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Salted Caramel Coconut Panna Cotta
Add saltiness to any sweet and I simply cannot pass it up. Salted caramel anything, now that is just swoon-level obsession. I just can’t even begin to imagine not indulging. Sadly, however, most times, I have to.
When you are mindful of what you eat, whether it be that you prefer, or are forced to avoid things like gluten, dairy and refined sugar, a lot of times that means deciding to go without things that you truly love and would love to partake in with everyone else. It’s not because you don’t want to treat yourself or indulge a bit, more so it’s rarely worth the surely guaranteed repercussions. So often these days I see posts on social media where folks that are without dietary challenges, making blanket statements like “oh just eat it, you only live once” or something to that effect. Whether you believe in reincarnation or not, I feel like in this one life I am certain I have to live, I no longer want to spend it with a stomach ache. I don’t want to walk this earth with a bloated belly, chronic headaches, achey joints or a cloudy brain. Call me crazy!
I have found the beauty of this life lies within the challenges. This is where the magical and epic creation happens. What a better use of our energy, am I right? I’d actually much prefer to constantly be finding myself getting creative out of a need, rather than falling into complacency and monotony. I have discovered some amazing things about myself and the world within these challenges and needs.
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Autoimmune Protocol Waffles (Cassava Flour)
I am aware that this is basically the least sexy name possible for a recipe, I think it sounds like something you would be served at a hospital as a means to hide some sort of treatment. My husband Mark said this sounds like some sort of superhero food. Regardless, for those that are following AIP and might be desperate for a different breakfast recipe, I wanted you to find it as easily as possible. Who knows, maybe you are even landing here on this page because of this very not-so-sexy name.
While I am personally no longer strictly following the Autoimmune Protocol, after following it very hardcore for over 30 days, I can tell you that it changed me. This diet rocked my world and healed me, in all the most amazing ways possible. It was everything that my body needed, right when I needed it most. As I was searching for ways to heal my gut and deal with my autoimmune condition, as well as the terrible fall off my health took after taking prescribed drugs for my condition, I was working with a naturopath, taking supplements and trying various elimination diets and nothing was quite dealing with this underlying condition of not feeling like myself and desperately wanting that to change. I took it up upon myself at the time to research all the various more extreme ways to help my gut, to remove foods and to get back to a place where my body could focus it’s energy on healing. I followed the protocol by way of Dr Sarah Ballantyne and Mickey Trescott and Angie Alt, their websites, the various books and cookbooks and any and all the other resources I could find.
While many people find themselves needing to follow AIP much longer than 30 days, I was fortunate that I wasn’t dealing with a severe condition nor debilitating or life-threatening symptoms, so I am grateful to have found great relief in that short time. As I continue my personal healing, I have also stuck to many of the principals of the protocol that have resonated with me and I have had great luck and results by continuing to listen to my body and what it is telling me it does and doesn’t need.
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Spiced Coconut Squash Breakfast Porridge
Sometimes, I find the hardest thing about having restrictions on my diet is the uncontrollable cravings for a dish that is simply off-limits. Try as you might to quiet them, but I can promise you your Pinterest feed and Instagram feed will be filled with that very food, for days on end, mocking you until you either give in or find an alternative! (Not that I know from personal experience, or anything) Regardless of retraining your brain to look at food differently to cater those thoughts to your current needs, oftentimes we just can’t help those random hankerings. We are, after all, human.
I find this breakfast porridge to be the perfect stand-in for traditional oatmeal, while still being free of grains, dairy, nuts and seeds. It’s warm, comforting and creamy and the texture is spot on. I tend to alway have a spaghetti squash on hand, so if I cook one up for dinner the night before, I will save half to make this breakfast the next morning.
