Mocha Mousse by Elana's Pantry

Looking for a decadent chocolaty dessert? You've come to the right place.

The Recipe

The Good
Wonderfully chocolaty taste
Nice buzz from coffee
Great texture

The Bad
Uses vegan palm oil shortening

Overall - 5/5 Stars

This recipe was simple and downright awesome. I love the combination of chocolate and coffee for a desert and the crumbs of coffee bean give the mouse an even more dynamic texture. This recipe is thick - just like mousse should be.

My only hesitation with this is that it calls for palm oil shortening. I'll have to do a little more research to see this is something to be used sparingly or not at all. Either way, it didn't stop me from making it, and I already had some left over from making these Paleo Red Velvet Whoopie Pies.  Those actually weren't as good as they look.

Caribbean Seafood Stew by Everyday Paleo

Sarah over at Everyday Paleo has quite the following, and if you haven't checked out her website yet, DO IT. She comes up with some pretty original dishes. With three kids, she needs to stay on top of her game to keep them interested, and she does a fantastic job. Take a look at this recipe she posted yesterday (Mango Chicken Salad with Chipotle Mayo)... I'll be cooking this soon.

Tonight however, I tried her Caribbean Seafood Stew. I've been meaning to try more dishes with coconut milk. So far I've only been using it for smoothies, but I'd love to find other tasty ways to get more coconut in my life.

The Recipe

Her picture looks way better

The Good
Light dish
Very tender fish
Delicate coconut flavor

The Bad
A little bland

Overall - 2/5 Stars
This dish was a little underwhelming. I felt like it was missing an ingredient or two. The coconut milk gave the dish a great base, but it wasn't enough for me to enjoy this recipe. That being said her directions are spot on. We simmered the fish for 4 minutes and it came out perfectly tender.

Did you have a different experience with this dish? I'd love to hear what your opinion is.

Chocolate Chip Cookies by Primal Palate

If there was one thing I missed most when I started eating paleo it was cereal. But if I had to choose second it would probably be cookies. My mom in notorious for baking up a storm when we have company over. We are over loaded with her delicious cookies, double fudge brownies, you name it. You weren't leaving until you had dessert.

Since I stopped eating grains, I've been trying to find a recipe to rival my mom's famous cookies. I stumbled on Primal Palate's blog earlier in the year, and I've made this recipe over five times since then. To me that's a lot. I typically don't repeat a recipe unless I really love it. And I love this one.

These cookies have a perfect chewy consistency, and the maple syrup adds a touch of flavor that hints of fresh pancakes. I strongly recommend you try these them.

The Recipe

This is my second batch with cocoa powder. My first batch was devoured. 

The Good
Coconut oil adds a nice touch
Great consistency
Quick to cook
LOVE the maple syrup taste


The Bad
Should have made more

Overall - 5/5 Stars
This is one of those recipes that you could pass of as the "real thing" with out having to say... "It's gluten-free, packed with protein". Unfortunately, I did tell my dad this. And he ate a whole batch of cookies in one sitting. I kid you not. I doubled the batch which made about 30 small cookies. My dad ate the 12 remaining cookies in one sitting!!!! Unbelievable.

I had to make a new batch, however this time I decided to add half a cup of cocoa powder. Which is why my cookies turned out dark. I also had to HIDE this batch from my dad. He said he liked the double chocolate goodness, but I think they were a little more dry than the batch with out the cocoa powder.

Either way, trying these cookies is a must. They are even better Elana's Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, and that in itself is a feat, because she makes some amazing recipes. Have you tried these yet? What do you think?

Seriously Tasty Meatloaf by Health-Bent

In spite of Meatless Mondays, I have for you a recipe that is full of meat. In fact, it contains ground pork, ground beef, and most importantly bacon. Now, I've never been a huge meatloaf fan, but since it's my dad's favorite dish I decided to give this paleo equivalent from Health-bent a try.

The Recipe

The Good
Seriously tasty (the title doesn't lie)
Seriously juicy

The Bad
Bacon wasn't crispy

Overall - 3/5
This is a solid recipe. I opted for jarred sauce to save time, and in total, it took a little over an hour to cook. The best part about this recipe is how juicy it stayed (even for a couple days after in the fridge). I definitely slathered it with ketchup, but this was a mighty fine meal. I gave it three stars because it didn't blow me away (perhaps because I never used to like meatloaf). However, my dad, a longtime meatloaf lover, was very pleased. If nothing else, I like this recipe because it breaks the boundaries a little with what we consider to be meatloaf. Using bacon on top, and then broiling it - genius! I'd like to use that idea for other recipes.

One complaint (and per usual this could be my fault) is that the bacon on top wasn't crispy. It was cooked, but almost soggy as if it had been cooked in the microwave. Perhaps I didn't leave the broiler on long enough, but I would have loved for the bacon to be crispy. That would have given it a contrast to the tender meatloaf below.

Coconut Flour Pancakes by Primal Palate

While I do have a bowl of cereal every once in a while, pancakes are something I rarely eat. I hardly have time to whip up a batch before work, and if someone else cooks it's usually the pre-made crap. No offense Aunt Jemima. Yesterday, I got up a little earlier than usual and decided the time would be well spent indulging in some home-made paleo pancakes.


The Recipe

The Good
They look like pancakes
Don't stick to the pan

The Bad
Awful texture, almost sponge-like
Very bitter

Overall - 1/5
After many delicious meals I've prepared from Primal Palate, I found one that was disappointing. The flavor was very bitter, I believe there was too much nutmeg. And I would have preferred a chewier texture. These pancakes are very cake-like and spongy since the recipe calls for four eggs. I actually doubled the batch, thinking I would love it (which has been the case for all the other recipes I've made from Hayley and Bill), and I ended up throwing half of it away.


However, this was my first time cooking with coconut flour, and there was certainly an unusual flavor that I couldn't put my finger on. I would be surprised if I didn't like the flour since I love everything coconut (water, milk, oil, flakes). I'll have to try some more recipes that call for it to see if that was the reason I didn't like the pancakes. Of course, there is always the possibility that I screwed up the recipe somehow. The commenters on Hayley and Bill's website seemed to love it, but this is just one recipe of theirs I can't recommend. 

Fish and Chips by Pragmatic Paleo

Haddock was the only thawed meat in my fridge, but thanks to Wikipedia... "Haddock is a very popular food fish, sold fresh, smoked, frozen, dried, or to a small extent canned. Haddock, along with cod and plaice, is one of the most popular fish used in British fish and chips." Brilliant!


A quick Google search for "Paleo Fish and Chips" only turned up a couple results surprisingly. But this recipe from Pragmatic Paleo looked like a winner.

The Recipe 

They may look like boring fish sticks,
but these things pack some flavor!

The Good:
Fantastic flavor thanks to the coconut oil and dill
Quick to make
Few ingredients


The Bad:
Not the most detailed directions
I wish I cooked more


Overall - 4/5
I will definitely cook these again. They were a snap to make, although following the directions was a little tricky. They say to finish the fish off in the oven, but don't tell you how long to put them in for. My fish was cooked after browning both sides, so I didn't want to risk over cooking them.


In terms of flavor they were great. They were light, crispy, and buttery. I initially thought I would be begging for ketchup (which we were out of), but they were good enough that I didn't even need any. Also, I probably added a little too much salt, but these little guys were a hit with the whole family. If you are looking for a simple and healthy fried fish recipe, look no further!

Sirloin Steak with Garlic Butter by All Recipes

Sometimes the simplest of recipes are the best. This is certainly the case with the top sirloin steak I grilled last night. I snagged a top recipe from All Recipes and I had a delicious dinner in under 15 minutes. Let me give you the run down.

The Recipe

The Good
Under 15 minutes to make
Only 5 ingreadients (two are salt and pepper)
Melts in your mouth

The Bad
None

Overall - 4/5
This recipe is as simple as you can get (especially since it doesn't require marination), and it's tasty too . I must admit, I over cooked this, but it still believe 4 stars is fair. It has a great garlicky flavor with just enough salt and pepper to taste. Also, the melted butter was fantastic on top. I never tried that, but I will definitely be doing that again, whether I use this recipe or another one.

This steak is also great in salads - just slice it up and toss it in. It's fantastic. Definitely better than Alton Brown's recipie. Sorry Alton, your the man, but it's tough to compete with a recipe that calls for steak drenched in butter and garlic sauce.

On a side note I wish I would have taken RemaxRhonda's suggestion and added some mesquite flavor to it. That sounds amazing.