Paleo Carrot Cake Coconut Smoothie

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What do you do when you need a "reset"? 

Last week, we had a really grey day. It wasn't just cloudy--it actually hailed and snowed before the clouds gave way! It left a heavy feeling on everything: spring's first daffodils sagged to the ground, people moved slowly, and my pep, which often correlates with sunny weather, settled at ho-hum levels. 

Often my "reset" button is going for a run. When I'm in a rut, running is like mediation for me. The practice of mediation usually emphasizes not thinking at all, but I struggle with that. The meditative state I find while on a run is different. It's quiet so that I can reflect, but I can't think too hard. Instead my mind just wanders in an unconstrained stream of consciousness. 

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I love the freedom that comes with running, so when I awoke to that grey, grey day last week, I was sort of bummed. Not only was the cloud cover leaving me feeling "blah," it was keeping me from enjoying springtime on the trail. I needed something to make the morning brighter. The answer: a Paleo Carrot Cake Coconut Smoothie.

The color of this smoothie was enough to get me excited. And then I took a sip, and left that grey-mood on the floor. It was creamy and luscious (thank you, coconut milk!), and bright and fresh (an you too, fresh ginger and pineapple!). I used coconut water, which is great for hydration--this smoothie probably would makes a great post run gulp, but hey--sometimes you wake up to hail and you just have to take life as it comes. Packed with Vitamins A and C, this smoothie is a powerhouse in a glass and totally brightened my week. I hope it can do the same for you! 

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Paleo Carrot Cake Coconut Smoothie

Published March 15, 2015 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 2   |    Total Time: 10 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 2 medium-sized carrots, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup coconut water
• 1/2 cup milk of choice (dairy, nut milk, coconut milk, etc)
• 1/2 cup pineapple, fresh, frozen or canned
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• 1 banana, frozen
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch teaspoon cloves
• Pinch teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 cup crushed ice
• 1 tablespoon toasted coconut, for garnish

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients aside from toasted coconut to blender and puree until smooth.
2. Pour into two glasses, and garnish with toasted coconut. Serve cold.

Creamed Fennel and Cauliflower Soup (Paleo & Vegan)

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Last week I went to my dads house carrying a basket full of apples, and some how left his house with a lot more. The apple tree in the backyard is officially up for harvesting (so expect a lot of apple recipes coming your way soon), and I have plenty of apple love to share. (Apples are my favorite. The fact that I'm giving them away must mean that there are a lot of apple in the backyard). The garden at my Dad's house was flourishing, and with a lot more than apples--Kale, chard, basil, cucumbers, fennel. He loaded me up. There was so much kale growing in the garden bed that he said, "You have to take a bunch of kale home for every other vegetable you pick". 

Fair enough. (Actually, fair is the wrong word. I think I won that bargain...)

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One of the vegetables I picked was a fennel bulb the size of my abdomen. (Seriously. This thing  was large enough to be shaped into a fennel body suit). Even after pulling off all of the fronds, the bulb was probably twice as big as my face. Intimidating? Yes. But I know better than to fear an oversized vegetable.

Into the Instant Pot it went! Along with some bone broth, onion, garlic, and cauliflower. I made this soup the day after having my wisdom teeth removed, and pureeing it was the only answer. It took out the chew factor, but it also converted the soup into a lusciously creamy treat that was perfect for snuggling up on the couch with. 

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Enjoy this while fennel is in season! It's super easy. Now... does any one have a good recipe for Fennel Fronds? I tried making a pesto--not impressed. 

Creamed Fennel and Cauliflower Soup

Paleo, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free    |   Caitlin Sherwood    

This soup get it’s creamy texture from cauliflower.

Serves: 4   |    Total Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

For the salad:
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 white onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 extra large or 2 medium sized fennel bulbs, stalks and fronds removed
• 1 pound cauliflower florets
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 3 cups broth (bone broth or vegetable broth)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Optional: Truffle oil, for serving
• Optional: Black pepper for serving (NOTE: this recipe is AIP-friendly if you skip the pepper).

Directions:

1. Slice the onions, mince the garlic, and chop the fennel. If your cauliflower is not already chopped into florets, do that now. In the bottom of your pressure cooker, heat up the coconut oil. Sauté the onions until translucent. Add the garlic, fennel, and cauliflower. Sauté for 5-10 minutes, until the edges of the vegetables begin to turn golden.
2. Pour the broth and coconut milk into the pot. Add salt. Cook on the soup setting for at least 5 minutes.
3. Once the pressure cooker is done cooking, release the pressure and remove the lid. Use a standing blender or an immersion blender to puree the soup to a smooth, creamy consistency.
4. Scoop into serving bowls and drizzle with truffle oil. Top with freshly cracker pepper, and garnish with a left over fennel frond. Serve hot.

Paleo Cream of Mushroom Soup with Bacon and Leeks (yup, dairy free!)

Confession: I love mushrooms so much that it takes a lot of self control not to eat them all while I'm chopping them. 

Somehow, enough mushrooms actually ended up in the soup pot for this "cream-of" soup to become Cream of Mushroom Soup. You know that saying "good things come to those that wait"? Yea. Good things come to those that wait. 

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See, while the mushrooms sit on the cutting board, they're foamy little bites with earthy flavors that are extraordinarily fun to eat. But once they've been seared, seasoned, and drowned in a creamy broth, they become savory, meaty and rich. 

Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup blows the canned stuff out of the water, and not just in flavor and style. It is actually truly nourishing with whole ingredients, healing broth, and no mystery additives. Besides, this homemade version comes with bacon, and you can't beat that. Walking the line between creamy and gravy, this soup sticks to your bones. Each creamy bite is infused with the flavors of fresh herbs, leeks, and mushrooms. Little bits of bacon give your something to go searching for. An empty bowl begs to be licked clean. 

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Cream of Mushroom Soup with Bacon and Leeks

Primal, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free    |   Caitlin Sherwood    

Who invented the canned stuff anyways? No offense, but they were totally off the mark.

Serves: 3   |    Total Time: 60 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 3 slices bacon
• 1 small leek
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 medium white onion
• 20 ounces mushrooms, crimini or baby portobellos
• 2 tablespoons dry peppery red wine (such as Zinfandel or Pinot)
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder OR corn starch
• 1 cup bone broth
• 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk OR 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon rosemary, fresh, minced
• 1 tablespoon thyme, fresh, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons chives, fresh, minced

Directions:

1. Chop the bacon into bite-sized bits. Toss the pieces in the bottom of a soup pot over medium heat. Stir the bacon occasionally as it bacon cooks. Meanwhile, prepared the vegetables: remove the green parts of the leek and chop the white parts into thin slices. Mince the garlic, and finely dice the onion. Wash and slice the mushrooms.
2. When the bacon is crispy, use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon pieces from the pot (leaving the grease). Set the bacon bits aside for later. Add the leek slices to the hot pot, cooking them until just browning. Use a slotted spoon to remove about a quarter or the leeks, to use for garnishing later. Leave the rest of the leeks in the pot, and add the onion, garlic, and mushrooms. (Tip: To get a good sear on the mushrooms, it's important to have plenty of oil in the pan. If you pan seems a bit dry, add about a tablespoon of coconut oil before adding the mushrooms. It will depend on your bacon). Stir the vegetables occasionally, allowing them to sear and cook through.
3. Pour in the wine, scraping the bottom of the pot as you do. When the vegetables start look soft, add the arrowroot powder. Sprinkle it evenly over the vegetables, and then still once or twice, just until the powder is well distributed.
4. Add the bone broth and the coconut milk. Stir briefly to ensure no clumps of arrowroot form. Bring the soup to a simmer. Add the rosemary and thyme to the soup along with salt and pepper.
5. Allow the soup to simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes. This will allow the broth to thicken and the flavors to blend. Ladle warm soup into bowl and top with a sprinkle of reserved leeks, bacons bits, and minced chives.