Another plantain pancake recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 large green plantains (about 2 cups pureed)
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
• 1/8 tsp salt (a generous pinch)
• ½ tsp baking soda
• Extra coconut oil for frying

1. Peel plantains (I find it easier to quarter them before I peel them) and place pieces in your blender or food processor.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the blender or food processor and process until it forms a smooth batter (about 1-2 minutes).
3. Heat 1 Tbsp of coconut oil in a frying pan or on a griddle over medium-high heat.  Pour batter into the frying pan until your pancake is the desired size.
4. Let cook 4-5 minutes on the first side, until the top looks fairly dry with little bubbles in it (just like regular pancakes!).
5. Flip!  And cook on the second side for 1½-2minutes.
6. Repeat with remaining batter, adding a little more coconut oil to your pan as needed.

No oatmeal cookies-from WLC site

Ingredients
1 C raw cashews
1/2 C fresh medjool dates, pitted
3/4 C palm shortening, lard, or butter
2 large eggs
1 T pure vanilla extract
2 T coconut flour
2 C blanched almond flour
1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
1/2 C raisins
1/2 C sliced almonds
1/2 C pecans, finely diced
1/2 C dates, finely diced

Instructions

1. Puree the cashews and dates together in a food processor for about 2 minutes, until very finely diced and thoroughly blended.
2. Add wet ingredients to the processor (shortening, eggs, vanilla), puree until smooth and blended.
3. Add dry ingredients to the processor (coconut and almond flours, baking soda and salt), pulse until just combined.
4. Empty out mixture into mixing bowl and fold in remaining ingredients (raisins, sliced almonds, pecans and diced dates)
5. Roll into tablespoon size balls and put on a lined or greased cookie sheet. Flatten with the palms of your hands and bake 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees. Cookies are done when slightly brown - they will still be soft in the center. Let sit on the baking tray for about 5 minutes before moving to cooling rack, they will firm up during this time.

Notes
Makes 36 cookies, store at room temperature for up to 3 days then chill or freeze.

Stan Musial Bridge 6K run

We came so close to not doing this run. It had snowed YET again on Friday night and it was really cold. However, I have not given up on a run yet and I am so glad that we did this. It would have been different if we were running the usual course downtown, but this opportunity was never going to come again.  We got there right as the run started and the weather wasn't as bad as some of the other runs we have done this year, so it was very successful.

We look just as happy at the end as we did at the beginning!!!!

I felt great doing this run, completely different to the Commitment Run on Jan 1 this year.  My time needs to be faster, but not bad for a cold day and slushy underfoot.  Funny, I was faster on the way back than the way out.  Sam said it was because it was downhill, but usually I am much more tired by the time I'm almost done!!!

Another pork slow cooker recipe

• 7 lbs. of pork shoulder
• 5-7 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons of cumin
• 2 teaspoons of chili powder
• 2 teaspoons of black pepper
• 2 teaspoons of oregano
• ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
• 2 tablespoon of salt
• juice of 2 limes
• juice of 1 orange

Instructions

1. Trim the fat as much as possible from the pork shoulder. It is obviously ok to leave some on but if you can eliminate the big amounts of “white,” it will save you later from separating the pork from the fat once the pork has been cooked. Also it cuts down on the saturated fat.
2. Mix all your dry spices together and rub it into the flesh of the pork on all sides.
3. Place dry rubbed pork in crock pot and add the minced garlic and the fresh squeezed lime and orange juices.
4. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
5. Once cooked to your desired liking, shred all the pork off the fat and bone. 
6. Optional: To make the pork seem more like carnitas preheat oven to Broil. Spread the pork on a cookie sheet and pour some of the remainder juices from the crock pot and cook for 5-10 minutes until the edges of the pork are browned.

Roasted cauliflower soup

Ingredients

• 2 heads of cauliflower, cut into florets;
• 3 garlic cloves, minced;
• 2 shallots, minced;
• 3 cups chicken stock;
• 1 cup water;
• 1 bay leaf;
• 1 tsp. dried thyme;
• 2 cups full-fat coconut milk;
• 4 cooked bacon slices; cut into pieces; (optional)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil or ghee;
• Fresh parsley for garnishing;
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste;
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 425 F.
• In a large bowl, combine the cauliflower, garlic, shallots, and olive oil.
• Spread the cauliflower mixture on a roasting pan.
• Place the roasting pan in the oven and roast for 30 minutes.
• Transfer the cauliflower to a large saucepan and add the chicken stock and water.
• Add the thyme and the bay leaf, and bring to a boil over a medium-high heat.
• Cover the saucepan. Lower the heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
• Remove the bay leaf.
• Puree the soup using an immersion blender or a blender.
• Stir in the coconut milk and season to taste with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
• Top each bowl with crispy bacon, if desired, and sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve warm.

Roast cauliflower

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 head cauliflower

1½ cups plain Greek yogurt

1 lime, zested and juiced

2 tablespoons chile powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1. Preheat the oven to 400° and lightly grease a small baking sheet with vegetable oil. Set aside.

2. Trim the base of the cauliflower to remove any green leaves and the woody stem.

3. In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt with the lime zest and juice, chile powder, cumin, garlic powder, curry powder, salt and pepper.

4. Dunk the cauliflower into the bowl and use a brush or your hands to smear the marinade evenly over its surface. (Excess marinade can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days and used with meat, fish or other veggies.)

5. Place the cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet and roast until the surface is dry and lightly browned, 30 to 40 minutes. The marinade will make a crust on the surface of the cauliflower.