Coconut Flour Brownies (Primal/Paleo)

This is a repost from last year. I made these a few times last year, but never got around to actually taking photos of them. These brownies are wonderful.

At the beginning of our primal/paleo journey, this was the first baked good I made after our first 30 days strict. My husband has a huge sweet tooth, and when he proclaimed them better than grain- and refined-sweetener-filled brownies, I knew they were a hit.

I made them again today to photograph them as I hadn't had sweetener or chocolate lying around in a long time and finally got around to purchasing some, and also to celebrate our four year anniversary. Not a bad excuse to make them ;)

Coconut Flour Brownies
primal / paleo / grain-free / gluten-free

6 ½ oz good dark chocolate (72%+)

4 1/2 oz butter (one stick + one tablespoon)

¾ cup granulated sweetener of choice

1/2 t vanilla extract

2 eggs

6 T coconut flour

1/2 t sea salt

1 c chopped walnuts/mix-ins

Preheat the oven to 320 degrees.

Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment for easy removal.

Melt butter and chocolate together in a saucepan over low heat.

Remove from heat, and add sweetener of choice. Let cool before adding vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking until fluffy.

Stir in flour, salt, and walnuts.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until tester comes out mostly clean (the top may appear undercooked or shiny).

Cool in pan for at least 10-15 minutes, then lift the slab out by the parchment.

Cut into 16 squares and enjoy!

Have you tried baking with coconut flour before? How do you like it? 

Ginger-Mint Iced Oolong

This has been my go-to drink lately. I think I'm living in a delusional land where we can skip March and April and arrive in Spring, which is definitely not the case here in the Pacific Northwest. Today, for example, we had sun. Ten minutes later we had rain/hail/wind. Ten minutes later the sun was poking out again. It's currently raining again. Either way, I'm drinking iced tea. This is t-shirt weather to me.

Ginger-Mint Iced Green Tea
primal / paleo / grain-free / gluten-free / egg-free

Yield: 6-8 servings

2.5-3oz of ginger, unpeeled and sliced

6 bags oolong tea

1/2-1c mint leaves*

1/4c honey, or to taste

2T lemon juice

*1/2c dried, or 1c fresh (this time of year my mint plants are sleeping, so I've been using dried mint. The first time I used 1/2c and had a spicier, stronger ginger flavor, good in small glasses of tea. I also tried it with a full cup of dried mint and loved the extra minty flavor. It's really up to your preference.

Bring the ginger and 6c water to a boil in a pot. Once it comes to a boil, remove from the heat and add the mint and tea bags. Cover and let steep for 15 minutes.

Strain and add the honey and lemon juice. Let come to room temperature, then refrigerate.

Serve over ice, with a sprig of fresh mint :)

What cold drink spells Spring to you? 

Eggs en Cocotte

This is a quick and easy breakfast that feels a little fancier than just mixing stuff together in a frying pan. It's very easily adapted to whatever you have on hand. Today I made it with bacon, collard greens, onion, and sweet potato - but feel free to use whatever you have on hand. I love it with kale! I think the sweet potato would go nicely with prosciutto. Fresh herbs are always a bonus, and varying types of cheeses, as well.

Eggs en Cocotte
primal / paleo option / grain-free / gluten-free

Yield: 2 servings

3 slices bacon

1/2-3/4c sweet potato, 1/4in dice

1/4 onion, 1/2in dice

1c greens, chopped

1T butter, softened

2T cheese, grated*

4 eggs

2T cream**

S+P

Herbs

*Omit for paleo
**Coconut cream/milk for paleo

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and butter up your ramekins or mini cocottes.

Begin by cooking the bacon in a 12 inch skilled over medium-low to medium heat until it reaches desired doneness. Meanwhile, add the sweet potatoes to a small skilled with 1T water; season with salt and pepper then cover and cook on low. Drain the bacon on paper and set aside. Drain bacon drippings from the pan except 2-3T. 

When the sweet potato is nearly done, transfer it to the large skillet. Add the onion. Saute over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until the onion is softened, and the sweet potato browns a bit. Season with desired herbs (I used thyme and also added cumin) and add the greens. Saute for 1 minute, until the greens soften a bit and turn bright green, then kill the heat. 

Chop the bacon and add it back to the pan. Mix everything together. Divide the hash evenly amongst the ramekins/cocottes. Top each with a tablespoon each of milk and cheese. Crack two eggs over the top, being careful not to break the yolk, and set the cocottes on a rimmed baking dish. 

Bake for 12-17 minutes depending on how you like your eggs and how deep your dishes are. Mine are the Le Creuset Mini Cocottes and it took 17 minutes to get the whites completely cooked.

Season with salt and freshly cracked pepper; serve and enjoy.

What's your favorite thing to eat with eggs? Bacon? Hehe.