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Coffee Without All The Junk

healthy cold brew coffee

My coffee has evolved over the years. I use to brew my coffee, sweeten it with sugar or sometimes artificial sweeteners (I know, yikes!) then add french vanilla creamer to it.

Then I couple of years ago I decided to try a different route. I started making my own cold brew. I would blend that with a couple of dates, a tbsp of coconut oil, and coconut milk. This was high maintenance as it required a blender. I also wasn’t happy with consuming all the sugars from the dates so early in the morning.

So for the last year I have been drinking my coffee like this: my cold brew, coconut water (I like to use a high quality one like Harmless Harvest), and my homemade coconut milk. I never measure it out. I just pour some coconut water in, then coconut milk and then fill up the rest of my glass with cold brew. It’s completely customizable and delicious. The coconut water adds sweetness, the milk makes it creamy and the cold brew is smooth and strong. It’s dairy free, gluten free, soy free and sugar free. It’s how I start every day!

Cheers!

Panang Chicken Curry

panang chicken curry

I love Thai food, it’s full of flavor and never boring. I’ve never had a Thai dish that I didn’t like. Over the last couple of years I have realized the importance of knowing the ingredients that goes into my food.

When it comes to sauces and oils at restaurants it can be a crapshoot. It is amazing where they can slip in soy, gluten, dairy, and sugar in places you wouldn’t even think to look. Because of this we cook the majority of our food at home. This year we decided we wanted to learn to make curry. We did some research and decided to purchase this curry paste (affiliate link). I carefully checked the ingredients and knew what they all were. It didn’t have any of the things that I try to stay away from. We purchased it and a few days later we were on our way to having delicious Panang Curry.

We chose to make it with chicken but you could use any kind of protein you like. Beef, Shrimp, or even just vegetables would be great! This is completely customizable you could add any vegetables you like. We chose to use onions, snow peas, carrots, squash, and broccoli. 

Panang Chicken Curry
A sweet and spicy dish that is gluten free, soy free and dairy free.
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
40 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
40 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 TBSP Panang Curry Paste (We use Mae Ploy Thai Panang Curry Paste - 14 oz jar)
  2. 2 1/2 C Coconut Milk
  3. 1/3 C Water
  4. 1 C Onion (sliced)
  5. 1 C Broccoli
  6. 1/2 C Snow Peas
  7. 1 Yellow Squash (sliced in chunks)
  8. 1 TBSP Coconut Sugar
  9. 2 TSP Salt
  10. 2 TBSP Coconut Oil
  11. 1 LB Chicken Breast (cut into chunks)
Instructions
  1. Using coconut oil as needed, work in batches to stir-fry the chicken and vegetables in a wok. Remove from wok when finished.
  2. Use 1 tsp of coconut oil to stir-fry the curry paste.
  3. Then add coconut milk and water to the paste and bring to a boil while stirring to incorporate the paste.
  4. Add the chicken and vegetables back to the wok.
  5. Stir together well and let it cook together for 2 minutes and then you are done!
  6. Serve over rice.
Notes
  1. This can get pretty spicy, so feel free to add extra coconut milk or water to tone down the heat a bit. Conversely, add a little more curry paste if you want more heat.
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Hot Molasses Milk spiked with Cold Brew Coffee

molasses milk

Something that has been hard for me since I started being more mindful of my food sensitivities is not being able to pop into coffee shops and get a mocha, or a caramel macchiato, or a fun seasonal drink that sounds delicious. The reason I try to stay away from those is because beforehand I look at the nutritional value, and it’s absolutely appalling what they put in them. Just take a look at the sugar, it is insane. Many coffee drinks have more sugar than you should have in an entire day. Then, if you keep looking at the ingredients, you will almost always find soy. Soy is a trigger for me and should really be avoided by most people. Carrageenan, corn dextrin, and vitamin A Palmitate is often in the ingredient list. Anyway, once I look at all this the it kind of frustrates me because I do not want to put that kind of crap in my body, and definitely not on a regular basis. So, basically, I rarely buy coffee drinks out anymore. I love making my own cold brew and I love knowing exactly what I am putting into my body.

This brings me to Molasses Milk! I stumbled upon it a good while back. At first I would make it cold and I loved it. It was so rich and coffee like, without any coffee. Now with cooler weather coming I knew I wanted an option for something warm to drink so I decided to try making it hot and add a splash of my cold brew to it. I was blown away guys! It really elevates it to the next level. I knew right then that this would be my happy drink all Fall and Winter! I get a little excited just thinking of cozying up with a cup! 

Note: This drink is dairy, gluten, and soy free. It also contains no refined sugar.

Molasses Milk with Cold Brew
Serves 1
A healthy delicious alternative to sugar filled expresso drinks. Rich, robust flavor with ingredients you can feel good about putting in your body! Dairy free, Soy free, Gluten free, and Refined Sugar Free.
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Prep Time
1 min
Cook Time
1 min
Total Time
2 min
Prep Time
1 min
Cook Time
1 min
Total Time
2 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 cup of coconut milk (or milk of choice)
  2. 1/4 cup of cold brew coffee
  3. 1 tbsp molasses
  4. 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  5. pinch of sea salt
Instructions
  1. Add all the ingredients to a small pot and heat on the stove over low heat until it is heated through. Slowly stir for about 1 minute. Pour into your favorite mug and enjoy!
Adapted from godairyfree.org
Adapted from godairyfree.org
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How to Naturally Sweeten Your Cold Brew Coffee

It is possible to sweeten your coffee without using dairy, sugar, and gross additives. This is better than any creamer that I have ever used and if you would have asked me a year ago if I would be saying this I would not believe you. I loved french vanilla creamer so much you would have thought I had stock in the company. Your coffee will be deliciously sweet and you will be healthier for it. These ingredients also happen to be Paleo, and Vegan! 

Cold Brew Coffee

These 3 ingredients have changed the way I drink coffee. 

Dates: 

Dates have become my best friend, especially during this elimination diet where I have taken away alot of the foods I usually eat. Dates are naturally sweet and really help with the digestive process. They are a good source of vitamins and minerals and also give you a boost of energy. They contain essential minerals such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium, and zinc. They also contain thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamin A, and vitamin K. So basically nature’s candy is a powerhouse! 

So as you can imagine dates offer alot of health benefits. I’ll list just a few of them below.

strengthen your bones

relieve constipation

they are a great supplement for people who suffer from anemia

help to relieve seasonal allergies

a great energy booster because of the natural sugar they contain

reduce levels of LDL cholesterol

Coconut Oil:

Over the last 6 months or so I have come to love coconut oil. I probably go through a jar every week or so. I always buy organic unrefined. If you are going to be consuming alot of something you want to make sure it is of high quality. My practitioner told me I need to be consuming at least 2 tbsp of coconut oil each day. After reading some of the incredible health benefits you might want to as well.

More than 90% of coconut oil consists of saturated fat. Most of them are medium chain triglycerides, which has been shown to have many health benefits.  It is important to note that not all saturated fat behaves the same in the body. Due to its high lauric acid content it is actually beneficial to the body. Lauric acid makes up 40% of the total. Lauric acid is helpful in dealing with viruses and diseases. It can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure. It can help boost your metabolism and thyroid function. It has also been shown to help reduce candida and yeast in the body.

Coconut Milk:

Coconut milk is a wonderful alternative to using dairy. Like coconut oil, coconut milk contains lauric acid, a medium-chain fatty acid that’s easily absorbed and used by the body for energy. It also improves cholesterol and blood pressure. Coconut milk also provides important minerals needed to maintain blood volume, regulate heart health, and prevent dehydration.  Coconut milk is very filling helping you to feel full and satisfied.

Coffee Sweetener
An easy way to sweeten your coffee that is all natural and healthy. I promise you will not miss the sugar!
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Ingredients
  1. 1-2 Medjool dates (pitted)
  2. 1-2 tbsp coconut oil
  3. 1/3 -1/2 cup of coconut milk
Instructions
  1. Put all the ingredients into a blender along with your cold brew coffee and blend until all the ingredients are combined. I usually blend mine in a Vitamix for 30 seconds. Your cold brew will be frothy and delicious! Enjoy!
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References: Organic Facts, Wellness Mama, Dr. Axe