jam is ready when there are some bubbles and the berries taste a little bit sour.

7. Move to the fridge. It will keep a couple of months. 

Vegan Green Tea Ice Cream with Coconut Milk

Green Tea Ice Cream

2 cups coconut milk (make your own or buy an additive free full fat version)

1 tbsp matcha green tea powder (or 1.5-2 for a stronger taste, the 1 tbsp is kid approved in our house though and more is not)

3 tbsp maple syrup

Mix all ingredients with a blender or a whisk and use your ice cream maker following the manufacturer's instructions. Enjoy!

Dairy Free Hot Chocolate

Hot Chocolate
Dairy Free, Vegan option, Paleo, Additive-free, Refined Sugar Free

1 cup water
1 cup additive free full fat coconut milk (like Natural Value or Aroy D)
1 tbsp raw unsweetened cacao powder
2 tbsp raw honey or maple syrup if you want to make it vegan
tiny pinch of sea salt
vanilla, optional

Put all ingredients in a sauce pan and heat. I don't let it boil because the kids don't want it that hot and I am thinking that maybe some of the goodness of the raw honey still stays alive (I have no evidence that it will).

Home made marshmallows make a nice addition. My kids love this recipe (not vegan but it is egg free, dairy free, corn free, nut free, gluten free etc.).

Scrumptious Sides: Creamy Baked Yummy Yam

Creamy Baked Yam
Vegan, AIP, Paleo, Dairy Free, Grain Free, Gluten Free, Egg Free

a few yams, preboiled in lightly salted water and then peeled and cut in cubes or slices
1 cup of full fat coconut milk (or 1/2 cup of coconut cream and 1/2 cup vegetable - or chicken stock if not making it vegan)
1/4-1/2 tsp freshly juiced ginger (or dried ginger to taste)
coconut oil
half a clove of garlic
salt to taste


1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Grease a 9 inch oven pan with coconut oil.

3. Rub the garlic clove half on the sides and bottom of the pan for a slight garlic flavor to the dish. Toss the clove.

4. Place the yam cubes in the pan, add ginger and salt to taste and pour coconut milk evenly on the yams.

5. Bake for about an hour. Mix the yams once so they stay coated with the coconut milk.

I shared this recipe on Phoenix Helix blog's AIP Recipe Round Table. Find more Autoimmune Paleo friendly recipes from there!

Banana Yoghurt (Vegan, AIP, Paleo, Sugar Free)

When I was a kid my favorite yoghurt was banana yoghurt. It was made of cow milk and it was probably full of sugar. I had a sudden urge the other morning to try to replicate it with allergen free and healthier ingredients. So I made some with homemade coconut milk kefir and bananas! It didn't taste exactly the same of course but it was very delicious. It would make a great dessert as well.

Banana Yoghurt
Vegan, Paleo, AIP, Sugar Free, Dairy Free (consumed in small amounts also low-FODMAP)

2 bananas
1 cup homemade coconut kefir
Optional: cinnamon, vanilla (from a bean, not the extract)

Add the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. You can leave it out to ferment for a few hours more if you like or eat it straight away. If you leave it out to ferment, taste it after few hours to see if it is ready or do you want it to ferment more. I left it out for 7-8 hours and the flavor became very rich. I ate some and left it in the fridge overnight and it had turned into a fluffy, slightly tangy banana mousse! I added a pinch of cinnamon and and it was absolutely fabulous little treat.

By the way - if you want my posts directly to your email when I publish them, fill in your email to the field in the side panel on the right. The one under "Get New Posts to Your Email". I am not currently sending any other emails so you'll only get an email about the new posts, about one daily.

I shared this recipe on Phoenix Helix AIP Recipe Round Table this week. There are some great recipes!

Make your own coconut milk

Yes, you can make it yourself! Never buy the canned (possibly with BPA in the lining) coconut milk with icky additives again. And save money. All you need is some shredded coconut, water, blender, a strainer and cheese cloth (or a kitchen towel or an old cloth diaper or a nut milk bag).

Home made coconut milk

1 cup shredded coconut
2 cups water
(amounts are not so crucial)

Follow these steps to make your own creamy and additive free coconut milk:

1. Boil some water. Turn it off just when it is about to boil.

2. Put the coconut in a blender and add the water. Let sit for a few minutes.

3. Put the lid on and - carefully, it is hot! - blend for a few minutes or as long as needed so it seems like there are no more solid parts and it looks creamy.

4. Strain it through a cheese cloth in a strainer. Squeeze the last part to get all the liquid through the cloth. That's it! Store in the fridge. It will separate so shake before using. Use for homemade icecreams or make your own coconut milk kefir. If you make kefir, make sure to blend and strain well, otherwise the solid parts sometimes become a mass of coconut on the top of the kefir and the kefir grains get stuck in there and you'll loose it while trying to dig them out (speaking from experience as you can tell).

Tangerine Frozen Yoghurt (Vegan and AIP)

I love experimenting with coconut milk based ice creams with my ice cream maker. Making them with homemade coconut milk kefir gives the ice cream a slight pleasant tanginess and a nice dose of probiotics too. The coconut milk kefir based ice creams seem to turn out best if there is some fruit or fruit juice in the mix. Plain vanilla kefir ice cream I tried once wasn't as good.

Probiotic Tangerine Frozen Yoghurt

2 organic tangerines (organic as you'll use the peel too)
Juice of half an orange (for instance the one you have left over from your orange ginger salmon)
3/4 cup coconut milk kefir
1-2 tbsp maple syrup (optional)
An inch or two of vanilla bean
Just a small slice of fresh ginger

Grate the peel of the tangerines and squeeze the juice of them. Scrape the vanilla from the vanilla bean. Add all ingredients except the grated peel to a blender. Blend and last add the peel. Put in an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's instructions. Enjoy!

PS. IF I ate chocolate, I bet this would be delicious with some home made chocolate syrup...

Fizzy Water Kefir – A Healthy Homemade Soda (Difficulty level: Easy!)

Water kefir is a caffeine free, probiotic and fizzy! Water kefir is made of water and sugar and additional fruit juices can be added. Water kefir is fermented only for a day or two. It is easy to make and don’t require a lot of effort or special skills.

Water kefir grains multiply quickly so you might find someone locally who is willing to share theirs. You can also order dehydrated water kefir grains online. Follow their instructions for rehydrating them – or you can also find instructions online.

How to make water kefir?

2-3 tbsps or more rehydrated water kefir grains
1 quart of water
2-4 tbsp organic sugar (do not used refined white sugar that is stripped of minerals, the grains will need the minerals for nourishment)
A pinch of baking soda – this is for pH
One inch piece of kombu sea weed (some use bone meal instead) – this is to feed the grains

You’ll also need a 1.5 quart ball jar or a jar with an airlock (I use Pickl-it) or a cheese cloth or kitchen towel and a rubber band or piece of string to cover it.

1.  Place your grains in the jar.

2. Add water, sugar, baking soda and the kombu. At this point some add dried fruit. I find that my kefir has gotten slimy if I add dried fruit now so I skip it. Leave space to your jar, don’t fill it to the rim.

3. Mix with a spoon (or don’t mix, I don’t think it is critical, I sometimes skip this step). Close the lid and attach airlock if using. If you close the lid completely and don’t have an airlock, some pressure can accumulate in the jar from the fermentation process. If you leave it out for a long time, burb the jar by opening it after a day or two to let the pressure out.

4. Let ferment in room temperature and in preferably a dark spot for 24-48 hours. When bubbles are forming it is ready. You can also taste the kefir before you start fermenting and after and it should be less sweet when it is ready as some of the sugar has been used in the process.

5. Strain the grains from the water kefir to make another batch. People say metal strainers aren't good for this purpose because they will weaken the culture. I am a rebel and I use a stainless steel strainer (never aluminum though, heard that is the worst). I don't leave them to sit in it though so they touch it just briefly. I don't like plastic so I don't want to use a plastic strainer and the bamboo strainer is hard to clean. But I put it on the photo as it should be a better option. I usually leave some of the liquid in the new batch to help it but I do not know if it is necessary.

6. Now you can either drink the kefir or bottle it for a secondary fermentation: Put the kefir in a bottle with a flip top lid or some other air tight seal top. You can add some fruit juice (or dried fruit) at this point to help make it bubblier. One of my favorite flavors is apricot-pomegranate.

TIP: Using high fructose juices like pear or

apricot make the best bubbles in my experience.

7. Leave the bottles out for another day or two and then move them to fridge. It is ready to be consumed anytime.

My favorite water kefir flavors:
- Water Kefir Lemonade: Add a juice of a lemon to the secondary fermentation to make a lemonade tasting water kefir!
- Apricot Pomegranate: Add about 5-10% apricot juice and just a splash of pomegranate juice for color to the secondary fermentation. Juice squeezed by you from fresh pomegranates is the best. I tried the store pomegranate juice but it didn’t taste as good.
- Pear Ginger: Add about 5-10% pear juice and just a hint of fresh juiced ginger (or a few pieces of fresh ginger) to the secondary fermentation.
-Lemon tangerine: For the secondary fermentation add a juice from one lemon and 1-2 tangerines to a little bit less than a liter of water kefir.

What are your favorites? Do you have any tips to share?

If you are new to fermenting and have any questions, feel free to ask them in comments or by sending me email from with the contact form in the right side panel.

Probiotic Rhubarb-Banana Vegan Frozen Yoghurt (Vegan, AIP, paleo and low-FODMAP)

I always stick the overripe bananas no-one wants to the freezer for later use. I peel and chop them before freezing them in a jar or a ziploc bag. When processed in a blender they make fast and easy ice creams.

Rhubarb and banana are both on the low-FODMAP list. Don't eat too much of it though, it all adds up with the coconut milks and maple syrups. I think this could be done without the maple syrup too if you don't mind it being slightly sour.

Rhubarb-Banana Frozen Yoghurt

vegan, (autoimmune) paleo, low-FODMAP

2 overripe frozen bananas (chopped in pieces)
1 cup frozen rhubarb (chopped)
1/3 cup coconut kefir (you can replace this with coconut milk if you don't have kefir at hand)

Optional: 2 tbsp maple syrup (grade B)
1 inch piece of vanilla (scrape with a knife the black seeds from inside of the bean and use just those)

Put all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. It becomes the consistency of soft serve.

Chocolate Pudding (Vegan and Paleo)

*I have been recently posting autoimmune paleo recipes so just for clarity's sake I have to state that this recipe is not autoimmune paleo as it has cacao powder. I made it for the kids who don't follow the protocol as strictly as I do.*

I learnt this recipe from a friend but have lost the original recipe and I basically create it every time again. Also... I don't usually measure so the amounts on this recipe are approximate and flexible, just taste the food in between, add more what is needed and follow your cook's instinct!

Chocolate pudding
paleo, vegan
 
2 avocados
1/3 cup raw unsweetened cacao powder (feel free to use less or more depending on your preference)
A pinch of salt
Vanilla from a vanilla bean to taste
Maple syrup to desired sweetness (I just used a splash of it)
A splash or two (or enough to make the blender run smoothly) of home made coconut kefir for added creaminess and probiotics


Add all ingredients in the blender and blend them until smooth and creamy. That's all! Eat plain or dip fruit in it. I think my child once dipped chicken pieces in it...

TIP: You can soak chia seeds (not allowed on autoimmune paleo either) in coconut kefir and it thickens the pudding nicely. Use then a little more kefir though and it helps to keep it in the fridge for a while before eating too.

Little Desserts: Probiotic Blueberry Frozen Yoghurt (Vegan, Paleo, AIP)

On this 30 day autoimmune paleo diet trial we have allowed ourselves a scoop of coconut milk ice cream once a week. Last time we made raspberry ice cream. The ice creams are autoimmune paleo friendly but if you are following the diet you should stick to a small portion as it has fructose.

The sign of a successful food is: No photo for blog because food is consumed so quickly and there aren't any leftovers for a photo. This amount served two adults and two children and left one child asking for more.

Blueberry Frozen Yoghurt
vegan, AIP, PALEO
 

1/2 cup of coconut milk kefir (instructions how to make it)
1 cup frozen wild blueberries (I prefer these as they are not so sweet)
A pinch of salt (I used Himalayan pink salt as usual)
3 tbsp maple syrup
A little bit of vanilla from a vanilla bean

Puree the ingredients in a blender and put in an ice cream maker until ready. Enjoy!

Sirpa

PS. If you don't have an ice cream maker yet, get one. You can easily make healthier ice creams at home. Even the coconut milk ice creams in health food stores have icky additives like xanthan gum. I bought one that has a freezer bowl for 20 dollars from Craigslist. I will post more coconut milk ice cream recipes later. Our favorite flavors are: green tea, date maple, pumpkin pie, chocolate mint and chocolate of course. I actually like plain vanilla a lot.

Zucchini Noodles with Nut and Seed Free Pesto (Vegan)

I just love this food. It is fresh, tasty, raw and full of nutrients. You can eat it as a side or even as a full meal. The zucchini noodles can be eaten raw or lightly steamed.

The easiest way to make zucchini noodles is with a spiral vegetable slicer. I own the Paderno one (this one http://amzn.to/1AOm2c8 ). I bought it once for myself as a gift when my husband was on a long business trip and I needed cheering up. 

I am fond of this gadget because it is easy to use, you don't need to plug it in (just use your arm power!) and even the kids can do it (they also think it is incredibly fun).

Pesto
AIP, paleo, vegan, nut/seed free

About a cupful of fresh basil leaves packed tight
About a cupful of fresh spinach, also packed tight

1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup olive oil (or replace some of it with water if you don't want it so oily)
(Black pepper is optional)

Mix everything in a blender or food processor. Don't overdo it, the consistency doesn't have to be smooth like a smoothie. Mix with the zucchini noodles.

TIP: This makes more than you might need. Freeze the rest in small proportions for later use.

PS. I have been thinking in the last few days how people often react strongly to the term "paleo" and you hear all kinds of criticism. I am wondering if we could just call it "real food that makes you feel good"?

Finnish Spinach Pancakes (Autoimmune) Paleo Style (Kids' Favorites and They Are Vegan Too!)

I grew up in Finland eating spinach pancakes with lingonberry preserves. We ate also blood pancakes (also with lingonberries) and carrot pancakes. And regular pancakes of course. They were all made with wheat flour, milk and eggs. We can't eat any of those now so we have created all kinds of different versions of gluten free, grain free and vegan spinach pancakes.

I decided to try adding a handful of spinach to the plantain pancake recipe and pulsed the blender a few times. As the spinach changed the consistency, to hold it together I added a couple of tablespoons of arrowroot starch. That's all. Below in the photo you can see the results. 

We eat our spinach pancakes with unsweetened apple sauce. If we ate sugar we would eat them with lingon preserves from Ikea... Mmmm. I wish I could get some plain lingonberries from somewhere, anyone know how I could get my hands on some? I like them without any sweetener, just crushed. They last in the fridge like that for a long time too.

Little Desserts: Just a Scoop of Raspberry Ice Cream (Paleo and Vegan)

Although you (well, WE on autoimmune paleo diet) aren't supposed to have a lot of fructose, one can always just eat a small scoop of an autoimmune paleo friendly ice cream, right? This recipe is for 4-5 people having just one small scoop.

This recipe requires an ice cream maker with a freezer bowl.

Raspberry Ice Cream
Paleo, autoimmune paleo, vegan, gluten free

1 cup full fat coconut milk
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
2 tbsp maple syrup
Vanilla (scraped from a bean, not the extract)
Pinch of sea salt or himalayan pink salt

Mix all ingredients in a blender. Put in an ice cream maker. The ice cream is pink, fresh, creamy and delightful.