Thursday, March 31, 2016

Toasted Coconut Tapioca Pudding with Tropical Fruit (AIP, Paleo, Vegan)

Toasted Coconut Tapioca Pudding with Tropical Fruit (AIP, Paleo, Vegan)

I developed & photographed this recipe last spring; however, I forgot about it until recently when I rediscovered the photos while reorganizing old files. I thought it was a great one to share, even a year later. :)

Toasted Coconut Tapioca Pudding with Tropical Fruit (AIP, Paleo, Vegan)

I’ve previously posted about tapioca pudding (and you can also find the recipe in my e-book AIP & Paleo Holiday Sweet Treats), but I love how this combination takes basic tapioca to the next level. Perhaps it’s just me, but over time as I’m regularly consuming more coconut products, I find myself losing the flavor of coconut. For example, just using coconut milk in a recipe no longer tastes very coconut-y to me. But adding toasted coconut to a recipe, like in this pudding, brings that roast-y, toast-y coconut-y flavor right back.

Toasted Coconut Tapioca Pudding with Tropical Fruit (AIP, Paleo, Vegan)

While the toasted coconut tapioca pudding is great all on it’s own; I topped mine with a tropical fruit mixture both to add extra fruit servings and to keep with the tropical theme of the toasted coconut pudding. I diced pineapple, mango & kiwi & added a spritz of lime juice & a tiny drizzle of honey, but you could use whatever tropical-isn fruits you prefer or can find. I think passion fruit could make an excellent addition, as could papaya and/or banana etc.

Toasted Coconut Tapioca Pudding with Tropical Fruit (AIP, Paleo, Vegan)

Tapioca pudding does take a little planning to make—tapioca pearls need to soften before cooking—but I still think the inactive prep time is worth it. And leftovers with additional coconut milk as a sort of porridge make an excellent treat breakfast (with some protein and perhaps vegetables too).

Toasted Coconut Tapioca Pudding with Tropical Fruit (AIP, Paleo, Vegan)

Toasted Coconut Tapioca Pudding with Tropical Fruit 
yield’s 3 to 4 small servings

44 g Small Tapioca Pearls
3/4 c Filtered Water (I use this water filter)
1-13.5 oz can Coconut Milk (I use this brand and weigh out 13.5 oz)
1 tsp Gluten Free Vanilla Extract 
2 Tbl Grade A Dark Amber Maple Syrup (or other AIP sweetener of choice)
40 g / 1/2 c Toasted Unsweetened Coconut, plus extra for garnish, if desired

  1. Combine the tapioca pearls and water in a small sauce pan. Allow the pearls to soften for at least an hour. 
  2. Meanwhile, toast the coconut in a 350 F oven on a parchment lined baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring a couple times. Do not burn. Alternately, the coconut can be toasted in a dry skillet over medium high heat, stirring constantly. 
  3. Once the pearls have softened, add the coconut milk, vanilla extract, and maple syrup. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat, stirring often. When the mixture reaches a simmer, add the toasted coconut, reduce the heat to medium low & continue cooking, still stirring, until the pudding thickens and the pearls begin turning translucent, approximately 15 minutes total. 
  4. Cool slightly. Serve warm (my personal preference) or refrigerate until cold. Top with tropical fruits, & an extra dusting of toasted coconut, if desired. 
Tropical Fruit Salad 
Pineapple, diced
Mango, diced
Kiwi, diced
Lime juice
Honey (optional, depending on sweetness of the fruit; substitute maple syrup to keep vegan)

  1. Mix together diced tropical fruits, such as pineapple, mango, and kiwi (or add other favorites, if desired). 
  2. Squeeze a little fresh lime juice over the fruit & drizzle with a little honey, if desired. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. 
  3. Spoon the fruit salad over the prepared tapioca pudding just before serving.
This post is included in the Paleo AIP Recipe Roundtable #115

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Friday, March 4, 2016

AIP Red Sangria & "The Healing Kitchen" review + giveaway

Red Sangria from "The Healing Kitchen"  {AIP, paleo, alcohol free}

It is my pleasure to not only gush about my love of the newest autoimmune protocol (AIP) cookbook The Healing Kitchen and share a recipe for Red Sangria (AIP, Paleo, alcohol-free), but also to be able to giveaway a SIGNED COPY of the book to one of my readers! Full details can be found towards the end of the post.


In January, I spent over a week cooking almost exclusively from the newest AIP cookbook The Healing Kitchen by Alaena Haber (from Grazed and Enthused) and Sarah Ballantyne (from The Paleo Mom). Even though I’m a pretty good cook & enjoy creating my own recipes, there is something really wonderful about making other peoples’ recipes. It is specially when those other people are your friends & you know the recipes will not only be delicious, but nutrient dense & completely autoimmune protocol (AIP) compliant. Whenever I get a new cookbook, I usually sit down & add tags or sticky notes to the recipes I’d like to eventually make. With The Healing Kitchen, I found myself wanting to tag nearly all the recipes! I narrowed my initial “to-make” list down to what I could manage in a week-and-a-half, but I have no doubt that I’ll be making many many more recipes from this amazing cookbook in the future.

Before I show the recipes I personally tried, here are a few general observations about The Healing Kitchen:

  • The recipes are delicious! We loved every recipe I made. Everything was bursting with flavor & nothing was remotely bland, like many people may first believe AIP will be. Pizza. Tacos. Barbecue. Asian cuisine. Alaena & Sarah replicated flavors of traditional favorites into fully AIP compliant variations that I would feel confident serving to even non-AIP/Paleo friends and family. 
  • The recipes are easy. None of the recipes I tried were overly complicated, nor do they require terribly complicated ingredients.  
  • This book is great for people new to AIP and to seasoned veterans who’d like to spice up (haha!) their meals and get out of a food rut.
Dinners from The Healing Kitchen 
AIP Dinners from "The Healing Kitchen"
Taco Night! (Toasted Lime Cilantro Cauli-Rice, Taco Beef, Easy Guacamole) | Date Night Pizza! (Thin Crust Pizzas made into ham & pineapple Pizza & BBQ pizza with slaw, salad greens with Greek Dressing & Red Sangria) | BBQ Feast (pressure cooked BBQ pulled pork, Tangy Carolina BBQ Sauce, Fennel Mandarin Slaw Garlic Roasted Broccoli) | Meat Loaf (Caramelized Onion & Herb Meatloaf, Carrot Pilaf with lemon & Parsley, Roasted Brussels with Bacon & Cinnamon) | Salmon (Bacon-Date Crusted Salmon, Sweet Potato & Kale “Rice” Salad) 

Lunches from The Healing Kitchen 
AIP Lunches from "The Healing Kitchen"
Speedy Shanghai Stir Fry | Raisin & Spice Meatballs with Sweet Potato & kale “Rice” Salad | Pumpkin Chili 

Breakfasts from The Healing Kitchen
AIP Breakfasts from "The Healing Kitchen"
Crispy Salmon Hash | Bacon Herb Biscuit sandwiches with American Breakfast Sausage | Baked Carrot-Banana Bread N’oatmeal | Ollie’s DIY Sunrise Hash 

Treats & Snacks from The Healing Kitchen
AIP Treats & Snacks from "The Healing Kitchen"
Apple Crumble | Pumpkin Roll with Clementine Cream | Lemon Ginger Energy Balls 

Drinks 
Red Sangria from "The Healing Kitchen"  {AIP, paleo, alcohol free}
Red Sangria 

Alaena & Sarah have graciously allowed me to share the recipe for the Red Sangria with you. I’ve made this recipe more than 3 times so far & I foresee making it many more times in the future too. Since I usually drink water (or tea or occasionally green juice), having a mocktail like this one was really a treat, especially in social settings where everyone else is indulging in wine or cocktails or soda.

This “sangria” tastes like the real deal, only it isn’t made with wine that can perpetuate leaky gut. It’s great not just for people avoiding alcohol on AIP, but also for pregnant ladies & those who abstain from alcohol in general. I mixed my sangria mixture with blood orange kombucha. So delicious!

Red Sangria from "The Healing Kitchen"  {AIP, paleo, alcohol free}

Red Sangria
reprinted, with permission, from The Healing Kitchen by Alaena Haber & Sarah Ballantyne 

1 1/2 c pomegranate juice
1 pear, diced
3 strips fresh orange peel
1/2 lemon, sliced thinly
5 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 (16-oz) bottle unflavored kombucha, chilled
ice, for serving (optional)
  1. Combine all the ingredients except kombucha in a large glass jar or pitcher. Place in the refrigerator to steep for at least 8 hours or overnight. 
  2. Just before serving, remove the cloves & cinnamon stick and stir in the kombucha. Serve over ice, if desired. 

Note from Laura:
  • I substituted blood orange kombucha for the unflavored kombucha because I love blood orange kombucha. 
  • I also added a few orange slices for fun. 

GIVEAWAY! 
In January, I was fortunate to attend a book signing at Book People in Austin, TX for "The Healing Kitchen." Alaena and Sarah graciously gave me a signed giveaway copy of their amazing cookbook to pass along to one of my readers! 

THK Austin Signing: Alaena, Laura, Sarah
Thanks to Charissa (No Cook Paleo) for taking this photo of Alaena, me, & Sarah

To enter, please use the Rafflecopter widget below. This contest is open to both US and international entries, though the winner may receive an unsigned copy if a non-US resident is chosen. The contest will run through Tuesday March 15, 2016. May the odds be ever in your favor! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Additional reviews of "The Healing Kitchen"


Full disclosure: I did receive a complementary review copy of this cookbook, as well as a giveaway copy. However, I loved the recipes SO much that I purchased a copy for my parents :) I would never recommend any resource that I didn't stand behind 100%. 

This recipe is included in the Phoenix Helix Paleo AIP Recipe Roundtable #111

This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting "Sweet Treats."