Single Serving Chocolate Birthday Cake + A Special Giveaway (AIP, Paleo, Vegan)

A Year in the Life

This past weekend, we celebrated a very special moment. One year ago we met our beautiful little girl for the very first time. We brought her home to our house and introduced her to her three fur siblings and then thought, now what? LOL. Let's face it, no one knows what the heck they are doing as first time parents. It's nerve wrecking, and terrifying and wonderful all at the same time. As each month passed, my husband would say to me, "well we made it one more month." We all still had our fingers and toes and everyone, for the most part, was doing well. Those first few months felt like years of time as the passed. All the time and energy I spent trying to have a beautiful breastfeeding relationship with Emily now seems so distant and a drop of water in the ocean (read about our journey here).

Then in a blink, it was time to let Emily enjoy all my favorite foods as we began baby-led weaning. No surprise at all, she was a natural foodie baby and loved everything I gave her. If you don't already, follow me on Instagram where I often share pictures of what she is having each day. Right around 6 months, was the moment I am sure the world started spinning faster and time sped up because the next thing I knew, it was less than two months until her first birthday and it was time to plan to celebrate a whole year of her life.

To Smash Cake or to Not Smash Cake?

I must be honest, I was not even originally planning on having a smash cake for Emily's birthday. I just didn't see all the hype, and since she is such a fantastic eater, I didn't expect there to be any smashing. BUT after attending a few of her friends first birthdays I couldn't help myself. I wanted her to experience that as well, and then one day we can look back at those pictures and I can share the whole crazy day with her.

When I finally decided to have a birthday cake for Emily, I knew two things right away.

1. I will be making it from scratch.
2. It will use my most favorite flour ever, Otto's Cassava Flour.

Recently, I shared this AIP Chocolate Mug Cake recipe which was in inspiration for the cake. I decided to remove the sweeteners from the cake and add applesauce. This required a little adjusting of the other ingredients. For the frosting, while I knew a simple coconut cream frosting would work just fine, I really wanted something that was more frosting like in texture. While Emily does not eat strict AIP (she does eat eggs and many other paleo foods), I decided to keep this as an AIP cake so that I could use it for other occasions.

I have tested this recipe three times now and Emily has had it twice. I can say for certain it's a winner for both mommy and baby. What I also love about this cake (having tested it so much) is that both the cake and frosting can easily be separately  made ahead and assembled wherever you need them. Or you can make then entire cake ahead, freeze it, and travel to your destination. For Emily's birthday, I made the cake and frosting two days before the party and kept them in the fridge. Then the day before, I put the cake together and froze it and drove to my parents house (2 hours away) and it kept in their fridge until the party the next day. It turned out perfect!

Emily's Birthday Giveaway

Not only am I sharing this delicious birthday cake recipe with you all, but Otto's Cassava Flour has so graciously agreed to giveaway a 5 lb bag of cassava flour to help celebrate Emily's birthday. To enter for a chance to win a bag of cassava flour comment below who you plan to make this birthday cake recipe for next! The winner will be chosen on Sunday, April 23 at 12:00 pm EST. (for U.S. participates only). This giveaway is over. Congratulations, Rebecca Nicodemus for winning a bag of Otto's Cassava Flout. Thank you for all those who entered.

Single Serving Chocolate Birthday Cake

Ingredients

Cake:

• 3 tablespoons cassava flour
• 1 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1 tablespoon carob powder
• 1/4 teaspooon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon applesauce
• 3 tablespoons full fat coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil

Frosting:

• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons cassava flour
• 1/2 cup of palm shortening (tallow  or lard can also be used)
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup

Option: fruit juice or vegetable juice to color frosting

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease two 4-oz ramekins or a muffin tray.
2. Start making the cake batter by sifting the cassava flour, coconut flour, carob powder, and baking soda into a large bow. Whisk to fully combine.
3.  Add applesauce, coconut milk, and avocado oil and stir to incorporate all ingredients.
4. Evenly distribute the batter between the two greased ramekins or two muffin molds. If using ramekins, place them on a sheet tray so they are easier to take in and out of the oven.
5. Place cake batter in preheated oven and back for 25 minutes, or until they pass the tooth pick test (stick a tooth pick in the center of the cake, and if it comes out clean, they are done)
6. While the cake is baking, you can get started on the first two steps to make the frosting.
7. In a small sauce pan, combine coconut milk and cassava flour and warm over medium low heat. Stir until it turns into a paste, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and transfer to a fridge safe bowl with a lid, and place in fridge
8. Using a standing mixer with whisk attachment or a large bowl and a hand-mixer, add the palm shortening and maple syrup to the mixer or bowl and whip on high until it is light and fluffy and peaks begin to form. About 10 mins. If it gets too soft and melted, place in fridge for a few minutes to firm up.
9. By now the cakes should be done. Remove them from oven and let them sit for 5 minutes undisturbed. Then carefully remove them from the ramekins or muffin tray and place on cool rack. You will want them completely cooled before your frost them. If you have time, you can allow them to cool at room temperature, or you can place them in the fridge or even freezer to cool faster.
10. While the cakes cool, finish preparing the frosting. Remove the coconut milk/flour paste from the fridge, be sure it is completely cooled. Add the paste to the bowl with the whipped palm shorting, and mix until fully combined and fluffy. About 10 mins. 
11. Once cake is cooled it's time to decorate. Carefully slice the two cakes in half, making four even layers. Begin building your layers. Lay the bottom layer of cake on wax or parchment paper (so you can easily move it to another surface after it's assembled), then add some frosting, then another layer of cake, and so on until you have built your 4 layers.
12. If you want to be fancy, you can first do a crumb coat. Which means you use a light layer of frosting all over the cake. It is just enough to catch all the crumbs so that you don't see them when it is fully frosted. If doing a crumb coat, place cake back in fridge or freezer to allow the frosting to set before doing the final layer of frosting.
13. Now you can be as creative as you want. You can simple use a knife and cover the full cake with thick layer of frosting. You could use a piping bag and make a fun design. You could even mix in a little fruit or vegetable juice (a 1/4 tsp or less) to color the frosting. Similar to what I did for Emily's birthday. 

Note; If frosting gets to soft, simply place in fridge or freezer to let it firm up a little. Or if you leave it in the fridge too long and it is hard, use standing mixer or hand mixer, to whip it back to fluffy goodness. 

Note 2.0: The cake and frosting can be kept in fridge for up to 3 days. Which means, you can make the cake a few days ahead and not stress about it as you finish all other preparations. Or maybe you all aren't procrastinators like myself?

Apple, Cabbage, and Kale Salad (AIP, Paleo, Vegan, Whole 30)

This is a perfectly refreshing salad to break up the "is it winter? is it spring? is it summer?" feeling we have been having the last few weeks. I almost always have these ingredients in my kitchen, so it just made sense to throw them together. It's a perfect salad to pair with almost any meal and is a little more fancy than just a pile of romaine.

Apple, Cabbage, and Kale Salad

Ingredients

• 1 apple
• 1/4 of red cabbage
• 3-4 stalks of kale
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 a lemon, juiced
• A pinch of sea salt

Instructions

1. Peel and core apple, and slice in to matchsticks. I used a mandolin to get this thin cut.
2. Slice the red cabbage very thinly. Again, I used my madnolin for a nice uniform thin slice
3. De-steam kale and discard stems. Chop up leaves and add to bowl. Mix apple, cabbage and kale until well combine.
4. Add olive oil, lemon juice, and sea salt and stir until well integrated.
5. You can enjoy this right away, but I will say it gets better as it sits. If you can, make it a few hours or even a day ahead, and it will be even yummier. 

Quick Pickled Radicchio, Radish, and Apple (AIP, Paleo, Whole 30, Vegan)

For the recently holiday weekend, Emily and I packed up my car (to the max) and ventured up to visit my parents for the week. They live about 2 hours away and we don't get to see them too often, so we decided to make it a nice long visit. One of my favorite things to do while home is shop at all the amazing discount grocery stores. They have nothing like them where I live, so I always stock up when I am in town.

On our last day there, we stopped in at this place called Ebenzer's Groceris. It has this huge freezer full of fresh produce, half traditional and half organic. The best part is the prices. I left with at least 5 bags of fresh produce for under $40. One item I picked up was two pretty decent size heads of organic radicchio, which were two for $1!!! Since this is something I don't normally buy for us, I wasn't sure what I would do with it, besides add it to a salad.

Then, the other night, after I pulled it out and stared at the radicchio for a while, I said to the hubby, "I want to make something with this, but I have no idea what." To which my brilliant hubby said, "why don't you pickle it?" And that was it, I knew exactly what to do. Thus the quick pickled radicchio, radish, and apple recipe was conceived.

Quick Pickled Radicchio, Radish, and Apple 

Ingredients

• 2 cups radicchio, shredded
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup, red radish, cut in to matchsticks
• 1 apple, chopped
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Instructions

1. Add shredded radicchio to a medium bowl and sprinkle sea salt all over and let sit for 2 minutes.
2. Stir radicchio up and then add in remaining ingredients
3. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 3 days to enjoy later. 

3-Ingredient Carob Pudding (AIP, Paleo, Vegan)

This pregnancy has brought back my sugar dragon like it's no bodies business. I have done my best to fight it off with veggies and all the good stuff, but sometimes you just need something sweet and chocolaty. Since I have not had any success reintroducing chocolate, carob has become my best friend when the sugar craving comes along. The other thing that is becoming very clear, I am always tired now, guess that is what the third trimester does to you. With this in mind, I often want quick and easy, and this treat meets my needs.

3-Ingredient Carob Pudding

Makes 2-3 servings

Ingredients

• 1 can coconut milk stored in the fridge over night
• 2 tablespoons carob powder
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Instructions

1. Remove the cream from the coconut milk and add to medium size mixing bowl.
2. Using a hand mixer, whip until it fluffs up.
3. Sift in carob powder, and add maple syrup. Mix in both with a spoon.
4. Serve in a bowl or simply eat out of mixing bowl.

Semi-Sweet Plantain Fritters (AIP, Low-FOMAP, Paleo, Vegan, Whole 30)

Plantains have become one of my favorite starches since going AIP. Just a year ago, I didn't even know what a plantain was, much less what in the world what to do with it. Then I made tostones, and my world was forever changed. I tend to mostly use green plantains and never quite sure what to do with then start to tern yellow.

Usually I just slice and fry them up (which is delicious), but the other day I decided to try something new. I had a few plantains that were just yellow and turning a little soft. There are just becoming sweet, but still have a good bit of starchiness in them that helps them become perfect fritters.

Semi-Sweet Plantain Fritters

Makes 2-3 servings

Ingredients

• 1 yellow plantain
• 1 ½ tablespoons cold water
• 1 tablespoon cassava flour 
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• A pinch of fine sea salt
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil

Instructions

1. Peel plantain and cut in large chunks. Add to food processor and do 2-second pulses (about 2-3) until it is finely chopped up, but not pureed.
2. Add chopped plantain to small bowl and mix in water, cassava flour, cinnamon, and sea salt.
3. Heat a medium pan over medium/low heat. You want it to be warm enough to heat the oil, but not too hot or they will stick.
4. When pan is hot, add oil to warm.
5. Fill a 1/4 cup with plantain mix and use that to put mix in pan. I found when I tapped the edge of the pan with the cup handle, it plopped right into a nice patty. Lightly press it down with a spatula to shape.
6. Allow to cook undisturbed for about 2 minutes. 
7. Carefully slide spatula under the fritter, if it is sticking, give it another minute. If it is ready, flip it over and cook it for another 2 minutes.
8. Remove from pan and enjoy.

Warm Escarole, Pineapple, and Toasted Coconut Salad (AIP, Paleo, Vegan, Whole 30)

Vegetables. Give me all the vegetables! Since starting the autoimmune protocol, I have found myself trying out so many new veggies. Some I never even heard of just a few years ago, others I have known about, but was always to scared to try them. Are you trying new vegetables now that you have changed your diet?

If not, or even if you are, I have a tip for you. If you are fortunate enough to have an international market near, like an Asian market, I recommend you go there. Even if you don't have one, go to your local grocery store. Each week, pick one new vegetable you have never tried before and give it a go.

This week I tried escarole for the first time. I learned, through trusted Google, escarole is a form of endive. It's got broad leaves and a bitter flavor. Basically the perfect match for a sweet crunchy warm salad. As I do with almost any other recipe on the blog, I checked the fridge to see what I could mix with it. This warm salad is a perfect way to get in your greens, but in a bit of a nontraditional way.

Warm Escarole, Pineapple, and Toasted Coconut Salad

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1/3 cup finely diced pineapple, reserve 1 tablespoon of juice
• 4 cups, chopped escarole, approximately one small head
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• A pinch of sea salt

Instructions

1. Warm a large frying pan over medium/low heat.
2. Once pan is warm, add the shredded coconut to the pan. Leave alone for 3-4 minutes, or until it begins to brown. Toss and cook for another minute.
3. Add pineapple to pan and toss with shredded coconut and cook for about two minutes.
4. Add escarole and extra virgin olive oil to frying pan and toss to combine.
5. Stir often and allow to cook for 2 minutes, just enough to combine everything and warm up the escarole, but not enough to wilt it.
6. Remove from heat and place in a mixing bowl.
7. Add in reserved pineapple juice, balsamic vinegar, and sea salt. Toss to combine.
8. Serve as a side to your favorite meal.

Wilted Kale with Shallots (AIP, Paleo, Vegan, Whole 30)

My absolute favorite leafy green has to be kale. However, up until about a year or so ago, I REFUSED to eat kale. The taste was so not appealing to me and I wanted nothing to do with it. Then I tried it for the first time raw, in a salad, and decided it wasn't too bad. Then I discovered wilted kale and my love affair officially began.

This is definitely one of my favorite ways to have kale as a side dish. The dish takes less than 5 minutes to cook. I am pretty sure the prep of the kale takes longer than the cook time.

Wilted Kale with Shallots

Ingredients

• 1 small bunch of kale, de-stemmed and roughly chopped (approximately 3 cups chopped)
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced (approximately 1 cup sliced)
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
• ½ teaspoon Himalayan sea salt

Instructions

1. In a large frying pan, warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.
2. Once oil is hot, add shallots and cook for 2 minutes or until they start to turn translucent. Stir frequently.
3. Add kale, salt, and remaining sea salt to pan. Stir until kale is completely coated with oil. Cook for 1 minute, or until kale just changes to bright green color. Stir frequently.
4. Serve and enjoy with your favorite meal. Makes about 3-4 servings

Kabocha Tots (AIP, Paleo, Whole 30, Vegan)

Kabocha squash has quickly become one of my most favorite squash. I only recently discovered it since going AIP, and wasn't entire sure what to do with it. Roasting tastes great, but I found they could hold up their structure well enough to become yummy tater tot like side.

Ingredients

• 1 medium kabocha squash
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon savory
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degree F.
2. Wash the squash, then cut in half and deseed. You can leave the skin on or cut it off, it is based on your preference.
3. Cut squash into small, bite-size pieces and to a medium size bowl
4. In a small bowl combine garlic powder, ground ginger, savory, cinnamon, and sea salt.
5. Sprinkle seasoning blend and avocado oil over kabocha tots and stir to completely coat.
6. Pour seasoned tots on to a parchment paper lined backing sheet.
7. Put tots in preheated over for 25 minutes, toss them half way through cooking.
8. Remove, let cool for minute, then serve and enjoy!

Yuca con Mojo {Cassava with Garlic Sauce} (AIP, Paleo, Vegan, Whole 30)

Long before I discovered the Yuca Slayer, Jennifer Robins from Predominantly Paleo, I remember buying my first yuca (cassava) root because it intrigued me. Having no idea what to do with it, I did what I always do when at a loss with a new ingredient, I googled it. The one recipe that stuck out to me was yuca con mojo, aka yuca (cassava) with garlic sauce.

After trying many different variations of this recipe and making a few tweaks of my own, I found a recipe I truly loved. It is a traditional Cuban recipe that uses yuca (cassava) root, lime, garlic, and olive oil. However, my personal taste buds didn't care for the lime, so I have chosen lemon for my recipe, steering it a little from tradition. I make this recipe pretty often and love to eat it as side with anything really, but I really enjoy it with chicken and big pile of kale.

Yuca con mojo {Cassava with garlic sauce} 

Ingredients

• 1 lb yuca (cassava root) fresh or frozen
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, divided
• 1½ teaspoons plus + ¼ cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons of minced garlic
• ½ garlic cup sliced red onion
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Prepare yuca
1. If using fresh yuca, cut of each end, and cut in thirds. Then, cut off the outside peel. Once peel is removed, cut up into bite size pieces. 
2. If frozen, let sit out for a few minutes until you can cut it down into bite size pieces.
2. Add cut yuca onto a medium size pot and add enough water to cover it. Add in ½ teaspoon of sea salt and 1½ teaspoons of lemon juice.
3. Bring yuca to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 25 mins (or until yuca is tender but not mushy)
4. Combine garlic and ½ teaspoon of sea salt in a small dish
5. When yuca is done, drain, and sift through to remove hard center core. Even the frozen sometimes has a little left over. Set aside.
6. Return saucepan to stove top and set to medium high heat. Add red onion, olive oil, ¼ cup lemon juice, and garlic salt mix to sauce pan. Cook for 5 minutes.
7. Lastly, add yuca to the saucepan and cook for another 5 minutes.
8. Serve and Enjoy!

Grilled Marinated Summer Vegetables (AIP, Paleo, Vegan)

Growing up, my summers included swimming all day and countless cookouts in parents backyard. They would invite friends and neighbors over, and we would grill and eat outside as often as we could. As an adult, I realized grilling can be done year round, but it is not the same as grilling between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

One item you could always count on as part of every summer party was my dad's grilled veggies. He could never seem to make enough either. They were good immediately off the grill, a few hours later, or even cold from the fridge later that night or the following morning.

A few weeks ago, I was craving these veggies so badly with the warm weather we have been having, so I had to figure out a way to make them ASAP. Normally, my dad would marinate the veggies in a store brand Italian Dressing, but knowing this option was not going to work for me, my first step was to create an AIP friendly Italian Dressing.

These veggies are perfect to take to any cookout for fellow AIPers or non-AIPers and can be enjoyed even a day or two after, if they last they long. This weekend, my parents came over for a cookout at our house and I made these veggies for everyone to enjoy. My dad said they were just as good as his, if not possible better, so I had to share the recipe with you all. Feel free to use the recipe as a guide to add and subtract veggies as you like to make the perfect dish for your family.

Grilled Summer Vegetables

Ingredients

• 1 cup brussel sprouts, halved
• 2 medium zucchini, sliced
• 2 medium yellow squash, sliced
• 6-7 garlic cloves, whole
• 2 cups white mushrooms, sliced 
• 3-4 medium carrots, sliced
• 1 medium red or sweet vidalia onion, roughly chopped
• 1 cup Homemade Italian Dressing

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Make sure veggies are completely coated in dressing.
2. Allow to marinate for at least 4 hrs, but can be up to 24 hrs. I recommend doing it the night before, or in the morning before work for dinner in the evening.
3. When ready to grill, heat grill over medium heat. You will need to use either a Vegetable Basket, aluminum foil boat or some other grill pan that will prevent the veggies from falling through the grates.
4. Once the grill is warm, add veggies to basket (or aluminum or pan). If you have a smaller grill or basket, you might need to do it in batches.
5. Grill veggies for about 35-40 minutes, stirring every so often. You want them to have some nice grill marks, but not be too over cooked. They will still have some crunch to them.
6. Enjoy along side your favorite summer time dishes. 

Shared on AIP Recipe Roundtable
Featured on Autoimmune Paleo Recipe Round-Up June '15

Homemade Italian Dressing (AIP, Paleo, Vegan)

One of the hardest things to find is an AIP friendly or even Paleo friendly salad dressing. Most salad dressing you find at the store include about 20 ingredients that make no sense and about 4 that you actually feel comfortable consuming. As an alternative, many of us learn to live with a little olive oil and vinegar, and that works a good bit of the time. However, sometimes you really want a salad dressing that tastes like one.

When I set about coming up with an Italian Dressing recipe, it was partially because I missed it, but what I missed more was a dressing that can also be used to make Grilled Marinated Summer Vegetables. This dressing can be tossed on a leafy green salad or as a marinade or in anything you would normally use Italian dressing.

Homemade Italian Dressing

Ingredients

• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¾ teaspoon dried basil
• ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Place everything but the olive oil in a large wide mouth mason jar or large bowl. 
2. Use an immersion blender or whisk to combine ingredients.
3. Once other ingredients are combined, slowly add in the olive oil while blending or whisking.
4. Store in a mason jar in fridge for up to two weeks. Recipe makes 1 cup of dressing.

Shared on AIP Recipe Roundtable
Featured on Autoimmune Paleo Recipe Round-Up June '15

No-Egg Waffles (AIP, Coconut-Free, Paleo, Vegan)

Recently I got my very first bag of Otto's Cassava Flour. Filled with excitement, I contemplated what to make first. My mind began swirling with ideas. I decided to make something, that was not these waffles. It turned out pretty good, but needed another go.

Then I had a thought, let's see if I can make waffles with the flour. My goal was to try and come up with a recipe that was simple and that many could enjoy. The first try was a complete success. There was fluff, there was flavor, there was a waffle I could enjoy! So of course I had to share it with you all as soon as possible.

No-Egg Waffles 

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/4 cup cassava flour
• ¼ teaspoon arrowroot starch
• 1 ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons avocado oil
• Up to 1 and 1/4 cup of cold water

Instructions

1. Preheat waffle iron.
2. Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. Make a small hole in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients minus the water. Slowly add in the water a 1/4 cup at a time until it because slush like. You don't want it too soupy (pancake like) but thicker than that. If it becomes too wet, add a little more cassava flour.
4. Grease waffle iron and pour in mix to suitable size portions for machine.
5. Let them cook for just a minute or two past the timer.
6. Enjoy with syrup, fresh fruit or your favorite toppings.

These are definitely more dense than my other recipe, but are more waffle like. This recipe made about 6-8 waffles, depending on the size.

Featured on AIP Recipe Roundtable

Sweet Potato Hash (AIP, Paleo, Vegan, Whole 30)

Secret's Out

I am going to share a very special secret with you. It is how I keep myself sane among all of life’s business – I plan. Yes, I know this concept sounds simple, but think just about it for a moment.

Owen is demonstrating what you can do more of when you plan.

When was the last time you planned your entire week of meals out: breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Think what happens when you don’t have your food figured out? You grab a granola bar for breakfast. You head to the sandwich shop down the street where everyone knows your name and has your order ready when you walk in. Then of course there is the Chinese takeout guy who stops by one too many times a month. 

Now imagine if you took the time on Sunday and figured it all out. No time spent during the week having to come up with something dinner, and then just giving up and ordering take out anyway. Or while consuming your lunch thinking, I wonder what is actually in this McDouble? 

This is why I plan - to remove the temptations, to make things simple (yes simple) and to have control over what I am eating. I promise to make many more posts about planned meals and snacks I use, but for day I am going to share one of my favorites.

Awesomeness aka Sweet Potato Hash

If you remember anything about your favorite breakfast from your child it would be going to a diner and ordering sunny-side-up eggs with toast and potato hash. Ok maybe this was just my childhood. I loved potato hash! There is just something so breakfast about it. However, I knew that I needed to find an alternative healthier option. 

Sweet Potato

Can someone explain to me why we never ate enough of this as kids? Sweet potatoes rock my socks and are just so versatile. Breakfast, snack, lunch, dinner, and dessert can be made with sweet potatoes. I promise I have many more recipes to share. The best part about this recipe is, with a little prep on Sunday, you will have breakfast for each morning that will only take 10 minutes to make. No excuse!

Ingredients

• 1 sweet potato, peeled and shredded
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• Sea salt and pepper (omit for AIP) to taste

Prepare ahead

Prep the sweet potato and onion up to 5 days ahead of time and store in a sealed container or bag in fridge.

Dice up the onion and place both in ziplock bags to easily grab in the morning.

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat.
2. Once the oil is warm, add in about half a cup of the shredded sweet potato and 1/4 cup handful of onions to pan. 
3. Season the mix with a little salt and pepper (omit for AIP). It will take about 5 to 10 minutes to cook, just remember to stir it often because it can easily burn. 
4. Enjoy with your other favorite breakfast items.

And that is it! It is so simple and so delicious. Sometimes I add tomatoes and garlic to my hash. It really depends on what's in the kitchen. No more excuses! Pre-plan your breakfasts next week and let me know how it goes!