POTG Test Kitchen

Sometimes you need a little something sweet to eat. There are only 2 tablespoons of added sugar in this whole dish. The bulk of the sweetness comes from the apples themselves. If I were to make this at home, I would probably do it as a crisp. To keep carbs down there isn’t a whole lot of crust in the recipe, but I think if the crust was sprinkled on top then baked like a crisp it would be much better. Give it a try.

AIP/Keto Apple Pie Bars/Crisp

2018-07-03 08:58:57

Serves 12

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Total Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr

Filling

1. 2 T. coconut sugar
2. 5 apples peeled, cored, and cut into small dice
3. ½ tsp arrowroot powder
4. 1 tsp vanilla extract
5. 1/2 tsp cinnamon
6. 1/2 tsp ground mace

Crust

1. ½ cup tigernut flour
2. ½ cup coconut flour
3. ¼ cup arrowroot
4. ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
5. 5 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil, melted
6. 5 tablespoons water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease a 9×13 baking pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together tiger nut flour, arrowroot and salt, breaking up any lumps.
3. Add the oil to the bowl, stirring or using fingers to completely combine (it will have a moist, crumbly texture). Add the water, stirring until combined.
4. Press dough evenly on the bottom of the greased 9×13 pan.
5. Bake at 350 for 5 minutes until starting to get a little color. Remove.
6. In a large bowl, toss the apples, mace, cinnamon, arrowroot, vanilla, and sugar. Evenly spread this mixture over the baked pastry in the pan.
7. Bake for 15 minutes uncovered, until crust is brown. Remove from oven and cover with foil, return to oven and bake another 30 minutes until apples are tender. Cool and cut into 12 even squares.
8. This dessert can also be made as an apple crisp. Simply put the cut up apples on the bottom of the 9×13 pan, cover and bake for 15 minutes, then uncover and top with the crust mixture which you will sprinkle evenly over the top and bake for another 10 minutes.

By Executive Chef Ann Lotterhos

Paleo on the Go Test Kitchen http://blog.paleoonthego.com/

AIP/Keto Apple Pie Bar/Crisp – POTG Test Kitchen

I was thinking about travel and what an important part of my life it is.  I have an extensive list of destinations that I plan to visit with my husband in the upcoming years.  There is nothing like the excitement of planning an adventure into a completely different culture or environment.  

One thing we usually do is stay in a house or condominium rather than a hotel room.  The reason for this is that I’d rather not eat every meal out. Especially in the morning, I need to have a really good cup of coffee and a hearty breakfast.  I don’t want to be wasting half the day in restaurants waiting to be served rather than out hiking or seeing the sights.

That being said, I just assembled our Shutterfly photo books from the last two trips.  One was to Spain and Portugal and the other trip was to Peru. There were an alarming number of photos of us eating the local fare.  It looks as if we may have spent half the time eating, or maybe I just like photos of food. I don’t know.

I got to thinking about how I would handle it if I had a severe food allergy or allergies or needed to eat AIP to manage an autoimmune condition, on a vacation, especially one in another country.  Most people wouldn’t wonder about stuff like this but being a chef here at Paleo on the Go, where we prepare thousands of meals every week for people that can’t just eat any old thing, it made me wonder

A quick online search informed me that most airlines will permit you to bring frozen food packed in a cooler with dry ice as long as you check the cooler and notify them of the dry ice.  Each customer is limited to 5.5 pounds total of dry ice. The packaging must allow for the release of carbon dioxide gas.  This could be a big help so that you can use your own reliable local suppliers to get the food you need and prepare it ahead of time, freeze it and pack it in a box or cooler with some dry ice (you can get dry ice at most supermarkets, by the way).  If you did not want to do all of that, you could place an order with us for your meals and keep them in your condo refrigerator/freezer, and not have to worry about where to get AIP compliant food in a foreign country. When you stay in lodging that has its own kitchen, it’s nice because you have your options open to shop in the local markets which can be extremely colorful, and try some of the local produce, fish and meats.  

That reminds me of one of our customers who likes to cruise and she arranged for us to ship her week’s meals to the cruiseship dock where they were transferred to the ship’s galley and the chefs there were able to reheat the meals for her and supplement them with fresh salads, 

fruits and other AIP friendly foods that were available on board.  If you ever wanted to go that route, I’d recommend you type up a list of all the foods you can and cannot eat and give it to the chef on the first day so that they can work on special dishes for you. Here’s a secret – when you have a restricted diet, and you go into a restaurant or resort – the most experienced and best chef is going to be the one preparing your food.  The junior cooks won’t be able to handle it.

Our next trip this Spring is to Tuscany and then the Swiss Alps.  We are renting a villa outside Lucca and will drive the countryside during the day and retire to the villa at night to cook dinner from the local foods we plan to buy.  The following week, we are staying in a cute little town in Switzerland called Lauterbrunnen. I am still in the process of researching the local cuisine and what we will want to try when we get there – besides cheese and chocolate of course.  We are staying in a house there as well, which will be a wonderful place to rest after a long day of hiking and touring.

Every country has something wonderful that you can eat on an AIP diet.  It pays to do a little research ahead of time so that you can have some amazing culinary experiences in addition to the scenery, culture and art.  

 This just gave me an idea for the next post.  AIP around the world, with the best dishes from each country.  I still think about the char-grilled octopus I had in Naples, the ceviche in Lima, oh and Norway had that amazing fish soup, and the sausage in Germany was the best I ever had.  I don’t know about you but I’m getting very hungry about now.

 Talk to you soon;

 Chef Ann Lotterhos

Creamy Lemon Chicken Soup

by Krysten’s Kitchen | @KrystensKitchen

INGREDIENTS

avocado oil

2 yellow onions, diced

3 medium carrots, diced

3 stalks celery with leaves, diced

4 medium zucchini, sliced/quartered

1 shallot, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1.5 cups shredded chicken (you can add more or less)

1 hand full of spinach, ribboned

3 cups chicken broth, vegetable broth or water

sea salt to taste

1/4 to 1/3  cup coconut cream or full fat coconut milk

1/3 cup lemon juice (optional)

Directions:

Dice your onions, carrots and celery and put in a medium soup pot on medium heat with 3TB avocado oil. Sauté until onions are translucent. Add in zucchini, minced garlic, diced shallots and stir.

Pour your liquid of choice (chicken broth, vegetable broth or water) and stir. Mix in coconut cream and lemon juice.

Add in your shredded chicken and ribboned spinach and stir.

Add a pinch of sea salt if you like, serve and enjoy! YUM

Krysten’s Bio:

Krysten Dornik is an award winning food blogger specializing in allergy-friendly recipes. She believes in eating real food that is organic, healthy and satisfying. In 2015, Krysten launched Krysten’s Kitchen with the mission to share her years of research on healthy alternatives to everyday foods that those with food allergies can no longer eat, as well as talk about the companies that make healthy foods that taste great! After learning that she is also allergic to sugar and yeast, Krysten has a new drive to learn more about what companies and foods are out there to create new recipes in Krysten’s Kitchen. Website: KrystensKitchen.com

all social media – @KrystensKitchen

In case you are unaware, there is an old, ubiquitous villain in nutrition town. It is so sweet and seductive you might never suspect it could be responsible for all the havoc it has been creating.

I am talking about sugar – and it really is not so sweet!

You might be wondering why sugar is so awful?

What’s wrong with a sweet treat once in a while?

Sadly, that is one of the problems. Research has revealed that in 2012, the average American ate about 170 pounds of the sweet stuff, and this number is continuing to grow. This is way more than the occasional treat!

Sugar Hides Everywhere

Unsurprisingly, large quantities of sugar live in sodas, energy drinks, sports drinks, baked goods, and candy (you knew this). You might be surprised by how much sugar is added to products that have a fairly healthy reputation. Try checking out the labels of things like: yogurt, granola, salad dressings, protein powders, jarred pasta sauce, smoothies, bread, soup, peanut butter, and instant oatmeal. These products often pack in a ton of added sugar (you might gasp).

It turns out all this sugar consumption may not be totally our fault. Sugar is pretty sneaky stuff. It hides everywhere, and under many different aliases. At last count, sugar can be flying under the radar using over 60 different names.

Sugar Is An Addictive Substance

Have you ever wondered why you get a craving for sugar?  This used to be brushed aside or justified as a sweet tooth, but more and more scientific evidence shows that sugar may be as addictive as some illegal drugs. It turns out that when you consume sugar it stimulates huge amounts of a brain chemical called dopamine to be released.

Dopamine gets released during activities that are pleasurable. This can include sex, food, gambling, consuming certain illegal drugs, etc. Furthermore, dopamine tolerance can build up over time, meaning the more you do, the more you need to do. This is indeed a vicious cycle.

Breaking the Sugar Addiction

Maybe you’ve tried to kicking sugar to the curb in the past. You may have even succeeded.

Temporarily…

Sugar cravings are tough to keep at bay, and many find themselves giving in to its sweet seduction sooner or later. If this sounds like you, don’t feel bad, you have a lot of company.

There are a number of standard recommendations you’re likely to hear regarding breaking up with sugar.

• Get plenty of rest
• Lose the caffeine
• Drink more water
• Exercise

Today we will venture off this beaten path and take a look at 5 steps that REALLY work for quitting sugar once and for all.

Remove

This one sounds obvious but it is easier said than done. Get rid of all the obvious sources of sugar from your house and do not replace them! The easiest way to do this without having to spend hours reading labels is to eliminate anything that is packaged, canned, frozen (with a few exceptions, like frozen organic berries) or pre-cooked. Even potato chips have sugar in them.

It is here where you need a good old dose of willpower. Try passing by those sweet treats in the checkout line, and steer clear of the bakery and ice cream aisles. When buying foods in packages or boxes be sure to read the ingredient labels carefully for hidden and added sugars.

It takes some work, but if you are serious about losing a bit of weight and improving your health, the power is in your hands.

Replace

Seriously, this one is pretty simple. Replace all your sugar-laden, processed foods and treats with real food!

We are all so used to packaged and processed food that it has become second nature to open a box and bring it to boil in the microwave. Modern, on-the-move lifestyles are tailored more for convenience and speed rather than healthy and fit.

Tasty? Yes.

Dangerous? You bet.

The low-fat diet craze that permeated every facet of nutritional doctrines for the last few decades has really done a number on general health. When the fat is removed from foods to make them ‘healthy’ it needs to be replaced with something to make it palatable again. That something is usually a form of sugar.

Real food contains fiber, fat, and protein. All of these are satisfying and good for you. Commit to eating fresh, whole foods and nothing else. That means meats, eggs, poultry, seafood, healthy, naturally occurring fats, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds.

You will feel fuller longer and begin enjoying food again.

Concentrate

Practice being mindful.

This might sound a little strange. Try this exercise to begin.

Slow down your eating. At dinnertime, try eating a bite of food and then putting your fork down. Concentrate on chewing and notice the flavors, textures, and even sounds of the foods you’re eating.

Slowing down at mealtime will accomplish several things.

• You will actually begin to notice how your food tastes,
• You will lessen your chances of eating past full,
• You will enjoy the pleasure of eating nourishing whole foods.

When eating, try to make sure that you are simply focussed on eating and not multitasking with a phone or TV. Casual conversation and connecting over food can be practiced in this way.

This may not work for all situations, like in the lunchroom at work or out in a restaurant, but with a little practice you can accomplish mindful eating almost anywhere.

Meditate

If you have not yet experienced the subtle but powerful changes that meditation can bring to many parts of your life, it’s time you started. Your mind is bombarded with information every waking moment, racing from one task to the next without any time for a break. Meditation will force you to notice how restless your mind can be and cause you to slow down and focus on one thing at a time.

At the beginning you don’t have to do anything special to meditate, just find a relaxing time for yourself and focus on your breath. Try to not think. When your thoughts come to you, let them drift away.

It’s a great way to reduce stress, boost your immune system, increase your mental focus and concentration, lower blood pressure, and yes, even reduce sugar cravings.

You can get started in as little as 5 minutes per day, you don’t need any special equipment, and anyone can do it

Educate

This is the backbone of change. Get familiar with what sugar can do to your body so you can make intelligent decisions about your health.

The Internet is packed full of information – and misinformation – so choose your sources wisely. Stick with known brands or sites you trust.

Some of the information you find may upset or disturb you. Remember that the path to optimum health is not necessarily an easy one, but by increasing your knowledge on the dangers of sugar and processed carbohydrates you will be able to improve your life and the lives of those around you.

Bonus Step

Support

Unfortunately, consuming added sugar has become a way of life for many of us, but it truly does not have to be that way.

A well-formulated sugar detox program is the best way to finally stop sugar cravings dead in their tracks and kick refined sugar from your life for good! It is why we at Wellness Warriors have worked so hard to create an impactful and effective program.

The Wellness Warriors Sugar Detox will provide you with the plan, the support, and the community you need to ditch the reliance on sugar in a way that makes it practically impossible to fail! We do it together and guide you each and every step of the way.

Check out everything that is included and how to join us right here.