Grilled Pineapple and Cream Desert

Ingredients:
-sliced and cored pineapple
-1-2 tablespoon coconut butter/spread (you can use regular butter if you like...)
-teaspoon cinnamon
-1-2 tablespoons agave nectar
-1 cup Greek yogurt (I prefer Greek Gods honey vanilla)

In a frying pan begin to melt the butter on medium-low heat, then add the slices of pineapple careful not to overlap them (they should all have full surface contact with the pan).  Sprinkle the cinnamon on top.  Drizzle the agave nectar on top of the cinnamon.  Cover and let cook for 5-10 minutes (checking frequently to prevent burning). Then flip each piece of pineapple and let cook for 5-10 more minutes or until tender and golden brown. 
Serve in a bowl with a dollop of greek yogurt on top and garnish with fresh mint if desired.

*You can also soak the pineapple in coconut rum for 30 minutes before cooking for added flavor!

Sweet Crepes

Vanilla and Cinnamon Crepes with Strawberry Greek Yogurt Filling

Ingredients:
-1 egg

-1 teaspoon baking soda

-dash of salt

-1 tablespoon sugar or sugar substitute

-1 teaspoon vanilla

-1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

-approximately 1 cup flour

-approximately 1 1/4 cup milk

1. mix egg, baking soda and salt in small bowl

2. add sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and/or any other desired seasonings at this point 

3. add flour until a sticky, thick dough is created

4. add milk until desired consistency is reached

5. pour enough batter into a warm griddle or frying pan

6. tilt pan in circular motion to spread batter evenly in thin circle

7. using thin spatula, flip crepe after approximated 1 minute (or when bottom side is golden brown)

8. fill with greek yogurt, strawberries, or other favorite fruit and roll crepe before serving

9. top with honey, syrup or agave nectar

Whole Grain Coconut Milk Pancakes

Bulk whole grain pancake mix is on sale at my local Whole Foods so I was inspired to try it out for the first time. I need to ask them to be sure but I'm guessing it is mostly a combo of buckwheat and whole wheat pastry flour and most likely has a few other whole grains mixed in there (teff flour, soy flour, and amaranth flour maybe). So I tried it out. : 

1. Mix approx. 1 cup whole grain pancake mix and 1 egg
2. Add approximately one cup coconut milk (I used vanilla flavored coconut milk. you could use plain and just add a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla with it)
3. Pour enough batter to form 4-5" diameter pancakes on a warm griddle
4. Wait for the top of the pancakes to bubble around the edges before flipping!

(please don't quote me on these measurements since I rarely use exact measuring for pancakes but add as much milk as you need to reach a good consistency.  Add more milk to create a thinner batter that can be used for crepes instead)

They turned out great! Fluffed up good, had a nice full depth to the flavor and no gritty (typical whole grain) texture. My only complaint is that I didn't have honey or agave to use as a syrup sub. (Next time...)

Prosciutto Wrapped Dates

(picture borrowed from http://www.skinnymenny.com/tag/cooking/)

Ingredients (portion sizes are for 1-2 people):
-1 piece Prosciutto (thinly sliced)
-3 medjool dates
-Feta or Blue Cheese


1. To remove pits from the dates slice an "x"shape in the end closest to the pit, peel the edges of the date back slightly and pull out the pit.
2. Once the pit is removed there will be a nice little opening to add your cheese to.  Fill the date with a few crumbles of either Feta or Blue Cheese (or any savory cheese of your choice really.  Feta and blue cheese seem to offer the best consistency and taste).
3.Slice the prosciutto into 3 long triangles (these do not have to be perfect by any means)
4. starting with the wider end of a prosciutto triangle, wrap/roll the prosciutto around the stuffed dates (individually)
5. pan fry on medium heat, turning frequently so that each side browns.