Banana, carrot and date loaf (gluten-free)

I have made this loaf a few times now, and I am so happy with it. It is deliciously moist, and full of flavour. It's also super easy to make, which is always a bonus. It has bananas, carrots, pecan nuts and dates in it, which all go so well together. I can't decide if it's more like a carrot cake or a banana bread. Hmmm...

Buckwheat and chia seed bread

I saw a tv programme a while back which made a bread out of sprouted buckwheat. I couldn't find the recipe anywhere, so I decided to try and my own version. I need a bread which is grain-free, dairy-free and egg-free. Not an easy feat! I've been making my Paleo Bread recipe for a while, but I needed a change. I definitely prefer this new bread.

Interestingly, buckwheat is not actually a grain, even though it has "wheat" in its name. Buckwheat is a seed.  Buckwheat is a pseudocereal, which is a type of grain that doesn't grow on grasses like other cereals, yet is used in a similar way. It is gluten-free, a good source of fiber, and rich in minerals and various plant compounds, especially rutin.

Chia seeds are often referred to as a “superfood”. Chia seeds come from the plant Salvia hispanica L., and were at one time a major food crop in Mexico and Guatemala. Chia seeds are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, antioxidants, iron, and calcium. They are contain a decent amount of protein. By weight, they’re about 14% protein, which is very high compared to most plants.

Almond and pear tart (Gluten and dairy-free)

I made this tart for dessert yesterday for a family dinner and it was really lovely. It is not too sweet and has quite a distinctive almond taste which goes very well with the pears. The recipe was originally inspired by a recipe posted by Yuppiechef, but I changed it a bit to make it dairy-free.

Paleo Chocolate Brownies

These brownies are made with sweet potatoes as the main ingredient, and are the most delicious brownies I have ever tasted (in my unbiased opinion, haha!).They are moist and decadent. They were pretty easy to make, and inexpensive too, which is often a challenge with Paleo baking.

Ratatouille

Ratatouille has become one of our regular breakfast accompaniments. It's so easy to make, and you can make a huge batch and have it over the week. We love it with a pork sausage or some other breakfast meat as a hearty, delicious wintery breakfast. You don't need to be too strict on the ingredients either. If you have a vegetable which you need to use up, add it to the recipe.

Chocolate chip muffins (paleo and vegan)

My banana and carrot muffins were such a hit, that I decided to convert them into a chocolate muffin for another tasty snack option. These have since taken over in my kitchen, and I am making the chocolate ones more often than the banana and carrot option. The recipe is paleo and vegan being gluten-free, egg-free and dairy-free.

Deconstructed moussaka (dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free)

One of my favourite hearty meals is moussaka. The combination of savoury mince with cheese and aubergines is delicious and such a satisfying, comforting meal. This meal is just as delicious, but is egg and dairy-free.

I like to make a huge pot of savoury mince every now and then, which I freeze into meal-size portions. It makes for a very quick and easy dinner or lunch.

Raw carrot cake (paleo, vegan, gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free)

We recently went on holiday to Mauritius, and while we were there we had an amazing dinner at an Indian restaurant called Amari. We went there to celebrate my birthday. As a spoil, the chef very kindly made me a small birthday cake. It was amazing! He made the cake a healthy one, and it was a raw carrot cake with a cashew icing. Since then, I have been trying to work out what he put in the cake so that I could replicate it at home. I spotted a recipe this afternoon on foodmatters.com which sounded like it might be a close match to what I have been looking for. I made their recipe (with a few tweaks of my own) and it was pretty close to my Mauritian birthday cake!

Banana and carrot muffins (gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free)

I needed to find a paleo muffin recipe that was egg-free. This has been rather a challenge as almost all baking seems to need eggs in order to be light and fluffy. This banana muffin recipe was a hit, and we polished them off in just 2 days. I now make a fresh batch every 4 to 5 days, and I have been making a few changes to the recipe as I go along. I have amended the recipe below. The recipe is very quick to prepare, and made 12 muffins. It's gluten-free, egg-free and dairy-free.

Raw pecan and coconut bars

These raw, bite-size treats are so easy to make and they are very moreish. I made a batch two days ago, and they were finished in two days. They are low-GI and are naturally free from gluten, dairy, eggs and sugar. The oats don't comply with Paleo (strictly speaking), but if you are able to tolerate oats, then these are a win.

I made this batch with pecan nuts, but you can make them with any nut of your choice. I have made a batch with cashew nuts and they turned out beautifully.

Paleo chocolate mousse

My friends Lee and Georgie introduced us to this Paleo chocolate mousse last night. It was so fantastic, that I decided to make a batch myself for dessert for Christmas lunch. What a win! And, it's so easy to make. It is quite rich, so you don't need a large helping. The dates are very sweet, so this does not require any additional ingredients to provide the sweet chocolate taste which we all love! This recipe will comfortably feed 6 people.

Plantain breakfast pancakes (paleo, AIP-friendly, egg-free)

I have seen plantains mentioned on so many Paleo websites and I have been wanting to try out a recipe using them for so long. I saw a crate of plantains at my local vegetable store on the weekend, and I just had to buy a couple. Now I regret that I didn't buy more! These pancakes turned out so beautifully and were delicious with a slightly sweet taste and a light and slightly crispy texture.

Fruitcake balls (gluten-free, AIP-friendly, paleo)

These balls are a paleo and AIP-friendly alternative to your traditional fruitcake. The best part is that they take about 15 minutes to make!

No-churn ice cream (sugar-free)

This is a super easy ice cream recipe which takes about 10 minutes to make (plus freezing time of 5 hours). It's made with fresh cream and eggs and your choice of alternative sweetener. It's suitable for people following a low-carb lifestyle.

Coconut date balls (AIP-friendly)

I needed to find something that was AIP-friendly that fitted the category of a sweet treat. These tasty little coconut balls are absolutely delicious. They are naturally gluten-free, nut-free and egg-free. Very quick to make and they store well in the refrigerator.

Cocoa almond date balls

These delicious little balls are a great snack and are packed with goodness. They are naturally gluten-free and sugar-free and they are suitable for a Paleo lifestyle. They took me little over half an hour to make.

Apple and pear crumble (gluten and sugar free)

I felt like apple crumble all day today, so I decided to try and make a new recipe to feed my craving. It's sugar and gluten-free and only took 10 minutes to prepare, before going in the oven. Because there is no gluten, it is quite crumbly, but that is part of the charm of a crumble. You must serve this with whipped cream... Heavenly! 

Creamy Mussel Pot

I found some good looking mussels at the fishmonger a couple of weeks ago, so I have been keen to make them into a traditional mussel pot. It turned out beautifully! We had it as a main meal with a slice or two of toast, and it was very filling.

Coconut bread (gluten-free)

My friend, Vanessa, shared this recipe with me. The main ingredient is dessicated coconut, which is quite unusual (I would have expected coconut flour), but it really exceeded my expectations. I'll definitely be making this one again. 

Baked ginger cheesecake (gluten-free)

My husband's favourite thing is cheesecake. Finding a great gluten-free option is quite a challenge. We are having a big family gathering tomorrow, so I have made this baked cheesecake for our dessert. I can't wait!