May 2017 Favorites

Last month, I started a new series where at the end of each month I share some of my favorite things. Some may be things I’m reading or watching. Some may be body or beauty products. Some may be kitchen and food related. Some may be travel or adventure related. Today I’m sharing my May favorites (in no particular order). 

Note: some of these items contain affiliate links, but nothing in this post is directly sponsored by any company... I'm just sharing what I like! 

Recipe: Easy Tigernut Granola (AIP) from Backcountry Paleo 

While guest-posting on the Autoimmune Paleo Instagram account earlier this month, I made a small batch of Susan’s granola to include in an AIP fruit-and-granola yogurt parfait. The granola was SO GOOD (and fit a cereal-shaped whole in my heart that’s been empty since I started AIP) that we ate it all the day I made it. Since then, I’ve made three more batches & don’t see myself stopping anytime soon ;) A couple changes I make…. I don’t add any citrus zest or dried fruit. I also reduce the maple syrup by a quarter, using 117 grams in a full batch. And I bake it around 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. It’s delicious eaten by the hand-full, on top of yogurt, in a bowl with a splash of coconut milk, etc.

Kitchen Tool: “If You Care” parchment paper sheets
This is a product I’ve been using for several years and really love. I started using unbleached parchment paper after beginning AIP and slowly transitioning to more eco-friendly (and health-friendly) products. And I became totally spoiled by this product that has the parchment paper pre-cut into half-sheet-pan-size sheets—no more fumbling with trying to cleanly tear it, or estimate how large of a piece I’ll need for my pans. I’ve especially enjoyed using it this month when making the Easy Tigernut Granola listed above. I use to buy it at my local Whole Foods in San Antonio, & I’ve also found it at Natural Grocers in North Dakota. Sadly, I haven’t been able to find it locally since moving to NH, and my stash is nearly out… So I’ll probably end up buying a case of 12 on Amazon. Goodness knows with all the recipe testing I do, all 12 boxes would eventually be used ;)

Convenience Food: Homemade trail mix (Paleo) 
I did a three week Whole30-style reset the last two weeks of April and the first week of May, and this homemade trail mix was a huge help as an easy, shelf-stable, on-the-go snack. I mixed together raw peeled almonds (I seem to have a mild reaction to the peel), raw pecans, and raw pepitas (aka pumpkin seeds), with raisins and apple-juice-sweetened dried cranberries. I try to include more nuts than dried fruit, but the ratios were dictated more by what amounts of the ingredients I had on hand. A small handful of this trail mix here and there, especially if I felt my blood sugar dip or started feeling hangry, was really helpful.

Beauty Product: W3ll People Bio Correct Multi-Action Concealer in light
I’ve been on the hunt for a good concealer for over 2 years, as I’ve transitioned all my makeup to be gluten free and less toxic. But I haven’t found one that I truly liked (and liked enough to recommend to other people) until I discovered this one. It has good coverage, the light version works well with my skin tone, and it’s pretty easy to apply with my fingers. I do find it needs a little powder over top, otherwise it attracts my mascara and I end up with worse raccoon eyes than if I’d skipped concealer… I bought mine at Target (though I’m not sure every Target is carrying W3ll People), but you can also find it at select Whole Foods, or through the W3ll People website.

Travel: Anniversary Vermont Trip 

My husband and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary this month and took a quick trip to Vermont. Even though I have some successful reintroductions under my belt, it still can be challenging to travel. We booked an Airbnb condo at Stowe Mountain Lodge (so that we’d have a tiny kitchen) for our lodging. I cooked most of our meals ahead of the trip & brought them in a cooler. And for our actual anniversary dinner, I found a restaurant, Michael’s on the Hill,  that could accommodate my needs & was in contact with them well before our reservation. It was a great, refreshing getaway. We thoroughly enjoyed the Stowe Mountain Lodge (even if it was a between-seasons time to visit). And we took detours on our drive back to visit the King Arthur Flour headquarters (something I’ve wanted to do since culinary school) in Norwich, VT; the Simon Pearce glass blowing studio in Quechee, VT, and Farmhouse Pottery shop + studio in Woodstock, VT.

If you’d like more of my tips about AIP travel, check out my posts here and here.

Photo by https://www.jennclara.com

In memory of Martine Partridge of Eat Heal Thrive (formerly The Paleo Partridge) 
I found out last week that my friend Martine had passed away (obituary here). She has been a pillar in the AIP community. We will miss her terribly, not just for the fantastic recipes she created, but for her witty way with words, and her encouraging, bright personality. I especially love her sweet and savory pie crust recipe, which I used in my berry panna cotta pie recipe, and her chicken liver pâté with mushrooms and bacon recipe, which was the first pâtâ recipe I made and ate.

If you’d like to contribute to a fund organized in Martine’s honor by the AIP blogging community, please visit https://www.gofundme.com/in-memory-of-martine-partridge.

So those are a few of my favorites from May. What are you loving lately?

Some of these items include affiliate links, meaning Sweet Treats makes a small commission off items purchased after a link is clicked with no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support.

Panna Cotta with Roasted Rhubarb (AIP & Paleo)

I love all produce seasons, but there is something extra special about rhubarb season. Anytime I see rhubarb for sale, I feel like I’ve found a treasure! I’ve been especially thrilled to find local rhubarb at the farmer’s market, and I dream of someday having my own rhubarb patch.

In previous years, I’ve made rhubarb sauce to pair with pork, strawberry rhubarb crumbles, strawberry rhubarb compote, rhubarb cake, and a rhubarb galette, which are all super delicious. But this year, I decided to experiment even further by roasting the rhubarb. I also branched out from my usual flavor parings of rhubarb with strawberry, and pared it with orange and vanilla.

When it comes to something to serve the roasted rhubarb on, I have returned to a favorite: coconut milk panna cotta. I’ve adapted my stand-by panna cotta recipe just slightly, adding a little more gelatin since this is an unmolded version, and sweetening it with orange blossom honey.

So simple to make, very minimal added sweetener, and a good serving of gelatin. But, if panna cotta isn’t your jam, I’ve also served leftover roasted rhubarb on cupcakes and I also suspect it would be fantastic on pancakes or waffles.

One final note: I don’t believe this recipe would work well with frozen rhubarb—I’m fairly certain that freezing the rhubarb would cause it to break down too much to retain it’s shape. But, if you don’t mind if the rhubarb turns more sauce-y, feel free to try frozen rhubarb.

Coconut Milk Panna Cotta 
yields 4 to 6 servings, depending on molds/vessel size

1-13.5 oz can of coconut milk (I use smaller cartons & weigh out 13.5 oz)
1/8 teaspoon vanilla bean powder
21 g (1 tablespoon) honey (I used orange blossom honey)
10 g (1 heaping tablespoon) gelatin

1. In a saucepan whisk together the coconut milk, vanilla, and honey. Carefully sprinkle the gelatin over the surface & mix gently. Allow to bloom for 10 minutes. 

2. Heat the saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the gelatin melts & there are no lumps--do not boil! 

3. Portion into small bowls/glasses or molds (I used a silicone muffin pan in these images). Chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours (or overnight). 

Roasted Rhubarb
8 oz fresh rhubarb stalks
63 g (3 tablespoons) honey (I used orange blossom honey)
1/8 teaspoon vanilla bean powder
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 tablespoons orange juice

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. 
2. Cut the rhubarb stalks on an angle into 1" to 2" pieces. Place the cut pieces into an 8x8 baking dish. 
3. Drizzle the honey over the rhubarb & sprinkle with the vanilla powder and orange zest. Add the orange juice. 
4. Roast in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes. Stir the rhubarb & roast an additional 10 minutes or until the rhubarb has softened, but is not falling apart. Cool to room temperature before serving. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator. The tart flavor of the rhubarb will continue to mellow the longer it sits in the fridge. 

To serve 

1. Unmold the panna cotta, if desired—I ran a small offset spatula around the custards before gently popping them out of the silicone muffin pan I used as a mold—and plate. 
2. Top with a few pieces of rhubarb & a generous spoon full of the rhubarb liquid. 
3. Serve immediately. 

Note: 

• The rhubarb will remain pretty tart, even with the 63 g (3 tablespoons) of honey. If serving this recipe to non-AIP/Paleo people, you may way to up the sweetener by a tablespoon or two in both the roasted rhubarb and in the panna cotta.  

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