Banana Walnut Bread

My husband, Steven, surprised me with a small gift recently - my first bread pan!!  I suppose you know you're an adult when bread pans as gifts excite you  ;)  My new toy needed some breaking in, so I started perusing some - what else? - Paleo banana bread recipes. Doesn't everyone love banana bread? This girl sure does. I'm especially fond of Starbuck's super sugary one, but for obvious reasons, that is not an indulgence I partake in often.

I am pleased to report that this Paleo version of a traditional banana bread is suuuuper convincing.  The hubby and I both agreed we couldn't tell much of a difference between it and the "real" thing. It's also ridiculously easy to make - throw your ingredients in a food processor, blend, pour, and bake - which makes it a definite keeper in my book.

A slice of this Banana Walnut Bread pairs perfectly with a morning cup of coffee, and is even better smeared with just a touch of grass-fed butter or almond butter (or other nut butter of your choice).  Healthy fats, FTW!

Banana Walnut Bread

Serving Size: Recipe makes one 5 x 9 - inch loaf (8 thick or 10 thinner slices)

Ingredients:

6 large eggs

1/3 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

8 Tbsp coconut oil

3/4 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup almond flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup ripe bananas, mashed (about 2 large bananas)

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Place all ingredients, except the walnuts and cinnamon, in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.

3) Pour mixture into a loaf pan (don't forget your non-stick spray) and sprinkle chopped walnuts and cinnamon evenly across the top.

4) Bake for 45-50 minutes or until tester-toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with just a few moist crumbs.

5) Cool for 10 minutes before inverting bread onto a cooling rack.  

Dark Chocolate Coconut Paleo Truffles

Mmmmmm truffles <3

Just the mere mention of the word and I'm instantly transported to another time(s) - mainly, all the Valentine's Days of yester-years.  As a young girl, one of my favorites parts about the holiday was always the anticipation of receiving my big box of Russel Stover Assorted Chocolates from mom & dad, and eagerly biting into each, never knowing for sure what was waiting on the inside...chocolate ganache, chewy caramel, creamy cherry filling?  Even now, as an adult with a pretty strong sense of self-control, I am still SO SO SUPER DUPER tempted every Valentine's Day by the grocery aisles full of those pretty red, heart-shaped boxes!  

These truffles definitely feel like a "cheat", but they are, without a doubt, a much healthier version of the truffle than anything you'll find from Mr. Stover.  They're covered in healthy dark chocolate and filled with chewy, sweet coconut.  I'm REALLY excited to share this recipe with you - super easy, and I know you'll love them!

The recipe makes 18-21 Truffles.  If you're anything like my husband and I, that amount will last you approximately...2 days ;)  Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Coconut Paleo Truffles

Ingredients:

2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

4 Tbsp maple syrup

5 Tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 ounces dark chocolate for melting

Directions: 

1. Pulse the coconut in a food processor until the texture becomes like thick flour.  Transfer to a bowl and add the maple syrup and coconut oil.  Stir until a thick paste forms.

2. Using your hands, squeeze the mixture into 18-21 small balls.  Place the coconut balls in the fridge for ~30 minutes or until firm.

3. Melt the chocolate slowly and gently until smooth and spreadable (using either a double-boiler or your microwave).

4. Lay out a sheet of wax paper.  Using two forks, roll each coconut ball in the chocolate until completely covered.  Scoop the ball out with the fork and let the extra chocolate drip off the fork.  Gently place the truffle onto wax paper and chill until the chocolate has hardened.  Store in the fridge. 

Spicy Kale and Coconut Chicken Soup

This post is long overdue!  My apologies for the hiatus, guys.  Last week was a busy one!

This past Saturday, the gym where I train - Tribe Fitness - hosted its first Bring a Friend Day.  Members were asked to bring a friend with them to visit Tribe and compete in a partner-style WOD.  The day was a huge success!  I had a blast meeting the spouses, relatives, friends, and co-workers of some of our members.  As always, I was uplifted and inspired getting to witness them encourage and push one another through a pretty intense workout.  I'm very blessed to work at a gym where no-one is just a number...we are truly a family.  New faces are always welcomed with open arms and hearts that want to help.  To say this job is one of the best things to ever happen to me would be an understatement!  Thank you to everyone who came and made the day so much fun! :)  Go Team TRIBE!

Anyone else having a hard time believing we are already 11 days into March?  Daylight Savings this past weekend hit me hard - the older I get, the more difficult it is to bounce back from losing an hour :/  However, I'm SO loving this warmer weather.  Today, we're supposed to hit 80 degrees in Athens!  Yes, yes, yes!!!

That being said, it seems not-all-that-fitting to share a recipe for soup, BUT this is one that you definitely need to try...so I'm doing it anyway :)  This soup is spicy, savory, creamy, and simply put, amazing.  The hubby and I were both blown away by how tasty it is.  One of the best Paleo soups we've tried, and now one of our favorites. Better yet?  It's incredibly healthy!

We LOVE spicy food in this house, so the heat in this soup was one of our favorite parts about it. However,  you can totally leave out the paprika and cayenne spices and this soup will still be delicious.  I can't promise I won't tease you relentlessly for not being able to handle spicy food though ;)

Spicy Kale and Coconut Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 Tbsp coconut oil

8 cups chicken stock

1 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 can coconut milk

1 cup chopped roma tomatoes

1 Tbsp fresh garlic, minced

2 cups chopped kale

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp ginger

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne

Directions:

1) Cook chicken in pan with coconut oil, then cut cooked chicken into bite-size pieces.

2) Pour chicken broth into large soup pot.

3) Chop carrots and onion and add to chicken broth over medium heat.  Boil for 10 minutes or until carrots are soft.

4) Add garlic, spices, tomato, and chicken to broth.

5) Add coconut milk and chopped kale.  Warm through, but don't allow to boil.