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Episode 12: Paleo Desserts!

Is the term “Paleo dessert” an oxymoron? Are grain-free sweets the devil? Or are they a healthy bridge that helps people transition to a whole foods lifestyle? In this episode, we’ll dive head-first into this controversial subject, and decide together whether or not we should all just stuff our faces with grain-free cake!

What We Ate:

This week, we ate a lot of fish. Anna Larsen of Siren Fish Company emailed me last week to let me know that she was sending us a few pounds of fish, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it.

Siren Fish Company is a local sustainable seafood purveyor that connects the people who catch fish directly to customers who want to eat super-fresh seafood. Siren sources exclusively from fishermen who practice sustainable fishing in Northern California. The seafood is carefully curated, impeccably fresh, and delicious. (Psst! Use the code “nomnom” at checkout to get $10 off of any order over $50!) 

Here are some of my favorite seafood recipes:

• Spicy Salmon Cucumber Bites
• Broiled Herb-Stuffed Sardines
• Fish En Papillote (in Parchment) with Citrus, Ginger, & Shiitake
• Grilled Calamari & Roasted Peppers
• Hardcore Albacore (Broiled Bacon-Wrapped Tuna Medallions)
• Sous Vide Wild King Salmon
• Thai Steamed Mussels

The seafood resources mentioned include:

• Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch
• American Catch: The Fight For Our Local Seafood by Paul Greenberg (Listen to Paul’s interview on Fresh Air here.)
• The Perfect Protein by Andy Sharpless 

Main Course:

Paleofied desserts are still a source of intense debate in Paleo circles. On one end of the spectrum, there are Paleo eaters who firmly believe that because refined sugar is addictive, causes obesity, and is bad for metabolic health, desserts are THE DEVIL. 

On the other end of the spectrum, there are those folks who think that as long as you make desserts out of “Paleo” ingredients, you can keep eating sweets just like before. Where does a cake-loving, sugary drink powder sneaker like me stand on this issue? 

I don’t eat sweets too often anymore, but I don’t think it’s a reasonable request to abstain from sugar forever. That being said, even though Paleo desserts might be a step in the right direction, they’re not the end of the journey. If you’re eating Paleo because you’re on the path towards better health, then Paleo desserts aren’t the final destination. I’m not saying that there isn’t a place for Paleo desserts, but they should be viewed as special-occasion food, and not everyday food. 

Now that we’re on the same page, I’ll share my favorite recipes, cookbooks, and treat producers. Just make sure it’s worth it, ‘kay?

A few of my favorite grain-free dessert recipes:

• Mexican Chocolate Pots de Creme 
• Chunky Monkey “Ice Cream” Bon Bons
• 2x4 Strawberry Banana Ice Cream
• Pana Cotta with Strawberry Balsamic Compote
• Nom Nom Chocolate Truffles
• Juli Bauer and George Bryant’s Cinnamon Chocolate Swirl Banana Bread
• Simone Miller’s No Joke Dark Chocolate Cake

Some fab Paleo dessert cookbooks & Paleo cookbooks with impressive dessert sections include: 

• Jenni Hulet’s Paleo Patisserie
• Kelly Brozyna’s Dairy-Free Ice Cream & Paleo Chocolate Lovers’ Cookbook 
• Brittany Angell’s Every Last Crumb
• Bill Staley & Hayley Mason’s Make It Paleo 2
• Danielle Walker’s Against All Grain & Meals Made Simple

Occasionally, I buy these fantastic grain-free treats:

• Everything at Kyra’s Bake Shop 
• Hail Merry Chocolate Miracle Tarts
• Bandito by Paleo Treats

Crush of the Week:

I was super excited to find fresh turmeric root in my local grocery store because even though it looks like a gigantic earthworm, it has a ton of medicinal and culinary uses. Because I’ve never cooked with the fresh stuff before, I asked folks on Instagram how to use it and got lots of great tips. (You can also learn more than you want to know about this rhizome in Diane Morgan’s award-winning cookbook, Roots: The Definitive Compendium with over 225 recipes.) Lil-O tells us why he loves Ant-Man and how he ranks in his top listing of Marvel Heroes. Lastly, the Double-O’s sing one of their favorite camp songs for us, Pop See Koo.

Question of the Week:

Jess asked this question in the blog comments: You know, I can follow a recipe, but I really don’t have a clue as to what I’m doing in the kitchen. Do you have advice for noobs and how to love cooking?

Listen in for my answer—it might surprise you!

That’s it for this week! We’ll have another episode up soon enough, but if you can’t wait, feel free to check out our first 10 episodes and access all the show notes by heading over to our podcast archive. If you have questions for future podcasts, please leave them in the comments below. We’re always looking for great topics!

Like what you heard? Subscribe to our podcast and leave us a review by clicking here! And don’t forget, you can get TWO months’ free membership and 20% off your first order at Thrive Market by clicking here. How great is that?

Looking for more recipes? Head on over to my Recipe Index! You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPad® app, and in my New York Times- bestselling cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel 2013).

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