Wild Blueberry Banana Soft Serve w/ Wild Blueberry Honey Sauce (DF)

Take a Walk on the Wild Side to the frozen section of your food market, and you'll (hopefully) find packages of wild blueberries ~ affordable, nutritious and jam-packed with flavor.

Wild blueberries “... are not pampered like the cultivated blueberries, which are bred for sweetness, size and ability to withstand shipping. They produce these [wild] berries under extreme stress, building up the photochemicals that help them withstand harsh wild conditions [and may better help us reduce chronic illnesses].”*

Why a cool dessert in the middle of winter? It’s another way to enjoy bananas, honey and berries that boost immunity and help reduce inflammation any time of the year. Either wild or cultivated, give this blueberry treat a try!

My Paleo Marin Rating:
Wild Blueberries: 5 Persimmons
Cultivated Blueberries: 2.5 Persimmons

Ingredients:

Note: Chop two bananas into 1/2” chunks, and freeze for 3 hours minimum before starting recipe.

For the Sauce:

Wyman’s Frozen Berries
at Whole Foods for $4.99

1 cup (about 5 oz) + 1/2 cup frozen wild blueberries, thawed in a colander at room temp for 15 minutes
2 Tablespoons honey (or maple syrup for vegan)

For the Soft Serve:

2 ripe bananas, previously chopped and frozen
1 cup (about 5 oz) frozen wild blueberries

Directions:

For the Sauce:

1. In a food processor, add 1 cup of the thawed berries and the honey. Pulse 6-10 times, until the sauce is just starting to blend together (some blueberry chunks should remain).

2. Pour in a container, and stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of whole thawed berries. Set aside, or cover and put in the fridge for later.

For the Soft Serve:

1. In a food processor, add the frozen banana chunks and the frozen wild blueberries. Blend until the  mixture has the consistency of soft serve ice cream, about 1-2 minutes.

2. Serve in bowls, and top with the wild blueberry sauce.

Best eaten right away, but to serve later, freeze the soft serve, and keep the sauce in the fridge. Let soft serve thaw at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.

#paleo #dessert #softserve #smoothie #wildblueberries #blueberries #bananas #honey #Wymans #healthyeats #autoimmune #maplesyrup #vegan #dairyfree #glutenfree

*New York Times article: "Are Wild Blueberries More Nutritious than Farm Raised?” link here. (Conclusion: maybe slightly - but I found much more flavor in the wild ones).

Further reading: “Health benefits of fruits and vegetables are from additive and synergistic combinations of phytochemicals,”  Oxford University Press, link here.

Toaster Oven Baked Salmon w/ Sweet Chili Sauce

Ready in under half an hour, then nestled in a sea of edible greens, here's a melt-in-your-mouth salmon dish with plenty to serve for a buffet ~ or, to have cold leftovers the next day!

My Paleo Marin Rating:  4.5 Persimmons

Ingredients:

For the Salmon:

1 pound of salmon (photo is of Atlantic salmon @ $11.99/lb)
Fine sea salt
Edible mixed greens

For the Sauce:

1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
2 tablespoons coconut aminos
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon chili oil (to taste)

Toppings:

Toasted sesame seeds
Black sesame seeds
Green onions, sliced into thin strips
Lime wedges

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

1. Cover the bottom and sides of a baking pan with foil. Very lightly oil the foil. Place the salmon in the pan, and lightly sprinkle with salt.

2. Whisk together the ingredients for the sauce. Brush 1/3 of the sauce over the top of the salmon.

3. Bake the salmon for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush the salmon with 1/2 of the remaining sauce. Bake for another 2-5 minutes until the salmon is cooked through, and has an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.

4. Remove from the oven, and place the fish on a serving plate with the edible mixed greens. Cover the salmon with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle desired toppings over the salmon. Serve.

#paleo #salmon #dinner #buffet #sandwich #chili #glutenfree #asian #healthyeats #hearthealthy #dairyfree

Recipe adapted from www.foxandbriar.com website.

My Paleo Marin Rating 1-5 Persimmons

I try out these recipes so you don't have to (and modify them for Paleo where possible). The rating will reflect my opinion of the final result in terms of taste, ease of preparation, nutrition, and sometimes, cost.

White Chocolate Lemon Zest Bars with Lemon Glaze (GF)

“Put a Little Love in Your Heart”* on Valentine’s Day with an easy recipe from David Leibovitz, an American chef now living in Paris, the City of Love.

For those us who are not big fans of white chocolate, David encourages giving this a try. I agree. The white chocolate is a perfect counterpoint to the tangy citrus, and creates a chewy texture that makes the perfect petit bar.

See the original recipe here. Please use only 1/2 cup of sugar for the cake, and Cup4Cup Gluten Free Flour.

My Paleo Marin: 3.8 Persimmons

#paleoinspired #lemon #bars #cake #dessert #snack #glutenfree #valentines #dollyparton #jackiedeshannon #nepaliweddingveil

Recipe from David Leibovitz's food blog here.

*Original song “Put a Little Love in Your Heart” written by Dolly Parton and sung by Jackie DeShannon, 1969, link here.

My Paleo Marin Rating 1-5 Persimmons

I try out these recipes so you don't have to (and modify them for Paleo where possible). The rating will reflect my opinion of the final result in terms of taste, ease of preparation, nutrition, and sometimes, cost.

Turmeric, Cauliflower, Coconut Milk Soup w/ Crispy Fried Shallots

Note: February is National Heart Month. The recipe below is one way to do something good for yours!

This soup almost didn't happen. A head of cauliflower had languished in my fridge for over a week, waiting for its destiny of "fake" couscous which was sounding less and less appealing as time went on.

But when I saw the beautiful photos of this soup on the Local Milk website loaded with turmeric, cumin, honey and coconut milk, I whisked out the cauliflower and voila!

The soup recipe below is simplified and light, good on its own, or with toppings of your choice.

My Paleo Marin: 4.5 Persimmons

Ingredients:

For Soup:

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
3 garlic cloves, skin on
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 large shallot, or small yellow onion, diced

1 tablespoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon grated ginger (no need to peel)
1 can of unsweetened coconut milk
14 oz. water (coconut milk can)
1 tablespoon honey (use date syrup or maple syrup for vegan)

Juice of 1/2 lemon

For Crispy Fried Shallots:

1/4 cup sliced shallots
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt to taste

Optional Toppings:

Chopped Chives
Toasted Coconut Flakes
Chopped Nuts

Directions:

Directions for the Soup:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

1. In a sheet pan, toss the cauliflower florets and garlic with the olive oil and salt. Roast for about 20 minutes, or until the florets turn golden and some are blackened in places. Cool, and peel garlic.

2. In a dutch oven, heat the teaspoon of olive oil, and cook the shallot until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes.

3. Add turmeric, cumin powder, and cayenne pepper, and cook for about 1 minute to release oils. Add the ginger and cook for about 1 minute.

4. Add the coconut milk, water, and honey. Heat to just a boil. Turn down heat to medium, and add the roasted cauliflower and peeled garlic. Cook for about 10 minutes for flavors to meld together.

5. For a crunchy soup (which I like), use a potato masher to flatten the vegetables. Or, use a food processor or blender to make a smooth soup.

5. Add the lemon juice and stir. Taste for seasonings. Add the toppings of your choice to serve.

Directions for the Crispy Fried Shallots:

1. Heat the oil to medium high (275 degrees), and fry the shallots until they are golden brown and crispy, 5- 8 minutes. Watch closely as they cook so they don’t burn. With a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels. Add to soup when ready to serve.

#paleo #turmeric #coconut #cauliflower #soup #shallots #healthyeats #hearthealth #brainhealth #antiflammatory #vegan #localmilk

My Paleo Marin Rating 1-5 Persimmons

I try out these recipes so you don't have to (and modify them for Paleo where possible). The rating will reflect my opinion of the final result in terms of taste, ease of preparation, nutrition, and sometimes, cost.