I know that to achieve weigh loss, it is best to limit the consumption of fruits and cookies – even if they’re very clean and paleo. However, I find it best to go slowly when attempting to make permanent beneficial lifestyle changes. Cutting all refined sugar was a big step for me, so for now I’m not restraining myself too much with these cookies. After 2 weeks though, I can already say that my urge for sugar – natural or refined – as dropped considerably. Usually, when I attempt that kind of experiment, I tend to dream about cake and ice cream, but this time I feel surprisingly clear-headed and sane and I have no fantasy about giant dancing anthropomorphic chocolate truffles. Yay!

These paleo cookies are made with coconut or almond flour, which pack them with nutrients, but also make them really, really filling. I’m pretty sure the elves used nut flours for their lembas bread…

Ingredients

• 2 bananas
• 3/4 cup almond butter
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/3 cup raw walnuts
• 1 apple, peeled
• 1/3 cup coconut milk
• 1/3 cup coconut flour

Instructions

Preheat the oven at 350°F.

In a mixing bowl, mash the banana with a fork to purée consistency.

Add the almond butter, the cinnamon, and the baking soda and mix well.

Put the apple, the walnut and the milk in a blender, and chop to oatmeal consistency.

Add the mixture to the mixing bowl.

Incorporate the coconut flour and mix well.

Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper – these tend to stick a bit more than cookies made with huge amount of butter.

With your hand or a spoon, place cookie dough on the baking sheet. Give them roughly the shape you want them to be, because they won’t budge in the oven. What you see there is what you’ll get.

Bake for 25  minutes.

Makes about 16 cookies. Or more. Or less. Depending on the size, you know.

These should be stored in the fridge and make an awesome breakfast, collation or dessert!

Use whatever food processor you have to get to a similar consistency. I only have a blender, so the coconut milk really help. Adapt accordingly to your tools…

You do not want a complete purée. Small bits give texture to the cookie. In a good way.

If you used almond flour, your mix will be more liquid. That’s why it’s not necessary to add the coconut milk.

I have found that both the coconut flour and almond flour version do not spread much in the oven, contrary to other cookies mix. Keep in mind when shaping your dough!

Adapted from Everyday Paleo, an awesome resources for… you guessed it… paleo recipes.

These are my favorite cookies – simple to make with few ingredients and literally melts in the mouth. No flour, but full of creamy almond butter and good chunks of dark chocolate. These are money.

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted almond butter, stirred well (I love using crunchy almond butter, for more texture)
• ¾ cup Sucanat (can be substituted with brown sugar)
• 1 large egg
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 3 oz dark chocolate, chopped (I use Baker’s semi-sweet chocolate)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a bowl, mix together almond butter, Sucanat, egg, baking soda and sea salt until blended.
3. Stir in the chocolate chunks. It may seem like a lot of chocolate at first, but the ratio is perfect…
4. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls on a baking sheets.
5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned.
6. Let cool on baking sheet for at least 5 minutes – they’ll be fragile right out of the oven, do not move to plate or wire rack immediately.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Clean Eating Magazine

The bowls are Buddha Bowls from Flavour Design Studio. They make everything taste better.

Ingredients

2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
2 garlic cloves, passed through a garlic press (separate)
1 chicken breast
6 cups chicken broth
3 tbsp fresh grated ginger root
2 tbsp lime or lemon zests (or both)
Vermicelli (it will take less than a package)

Vegetables (to taste)

Bok choy, chopped
Shiitake mushroom caps, sliced
Carrots, cut in julienne
Broccoli florets

Garnish (optional)

Green onions, trimmed and chopped
Fried onions

Preparation

Preheat the stove at 425 °F.

In a resealable plastic bag combine the soy sauce, honey and one of the garlic cloves and mix well. Add chicken breast, close the bag, and let marinate for 10 minutes in the refrigerator.

Put the marinated chicken breast on a baking sheet and place in the stove for 15 minutes or until cooked.

Meanwhile, bring the chicken broth to a boil in a large enough saucepan. Add the ginger, the lemon/lime zests and the other garlic clove. Reduce heat and let simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the vegetables and vermicelli noodles. Don’t cook for too long; the vegetables are best when still a bit crunchy and the noodles require very little cooking time.

Serve the soup in large bowls and top with slices of chicken breast. Garnish with scallions and fried onions.