That’s too much work for me.

A few weeks ago, I saw a recipe in a comment thread on PaleoHacks that was something like “coconut milk with cocoa stirred in”. I don’t remember who said it or in which thread, but paired with my observation that refrigerated coconut milk becomes very thick and scoop-able inspired this recipe.

(Note: This recipe is more like Paleo Peppermint Patty Mousse, but that spoils the alliteration.)

Paleo Peppermint Patty Pudding

You will need:

1 can or equivalent of coconut milk

3 HEAPING Tablespoons of cocoa powder

splash of peppermint extract or peppermint oil (or peppermint schnapps- mmmmm)

drizzle of maple syrup, honey, stevia, or sweetener of choice

a 4 cup or larger bowl

a power whisk, egg beater, mixer, or an indefatigable arm and a whisk

spatula

Pour the coconut milk into the bowl and use the spatula to scrape out every delicious drop. Add cocoa powder. Whisk, whip, beat, or whatever you want to do to blend the cocoa with the coconut milk. When the cocoa is well incorporated into the coconut milk, add a few drops of peppermint extract or peppermint oil (or schnapps) and drizzle in a little of the sweetener. Whisk, stir, or beat to incorporate. Taste. Add more sweetener, peppermint oil, or cocoa powder to taste, and blend until smooth.

Now, most importantly- refrigerate! It only takes an hour or two to set it, and it will settle just a bit in the bowl.  Unlike pudding, you don’t need press wax paper or plastic wrap onto the top to keep a skin from forming, there’s no heating involved, and you don’t actually need to follow this or any other recipe. I intend to try a bit of orange extract with maybe a little orange zest in the future. I might even try squeezing fresh orange juice into it since without dairy it won’t curdle (might turn brown though- we’ll see). A dash of cinnamon could replace the peppermint, or a dash of cayenne with the cocoa.If you don’t have a power whisk (when I bought my stick blender it came with one- this is the model that I bought) you may not be able to get the pudding to this fabulous whipped mousse texture, but as long as you get the coconut milk well blended, it should still set up nicely.

Tip- if you want to do an individual serving presentation, pour the pudding into individual bowls before refrigerating. For some reason, stirring it after it sets makes it deflate a bit into a more normal pudding texture.

As well as being paleo and primal, this recipe is very suited as a low carb pudding, and is DEFINITELY the easiest pudding recipe that I’ve ever seen. Box mix? Who needs a box mix?

(Note: I’m currently freezing some to see if it works as a quickie ice cream, and will post pictures once I get my camera charged up)

So, consider these holistic recipes and cooking tips as a good starting point. But remember, many of these recipes are not to be used as a whole meal- for maximum nutrition, mix and match or add your own healthy recipes to the mix.

Fruits and Vegetables Holistic Recipes:

Russian Salad

Roasted Beets

Sauteed Cabbage and Beet Greens

Main Course Holistic Recipes:

Rice and Beans

Slow Cooker Vegan Stew

Vegetarian Pita Sandwich

Meat, Fish, and Fowl Holistic Recipes:

Asian Chicken Ravioli

Other Holistic Recipes:

Gillian McKeith’s Hummus Recipe

Nutrition Holistic’s Hummus Recipe

Supergreens Breakfast Smoothie

Recipe Link Round-Up

Do you have any favorite holistic recipes? Leave a comment telling us about it and a link to the recipe if available.

Russian Salad:

Simply take 1 or more cucumbers depending on how much salad you want- peel, and cut into slices approximately 1/4-1/2″ thick. Cut those in half to make half circles.

Slice several tomatoes (preferably romano) into thin wedges.

Thinly slice some onion into the bowl.

Chop some fresh dill into the bowl.

Sprinkle with olive oil, salt, and black pepper to taste. Toss and serve.

Keep in mind that if you plan to refrigerate or leave the salad sitting out for long, you may not want to add the salt right away, and may need to scoop the tomato innards out before mixing, otherwise you’ll have a lot of liquid left over.

Alternative: My father sometimes substitutes sour cream for the olive oil and adds a little crushed garlic. It’s very, very nice.