Being a strict follower of the Paleo diet, grains are strictly forbidden from entering my body. Because of my Crohns Disease, I have always avoided any wheat products and even rice in order to maintain peak digestive health. Basically I eat a lot of vegetables, fruit and some meat…that’s all! I know, it sounds pretty boring, but there’s surprisingly a lot I do eat which I enjoy, fills me up and is healthy. I particularly like snacking on various organic nuts, raisins and dried cranberries. Desserts can be tricky (no sugar, eggs or butter). But my wife and I have discovered some wonderful recipes that are absolutely yummy and easy to make.
One of them is Coconut Squares. If you like Rice Krispies Squares but find it challenging to eat rice (or don’t want to eat processed food), this is a fantastic alternative!
As mentioned, it’s super easy to make. All you need are 4 cups of unsweetened coconut, 1 cup of coconut oil, approx. 16 big un-pitted dates and a couple of dashes of vanilla extract and salt. In a fairly large saucepan, add the coconut and coconut oil and mix over low heat for about 5 minutes so it puffs up a bit. Food process the dates, salt and vanilla so they come out like a paste. Add the paste to the coconut. Mix so it’s a consistent blend. Then pour and strongly & evenly press into a medium-sized container with a lid. Stick it in the freezer for at least a few hours. Get a strong steak knife and divide it into squares.
You might wait to let it sit before you bite into it…it’s very hard from being frozen. But it tastes super-great when it’s really cold. It’s also super-filling so you don’t need to eat much to get full.
Happy “Baking”!
