ChocoChia Mousse

Need:

1/3 cup white chia

1 can coconut milk

cacao powder (to taste, about 1/2 cup)

sweetener of choice (honey for paleo, agave nectar for vegans) to taste

A vessel you can seal and store in the refrigerator (I prefer mason jars for…everything)

Method:

Pour coconut milk into vessel of choice, follow that with the chia seeds, cacao and sweetener, you’ll need a few taste tests to get the right amount of cacao and sweetener, add a little at a time and test frequently, over sweetening could prove disastrous.  I always try to remember what my Grammy taught me…sometimes less really is more!  Put the lid on and give it a good shake, store in the refrigerator overnight, by the morning you’ll have a moussey, chocolately, chia delight. Enjoy!

xx

Paleolithic Parsnips: Sour Cream & Onion Matchsticks

I am, as a rule, not one to jump on ban wagons and follow trendy fads.  But due to my pancreas issues, the Paleo Diet has captured my attention.  While it is an amazing diet for losing weight my goal is to stabilize my blood sugar, spikes and drops of which leave me weak as a kitten.  I’m generally not a fan of meat but I tolerate some chicken cut up on top of my salads etc.  The real pull of this diet, however, are the constraints and the culinary creativity required to create exciting and enticing meals.

That being said prepare yourself for Paleo friendly snacking with my Paleolithic Parsnips, a take on the addicting sour cream and onion chip without ANY guilt…NONE.

Also prepare yourself for few measurements, the beauty of this recipe is to season “to taste”.  Just take it easy on the salt, while there’s no real limit to the salt you can add the parsnips have this beautiful sweet earthy flavor that about two healthy pinches of salt enhance.  Don’t mask the beautiful nature of your foods!

Ingredients

Parsnips (cut down into matchstick sizes, variation is okay as this will add texture later on)

1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)

To taste: salt, pepper, onion powder, a healthy squeeze of lemon juice

Method

1. Preheat Oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Combine all the other ingredients, mix well using your hands (before washing off the oil I rub it in for a few minutes, the spices and salt act like exfoliates and the coconut oil is moisturizing…PALEO)

3. Spread parsnip bits into a single layer on your baking sheet.

4. Bake 15 minutes, remove from oven, stir around the bits and redistribute into a single layer.  Bake an additional 10 minutes.  Keep an eye on your parsnips, I prefer mine with some burned bits as they add an interesting flavor/texture, but remove yours when they start to brown a bit if you must.

5. LET THEM COOL A BIT, I burnt my tongue eating them fresh out of the oven!

I sprinkle these on top of my salads or use for a snack while I’m on a Netflix Binge (did you know they have ten seasons of Friends on there? Yeah…)

Enjoy!

xx