Savory Leek and Coconut Milk Pudding

Know anyone who isn't the biggest fan of vegetables? Well, here's a sure-fire way to get them to eat their veggies - bury them under a fluffy, eggy soufflé mixture and call it a pudding. Not that I would ever try such manipulative tactics with anyone in my household, but my husband did love this dish. Just sayin'.

Coconut cream comes in a can and is a thicker, more concentrated version of coconut milk. If you can't find it or you're not a fan of coconut milk, try it with whole milk or heavy cream. I haven't tested the recipe using those substitutes, but you should get a relatively similar result. 

Savory Leek and Coconut Milk Pudding

Serves 4 - 6 as a side dish

Preheat oven to 375

1 16 oz bag of cleaned, sliced leeks (or 2-3 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced and thoroughly rinsed) 

1 bunch spinach, thick stems removed

4 eggs

1 cup coconut cream

1 tbsp butter

3 sprigs tarragon

1 sprig thyme

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Heat a large pan over medium heat and melt the butter in the pan. Make sure the leeks are thawed if frozen and drained well, then add them to the pan. Sauté until soft and beginning to brown. Add the spinach to the pan and cook just until wilted. Remove from the heat and set aside. 

Beat the eggs with the coconut cream. Remove the tarragon and thyme leaves from their stems and roughly chop. Add the chopped herbs to the egg mixture along with the salt and nutmeg. Mix until just combined.

Butter or spray a medium-sized baking dish with cooking spray. Transfer the leek and spinach mixture to the dish and pour the egg mixture over. Bake for 25 minutes until slightly browned and just set in the center. 

Chocolate Seed Bars

A pretty constant obsession of mine is figuring out how to make eating massive amounts of chocolate a healthy endeavor. Whenever my husband sees me reaching for the bag of raw cacao, he whispers, "you know, just because you add a whole bunch of healthy stuff to chocolate, it doesn't mean it's healthy."

Well, I beg to differ. First off, by making it myself, I avoid adding in a ton of processed sugar (I usually sweeten with maple syrup and stevia) and there aren't any fillers or soy products thrown in to try and smooth out the chocolate. It's just simple, healthy ingredients and while it may not be considered health food per se, I'm never, ever, ever going to stop eating chocolate so this is my compromise.

These seed bars, are just that, pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds (I love adding these little guys to chocolate dishes - the protein in them helps slow the absorption of the carbs) and a few other choice ingredients - coconut shavings, coconut oil, maple syrup and of course, raw cacao.

I made a double batch to fill up the tart pan for the photos, but I usually only make one at a time. I just don't trust myself with a big batch of deliciousness laying around the house.

Chocolate Seed Bars

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup raw cacao powder

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup coconut shavings

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup hemp seeds

8 drops organic liquid stevia

Starting with the pumpkin seeds, place the first five ingredients in a food processor (through maple syrup) and process until combined, scraping down the bowl as necessary. The mixture can be a little chunky, but you want everything to be fully combined. Add in the hemp seeds and stevia and pulse once or twice just to mix them through.

Dump the mixture out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and press it together into a square about a half-inch thick. You can also press the mixture evenly into a square pan. Chill for 30 minutes, then cut into desired serving size. I recommend 1-inch by 4-inch bars about the size of a small granola bar or square bites to keep in the fridge when you need a quick chocolate boost.

Coconut Butter

Coconut butter served in Michael Aram Honey Pot

Coconut manna (aka butter) can be a hard ingredient to track down. I find it is often sold out at health food stores and it has yet to make its way to general grocers.

If you're making the Spirulina Protein Bites from last week, or just want to try a new ingredient, fear not, it's super easy to whip up at home.

Grab a bag (at least 7 to 8 oz worth) of dehydrated coconut shavings and dump the entire thing into your high-powered blender. Process until it turns into a paste, scraping down the bowl as necessary. I have tried making this in a food processor and it just does not work as well. Food Processor = 10 minutes of pulsing and scraping. High-powered blender = 30 seconds.

Scrape the butter into a small bowl, and a pinch of Kosher salt if desired (you should desire) and chill until solid.

Once set, I keep the butter at room temperature so it stays spreadable. Use it on toast, in smoothies and in any way you might use another nut butter.