Chocolate brownie paleo style

This chocolate brownie cake was the result of experimenting from ingredients I had to hand.  I don't think quantities are too critical.

Ingredients

12 soft, dried figs
600g sweet potatoes
3 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp agave syrup
1 tsp baking powder
handful cocoa nibs
1 egg

Peel, cop and boil the sweet potatoes until soft, then drain and mash.
Blend the figs in a food processor.
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.  Grease and line 2 1lb loaf tins.  Put half of the mixture in each.
Bake at 170 degrees C for 25 mins or until firm.

More meal ideas

I work from home so am able to cook quick meals at lunchtime.  (Sorry that these photos haven't been cropped I can't work out how to do it!).  It's very quick and easy to make beans on toast or a sandwich, but with a bit of fore thought these meals are just as quick, and are bread-free and will stop you feeling hungry for longer because they are full of protein.

Pan-fried hake

This lunch is pan-fried hake, asparagus and samphire sprinkled with chopped dill.  All of the ingredients were simply fried in a frying pan in olive oil for about 5 mins.  The samphire is slightly salty, so a mouthful of hake, a bit of asparagus and a twig is samphire is delicious.

Hake is very similar to cod, and is available from the fish counter or from the frozen section.

I bought the samphire from Tesco so I imagine it is widely available.

When cooking asparagus it is important to snap off the base of the stem as it can be a bit tough

Salmon, eggs and spinach

This meal takes 2 pans.  

For the poached eggs, heat a saucepan of water to a rolling boil.

While it is coming to the boil, heat a little olive or coconut oil in a frying pan.  Chop up a slice of smoked salmon and fry quickly and add 2 handfuls of spinach and just allow it to wilt.  Remove from the heat.

When the water has come to the boil, swirl it with a wooden spoon, then break the eggs into the middle of the swirl.  Boil for 2 mins.

Arrange nicely on a plate with some chopped parsley if you like.

Rocket, halloumi crisps and egg

This is just a big heap of rocket, wafer thin slices of halloumi fried in a dry frying pan, topped with a fried egg, fried in a little coconut oil.

Very simple, but very healthy and satisfying.

Dairy products, such as cheese, aren't strictly paleo, but in small quantities add variety and make the eating plan easier to follow.  I'm far more likely to stick to a way of eating if it is flexible and enjoyable.

Breakfasts

Breakfast is traditionally a bowl of cereal or piece of toast.  These are both very carb-rich options.  Breakfast cereals were only invented fairly recently and have become a convenient, quick and supposedly healthy way to start the day.  However, most contain a high proprortion of sugar and simple carbs which causes them to have a low glycaemic index (GI) which means they don't keep you feeling full for very long.  The lower the GI of a food, the quicker the carbs are absorbed into the blood stream.  Hence after an 8am breakfast you can be feeling hungry again by about 10am.

Porridge is meant to be a slower-absorbing option, and I always used to eat porridge for breakfast, but always felt hungry again by mid-morning. 

A piece of toast and marmalade is delicious, but, even if it's wholemeal or granary, it's not a paleo option.

On an earlier post I have given the recipe for banana pancakes, my all-time favourite breakfast.  Her are a few more ideas which are nearly as delicious...

Nut granola

Nut granola

In a food processor, whizz a handful each of whole almonds, whole hazelnuts and walnuts.

Put them in a bowl with a handful of coconut, either desiccated or shavings, a handful of sunflower seeds and a spoonful of runny honey and mix.

Grease an oven tray with coconut oil and spread the nut mix on the tray.  Bake for 10 mins or so or until golden in an oven at 170 degrees C.

Leave to cool then break up and store in a large jar or tin.

It can be served with Greek yoghurt and fruit.You only need a sprinkling as it's very filling.

Paleo fry up

Fry up

This photo has been chopped in half somehow!  A fry up is also a low carb breakfast.  Leave out bread and toast, just serving bacon, good quality sausages, mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach, eggs.  Frying in coconut oil is meant to be a healthy substitute vegetable oils but some brands can make the breakfast taste coconutty.  I generally use a little olive oil.

The paleo diet is not a low-fat diet.  The body needs fat to function correctly and consuming fat can help to increase the body's metabolism. 

It was in the news last week that for years people have been told to cut out fat in order to lose weight, increasing consumption of potatoes to 'fill you up'.  Suggestions were made that this incorrect advice has led to the obesity epidemic.

Both these breakfasts will leave you feeling satisfied, not full up, and not hungry until lunchtime! 

Beautiful North Wales

Beautiful North Wales

This is the view from the front of my house in February this year - Snowdon is the peak on the far left.

Sunset over Snowdonia - the sun is setting between the peaks of Snowdon and Crib Goch.


North Wales famed for its mountains, but less well known is its fabulous coastline - particularly in the west and north west.  The Lleyn Peninsular is particularly beautiful.

Porthmadog Harbour

We have a little boat moored in Porthmadog harbour.  One of our favourite trips is from Porthmadog sailing about 5 miles south past Harlech beach and the town of Harlech with its spectacular castle, to Shell Island.  This is a semi-natural harbour where we can generally pick up a mooring and have a swim in the warm lagoon water, at this time of year listening to the skylarks singing.

View of Harlech Castle and Rhinog Mountains

Porthmadog and Harlech are in Cardigan Bay, which is a very sheltered and shallow area of sea stretching from the Lleyn Peninsular in the north to Cardigan in the south.  The water can be crystal clear because it is sandy-bottomed.
We have often seen bottle-nosed and common dolphins, porpoises, grey seals and lots of seabirds including puffins.  Puffins are currently nesting on the islands off Aberdaron and we are planning a trip tomorrow morning to see them.

Abersoch sunset

Tonight we will be spending the night moored in Abersoch.
Eating paleo is not always easy when we are out and about, and relies heavily on fruit and nuts!  We have a little cooker on the boat, so I'll have bacon and egg.  Hopefully mackerel as well, but it may be a bit early in the season for catching them.

Low Carbs and Exercise

This morning's breakfast

Banana pancakes

Mash a banana.  Mix with an egg.  Heat a small bit of coconut oil in a non stick frying pan and fry the pancake batter in 3 dollops.  They're a bit fragile so take care when turning.  Serve with full fat Greek yoghurt and grapes.

Variations are to add a bit of coconut flour and some milk or coconut water.  This makes the pancakes more fragile but taste more coconutty.  Adding vanilla protein powder also gives a different flavour.  Ruby has mixed in peanut butter, and she whisks the batter in a food processor.  There are all sorts of variations on the basic recipe.

I drink green tea usually but now my lemon verbena and mint bushes have reached a decent size in the garden, I also infuse a leaf or two in boiling water for 5 mins or so to make a gorgeous healthy brew.

More breakfasts and packed lunches to follow, when I have managed to get some photos!

Exercise

Carbs are essential when exercising.  After lunch today I will be doing a half hour chest workout followed by a pads session (boxing).  As I am meeting my daughter for lunch I will be having soup from the local deli, which will probably contain potatoes, I know I will have a few carbs on board for the exercise session.  I always take a protein shake for after my workout, which, although contains few carbs, does provide a protein hit, which will later be converted to carbs.