Tag Archives: coconut

Coconut Pineapple Date Muffins

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First day went well! So, let’s talk about some summer food. These little babies are good for snacks on camping trips, or hikes,  by the pool, or after the beach with a little coconut milk. All the scents and tastes of summer mixed into a sweet tropical muffin. Hello summer, Welcome!

Bake a healthy treat for you and the ones you care about. The sweetness is from the dates, a little agave, and pineapple. Instead of butter, these muffins get their rich moistness from coconut oil. They also pack plenty of carbs for energy, but are low in gluten for those finicky stomachs.

Coconut Pineapple Date Muffins

Ingredients

Dry

1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour (or gluten free substitute)

1/2 cup cornmeal

1 cup old fashioned oatmeal

1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

Wet

2 Tbsp coconut oil

2 eggs

1/2 cup agave sweetener

1 tsp coconut extract

6 drops liquid vanilla stevia (optional)

1/4 cup coconut milk

3/4 cup chopped pineapple

10 dates without pits (soaked overnight)***

Directions

1. Soak 10 dates in the refrigerator overnight in water.***

2. Preheat oven to 350.

3. Using a food processor, process dates with 1/4 cup coconut milk.

4. In large mixing bowl mix together agave, coconut oil and eggs. After well combined,  mix in date paste and then coconut extract and Stevia.

5. In separate medium bowl combine dry ingredients until well mixed.

6. While mixer is going slowly add mixed dry ingredients into large mixing bowl with wet ingredients. Mix until well combined.

7. Fold in chopped pineapple.

8. Place large spoonfuls into greased or lined muffin pan.

9. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.

Serves 12 large muffins

 

 

 

 

Put the banana in the coconut

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On a cooler day what’s more perfect then waking up and having warm banana bread in a bowl? As a bonus you can feel amazing that you feed your body some nutrient rich carbs and lean protein.  Yum.

I love LOVE polenta.  When cooked stove top it has the consistency of oat bran. It can also be shaped and used for dinner dishes as well,  see Grilled Arepas. Since it is corn based it is gluten free. But  for those not concerned with wheat allergies,  you can just enjoy the comforting taste.

Entering recipes I modify or create has been a little of a challenge for me. Let’s say it’s definitely keeping me honest.  Before I was one of those people that would look at a recipe and go hmmmm, ok a little of this, and a pinch of that. My husband would always ask me, “are you following the recipe this time?”. 95% percent of the time the answer comes with a smile and a no. I have been working on measuring and writing exactly what I put in ;) . This recipe was modified from an orange polenta recipe I stumbled across on Eatingwell.com

The key to getting the warm soft bread feeling is adding chopped frozen banana.  Something about frozen bananas.

Now I have to either follow the recipe or measure out what I am putting in so you guys can recreate. I think this takes me to the next level of cooker/baker in training. Hopefully.  And as a bonus I can recreate as well. J

Banana Coconut Polenta adapted from Eating well

1 chopped frozen  banana

¼ cup blueberries

2 cups of water

1 ½ cup almond milk

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup fine cornmeal

¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

½ cup non fat or Greek style yogurt

1 ½ Tbsp agave or honey

1 tsp coconut extract

  1. Combine water, milk and salt in a large pot and bring to a boil. Gradually whisk in cornmeal and coconut.  Return to a boil.
  2. While stirring add in coconut extract, banana, and 1 tbsp of agave.
  3. Reduce heat to a medium-low to maintain an even bubble and whisk until the polenta thickens 1-5 minutes (depending on instant polenta or fine cornmeal).
  4. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
  5. In a separate bowl combine yogurt, blueberries and remaining agave.
  6. Spoon out a serving of the polenta and top with dollop of yogurt mixture.

End result of indecisiviness

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Is indecisiveness even a word?

At work its go, go, go. Then I come home and I have the hardest time making the simplest decisions. Does this sound familiar? These tasty snack cookies are the result of this inability to decide.

I say snack cookies because they have a whole bunch of good nutrients not to mention protein from yogurt and eggs, and healthy fat from almond butter with very little added sugar.  The recipe came about because I had a whole bunch of bananas quickly turning brown, and I wanted to make a somewhat healthy cookie. I had a hard time choosing what would go best with bananas: coconut or chocolate. It all sounded good together, so I thought why not?? Then I had to decided what type of chocolate: chips or M&Ms? Apparently my inner kid made an appearance because both were chosen as well. And as you can see by my flour list I stuck to the variety theme. It’s the spice of life right??  You could make your life easier and just use 1 or 2 different types of flour, but that isn’t fun right??

I lucked out- they ended up really moist and delicious! Got a thumbs up from the fiance. Next challenge- sticking to very small ingredient list while baking. Hmmm

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies (with a twist)

              Ingredients:

Trader Joe’s – Oatmeal Organic, 3/4 cup

Hodgson Mill Oat Bran Hot Cereal – Oatbran, 1/4 cup dry

Bob’s Red Mill – Almond Meal/Flour, 1/4 cup

Trader Joes – White Whole Wheat Flour, 3/4 cup

Bob’s Red Mill – High Fiber Coconut Flour  ¼ cup

Bob’s Red Mill – Tapioca Flour, ½ cup

Trader Joe’s – Organic Turbinado Raw Cane Sugar, 1 tsp

Trader Joe’s – Organic Blue Agave Sweetener, 4 tbsp

Whole Foods – Unsweetened Shredded Organic Coconut, 8 tbsp

Trader Joe’s – Organic Nonfat Plain Yogurt, 3/4 cup

Eggs – Whole Egg, Large, Canada Gr A, 2 egg, large

4 Bananas mashed

Trader Joe’s – Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips, ¾ cup

M&Ms Plain ¼ cup

Earth Balance – Butter – Original, 1 Tbsp

Trader Joe’s – Almond Butter, Creamy With Sea Salt, 1 Tbsp

1 TBsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 Tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease cookie pan

2. Combine flours, add other dry ingredients (minus sugar).

3. Whisk eggs, add in yogurt, butter and sugar. When mixed, then add in remaining wet ingredients.

4. Gently add wet ingredients to dry stirring carefully. When mixed, add in mashed bananas. Fold in chocolate goodies.

5. Drop onto cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Be careful not to overcook, they will not brown too much.

Depending on the size of your cookie you can get 60-70 cookies out of this recipe!