Roasted Kabocha Squash & MeeNut Butter

I am sooo late to the kabocha squash game it's pretty embarrassing but I FINALLY tried roasting a kabocha whole and it was seriously life changing. No more knife fights with the squash and now I can enjoy them more often yay! 

This squash was about a 3 pounder and all I did was wash it thoroughly, put it on a Pyrex pan and roast at 425 F for 1 hour. After letting it cool, I sliced it open, scooped out the seeds (which I saved and will probably roast or candy them) and enjoyed with some scrambled eggs, veggies and topped it with Quadruple Nut Power MeeNut Butter! Happy Monday and happy meal prepping, friends!

P.S. Eating the peel is totally ok and yummy!

P.P.S. I did not poke any holes before roasting and it was totally ok for this squash. Maybe something larger than 3 pounds you may want to poke a couple holes just in case the squash explodes? :D

Paleo MeeNut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

     

Salted Maple & Cinnamon Coconut Chips

Aloha MeeNuts! Here's another quick and delicious recipe idea for the holidays. I wanted to make something that tasted like holiday kettle corn, but not corn ... so I decided to use organic coconut chips instead. Makes a great snack on its own or as a crunchy topping! Happy Holidays and Enjoy!

Recipe: Salted Maple & Cinnamon Coconut Chips

Prep Time: 5 min
Bake Time: 30 min
Servings: 6

Ingredients:
12 oz Tropical Traditions raw organic coconut chips
¼ cup organic maple syrup
⅜ tsp sea salt
1 ½ tsp organic ginger powder
¾ tsp Primal Palate Pumpkin Pie Spice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix the maple syrup, sea salt, ginger, and pumpkin pie spice.
3. Add the coconut chips and coat thoroughly.
4. Line a full sheet pan (or two half sheets) with parchment paper and spread a thin layer of the coconut mixture evenly on the pan.
5. Bake for 30 minutes, cool completely and serve. Enjoy!
6. Be sure to store these in an airtight container or they will get stale! They should stay crunchy for at least a week if stored properly.

MeeNut Butter Pumpkin Persimmon Pudding

*Remember to get in your holiday orders by end of day today 12/14 for guaranteed delivery by the 25th!*

I absolutely love persimmons, both hachiya and fuyu! It's one of the things I truly look forward to this time of year! They remind me of my childhood in Korea. 

  I've always wanted to do a recipe with them so I hope you enjoy this quick and simple pudding recipe! I used a super ripe hachiya because of I felt the texture would work better for a pudding. Enjoy!

Recipe: MeeNut Butter Pumpkin Persimmon Pudding
Serves: 2

Ingredients:
¼ cup Paleo Pumpkin Spice MeeNut Butter
¼ cup full fat coconut milk
2-3 pitted soaked medjool dates (to taste)
¼ cup pumpkin puree
3 oz super ripe peeled hachiya persimmon
2 oz gala apple peeled & cored
½ tsp Primal Palate Pumpkin Pie Spice

Directions:
1. Remove pits from dates, place in a mason jar, fully cover with water, close lid, and soak overnight.
2. In a Vitamix blender, add coconut milk, dates, persimmon, apple, and pumpkin pie spice and blend until smooth.
3. Add the Pumpkin Spice MeeNut Butter and blend until smooth.
4. Add the pumpkin puree and continue to blend. Mixture will be thick and you will need the masher tool to blend well. If it is too thick for your taste, you may add more coconut milk or even some of the liquid from the soaked dates to your mix.
5. Refrigerate for a few hours. Garnish with unsweetened coconut flakes and serve chilled. Enjoy!

*I do NOT receive any monetary compensation or perks from any of my recommended products. I just personally like and get the best results from them.

Paleo MeeNut Butter Phat Elvis Sammich

PB&J is pretty much one of my favorite combos of all time. Let me repeat. OF ALL TIME. However, peanuts being a legume, and legumes being one of the primary causes of inflammation in the gut, i.e. not paleo, were given up and actually one of the main reasons I started making my own nut butters back in 2011.

This is a recipe that’s been in my mind since then but I haven’t really had a chance to put it all together until now. So I present to you now my take on a MeeNut Butter Phat Elvis.

RECIPE: MEENUT BUTTER PHAT ELVIS

INGREDIENTS:
3 oz whole organic strawberries
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 slices of thick cut bacon. thick cut. always.
garlic powder to taste (optional)
cayenne to taste (optional)

2 slices of paleo or gluten-free bread of choice
1 tsp Tropical Traditions Organic Virgin Coconut Oil

½ ripe banana sliced into circles
2 tbsp Paleo MeeNut Butter
cinnamon to taste (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a mini saucepan reduce the strawberries (cleaned and de-stemmed) and balsamic vinegar on very low heat. Stir occasionally until balsamic begins to thicken and caramelize and strawberries get soft and remove from heat. I used frozen strawberries that I had washed, prepped and frozen ahead of time and they turned out great.
2. Slice the bacon in half and fry it up in a skillet. Remove from pan when crispy and sprinkle with garlic powder and cayenne to taste (optional).
3. While strawberries and bacon are cooking, slice your banana into circles.
4. Melt some coconut oil in a pan on very low heat and toast both slices of bread, outside down first – you want the side of the bread that will be presented to have a nice crusty brown. When that side is done, flip over to toast the inside without adding extra oil.
5. Remove toast from pan and while it’s still hot, spread the MeeNut Butter on one side. It will get all warm and gooey and hopefully dribble down the sides a little bit.
6. Add the banana slices, then the bacon.
7. Slice sandwich in half and plate with the strawberries.
8. Drizzle some extra balsamic glaze and sprinkle some cinnamon & extra cayenne (optional) on top.
9. Enjoy!

Seriously guys, this was SO delicious! Here’s how it actually went down!

Paleo Dark Chocolate MeeNut Butter Cups

It’s been really hot here lately so I haven’t been in the baking mood. This was the perfect post-dinner bite for a hot summer don’t-wana-bake kind of nite! I hope you enjoy these as much as we did! Don’t forget to post and tag Mee Eat Paleo #meenutbutter on social media when you try out any of these recipes!

RECIPE: PALEO DARK CHOCOLATE MEENUT BUTTER CUPS

Ingredients for the chocolate:
1 cup Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Chips or Eating Evolved Signature Dark Chocolate
2 tbsp Coconut Manna (optional – without will give you a hard chocolate and more stable at room temp; with will make the chocolate a little smoother and needs to be kept & served chilled)
Cinnamon to taste (optional)
Cayenne to taste (optional)

Filling:
Paleo MeeNut Butter (any flavor)
Organic banana
Organic sweet potato (oven-baked and cooled)
Organic strawberries (washed, de-stemmed, patted dried)

Topping:
Shredded organic coconut
Fine coffee grinds
Freeze dried fruit
Sea salt
Anything else you want!

Directions:
1. Over low heat in a double boiler melt the chocolate with the coconut manna. Stir frequently until smooth. Add a pinch of cinnamon and/or cayenne (both optional to taste). Let cool to room temperature.
2. Line a mini cupcake tray with baking cups.
3. Pour a bottom layer of chocolate in each cup.
4. Chill in freezer for a few minutes until hardened.
5. If you want a plain chocolate MeeNut Butter cup, skip this step. Slice desired filling into thin circles, preferably the same circumference (so the layers will be visible from the sides) of the muffin tray and line on top of the bottom layer of chocolate.
6. Add a layer of Paleo MeeNut Butter (make sure to use enough to fill to the edges so you can see this layer from the sides as well).
7. Add a top layer of chocolate.
8. For variety, sprinkle some with shredded coconut, some with sea salt, some with fine coffee grinds, and leave some plain. If you want to get really fancy, you can top the banana filled cup with a freeze dried banana and the strawberry filled one with a freeze dried strawberry. Get creative!
9. Chill in freezer for 5-10 minutes until fully hardened.
10. Leave in the paper liners or remove paper and serve nicely plated. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Makes approx 12 mini cups

Paleo MeeNut Butter Brownies and Ice Cream

Sadly my Jeep is still in the shop today so to cheer myself up I made Civilized Caveman’s Almond Butter Brownies with MeeNut Butter. I had to make some tweaks because I was out of honey and blueberries. Thankfully they still turned out great! Because I didn’t have those two ingredients, I halved everything else except for the eggs. Because I did not add any extra sweeteners, the Ginger Blueberry Coconut ice cream was the perfect complement to the brownie.

The following recipe is adapted/simplified from Civilized Caveman’s original:

• 1 Cup (8oz) of MeeNut Butter
• 2 Eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (optional)
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (I added this ingredient to the recipe)
• 1/2 very ripe banana

MEE’S RECIPE: GINGER BLUEBERRY COCONUT ICE CREAM
Ingredients:
1 cup (8oz) full fat coconut milk
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 chunk of peeled ginger root (can sub 1 tsp ginger powder if fresh ginger is not available)

Instructions:
1. In a Vitamix, blend coconut milk, half the blueberries, and ginger until smooth.
2. Add mixture to an instant ice cream maker (I used my Cuisinart one which I love) and churn until thickened. Add the rest of the frozen blueberries directly into the ice cream machine while it’s churning so you get some nice blueberry chunks in the final product. Continue to churn until you reach your desired consistency.
3. Scoop onto warm brownie and enjoy a la mode! If you want a harder ice cream, chill in the freezer until desired consistency then enjoy!

P.S. I made these again a week later with no missing ingredients this time and they came out perfect! I topped them with banana slices, coconut, and cinnamon. Perfection!!!

4th of July Paleo MeeNut Butter Trifle Recipe

Aloha! Looking for a last minute dessert idea for the 4th? Here’s my take on a paleo “trifle”. I adapted Against All Grain’s Almond Flour Zucchini Bread recipe and used MeeNut Butter instead of almond flour for my cake base and these came out so bomb! I made them into muffins and they taste great on their own if you ever wanted to make these again!

Recipe: Paleo MeeNut Butter Protein Zucchini Muffins:

8oz Paleo MeeNut Butter
5oz organic gala apples – peeled, cored, cubed (instead of banana)
5oz organic zucchini (cubed)
½ cup raw organic honey
1 tbsp vanilla (optional)
3 organic eggs
2 tsp cinnamon
⅛ tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
*1 scoop Julian Bakery egg white protein
*The mixture was a little too wet so I added one scoop of the egg white protein and these came out perfectly!

Mix all wet ingredients in a Vitamix blender until smooth. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until fully incorporated. Pour into muffin tray and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 min. Cool and enjoy! Yields about 16-18 muffins.

For the cream:

Whip up some coconut whipped cream (I used Natural Value’s full fat organic coconut milk – no preservatives, no additives, no BPA) for the cream layer. I don’t like adding any sweeteners to this but if you wanted to, you could probably add a little stevia or maple to the whipped cream.

For the berries:

I used blueberries and strawberries. Wash and pat dry. For the strawberries, remove stems and slice into thin triangles. Squeeze and coat with some organic lemon juice. If you have time, cover and let them sit overnight in the fridge.

Assembling the trifle:

I assembled these in individual mason jars and they came out really pretty. Remove cupcake liner from zucchini muffins and cut into quarters. Layer the bottom with the cake. Add a layer of the coconut whipped cream. Add a layer of the strawberries. Add a layer of the blueberries. Continue on until you run out of room. I sprinkled these with a finishing touch of shredded coconut on top instead of more whipped cream. Serve immediately.

Remember to post and tag pics of me on social media if you ever make any of these recipes! Mahalo and enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Protein MeeNut Butter Muffins

Pumpkin Spice Protein MeeNut Butter Muffins

Ingredients:

1 (5oz) organic gala apple
.25 oz organic ginger root
2 organic eggs
1/4 cup organic honey
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp organic apple cider vinegar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 scoop (2 oz) protein of choice. I used pure whey protein so this batch is not paleo
8 oz MeeNut Butter (flavor of choice – I didn’t get to test this recipe with Pumpkin Spice Power but I think it would taste soooo good with that flavor MeeNut Butter)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. In a Vitamix blender, add all ingredients minus the MeeNut Butter and whey protein and blend for about 15-20 seconds until smooth. Add the MeeNut Butter and blend. Add the whey for a quick final blend. Scoop into a muffin pan and bake at 325 for about 20 minutes. Cool and enjoy!

Made these for Battle of the Boxes tomorrow at the Ventura Fairgrounds where we will be competing (Santa Cruz Hall, Parking Lot C). I will NOT have a booth there but I WILL have a couple cases of MeeNut Butter in case you want to grab some while you’re there. Mahalo and hope to see y’all there! 

Paleo MeeNut Butter Cupcakes

I tried incorporating some Paleo MeeNut Butter treats for the first time this weekend for a fitness expo at CrossFit Long Beach. These were a hit so they may very well become a yummy staple at my booths from now on!!! 

RECIPE: PALEO MEENUT BUTTER CUPCAKES/BROWNIES

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup (8 oz) Paleo Almond MeeNut Butter for cupcakes (2 cups or 16 oz for brownies)
2 organic eggs
½ cup raw organic honey
1 medium organic apple (approx. 5 – 5.25 oz peeled and cored)
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract (optional)
1 tbsp raw organic cacao nibs (optional)

1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cayenne (optional)

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Peel and core your apple and cut into 1 inch chunks (I used an organic gala apple)
3. Add to a Vitamix blender: eggs, honey, vanilla, apples, cacao nibs, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon, cayenne and blend on high for about 15 seconds until smooth
4. Add 1 cup of Paleo Almond MeeNut Butter (2 cups for brownies) and blend for about 30 seconds until smooth. If adding 2 cups of MeeNut Butter for brownies, you will need to use your masher tool as mixture will be thick and hard to blend.
5. Pour liquid mixture into mixing bowl
6. Slowly fold in cocoa powder and mix thoroughly with a spatula until fully incorporated
7. Line muffin pan with paper baking cups, fill 3/4 , and bake for approx. 20 minutes in a convection oven on low for cupcakes (18-20 for brownies). May need to add about 10 min for a still oven.
8. Remove from muffin pan immediately to cool on a cooling rack
9. Once cooled you may top with a frosting, ganache, or chocolate drizzle of choice. When I served these, I was in a hurry so I just melted some enjoy life dark chocolate and dressed with a cute dollop in the center for the cupcakes and a nice drizzle for the brownies, on top of a bed of organic coconut chips.
10. Enjoy!