This week, I posted a video on Instagram and Facebook regarding this post. For about two months now, I've been starting my day with a nutritional powerhouse of a morning beverage. This "Super Coffee" is, in my case, actually more of a hot cocoa protein coffee fusion, as you will see from the recipe description below. 


This hot drink is amazing for whatever it is I need to do in the morning, whether it be training, a relaxed yoga session, writing a blog post, etc and is geared towards jump starting my energy levels, boosting immune and brain function, increase recovery time from training, and promote muscle growth.

In this post, I'll breakdown my steps and why each ingredient has found its place in my coffee cup. Give it a shot, adjust to your needs, and let me know what you think. If you use another beverage to start your day that you've found good success with, I'd love to hear about it in the comment section. Read on to learn all about my Super Coffee.

INGREDIENTS

-Ground cocoa nibs OR a few squares of extra dark chocolate
-Chocolate whey protein
-Coffee grinds
-Hemp protein powder
-Turmeric powder
-Sole water OR just pink sea salt
-Cinnamon 
-Grassfed butter
-Monkfruit
-Collagen Peptides
-Creatine 
-Ground black pepper
-Lion's Mane mushroom powder


Note: Ingredient measurements will be approximate. Adjust to your own needs.

I start by boiling water. Easy enough. Hold off on pouring the water just yet. Next, I start with ground cocoa nibs, which are whole cocoa beans that are bitter to taste but a great chocolatey treat for teas, coffee, on deserts, or just by the handful. I grind mine up all at once with my Ninja Blender, and then store the grinds in a large mason jar. 

I pour maybe a half to one tablespoon into the cup, this way I have some actual cocoa nibs in my drink at all time that I'll enjoy towards the end of my drink. I like to think it's constantly enriching my hot beverage all the while. 

Next, add a scoop of whey protein. Then, if your adding butter, drop in a tablespoon or so. I love butter in my coffee and do this to get fat calories first thing in the morning. It does wonders for the overall texture and flavor. This is my "cream" to the coffee, since I don't really use any true diary products to my drink. 

You can also go ahead and add a super small "splash" of sole water or a "dash" of pink sea salt. Sole water is made by taking a small to medium sized mason jar, filling it a quarter way with sea salt, and then filling the rest with water. Shake it and let it dissolve for one day. A little salt in the morning reups your electrolytes and kick starts osmosis in the body, as the positive ions in the salt reacts with the negative ions in the water and becomes more easily absorable in the body. Pink sea salt also has dozens of trace essential minerals. 

Add approximately a 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric. This is great for inflammation, immune health, and is generally regarded as a super food (much like ginger and garlic). At this point, I often add a small amount of ground black pepper to the mix, as this helps the body absorb certain minerals, turmeric especially, but I'm sure it helps for other ingredients used here. 

Add a dash your cinnamon for taste (and for the health benefits of cinnamon of course). I use about 1/2 a tablespoon of monkfruit to sweeten the beverage. Like Stevia, Monkfruit won't cause a spike in insulin (it has a zero score on the glycemic index), has antioxidents, and zero calories. Takes some getting use to but by far a smarter, healthier choice to sugar, which, on an empty stomach in the morning, is not what you want to put in your system. 

From here, I like to go ahead and save the last three ingredients and pour the boiled water onto what is in the cup now. Pssssssssssshh. That was the water going into the cup, complete with steam. Now, put in your steeper or coffee filter, whatever works for you and doesn't cause a mess, and place about 1 to 2 tablespoons of cocoa nibs in the basket to steep for...however long you like! I do about five minutes.

Still with me? Okay, now is the time I add my coffee grounds. I'm using Cavemen coffee for this recipe, but you can use whatever you like. I let the coffee steep 2-3 minutes, then dump the basket of cocoa and coffee in the trash. 

Next, I add the last three ingredients. Why do I wait to add them last? Well, maybe it's just my thinking, but I feel these ingredients probably breakdown at boiling heat, so I like to let the drink cool a little to get the most out of them. Maybe it doesn't make any difference, but it doesn't hurt to add them last, so I do. 

I put about 1 tablespoon of collagen peptides (for skin health, bone and joint function, and possibly muscle mass and heart health, among other potential benefits), followed by 1 teaspoon of creatine, then 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of Lion's Mane mushroom powder, a growing popular superfood with huge medical applications in Asian countires. As stated by Healthline, Lion's Mane "contains bioactive substances that have benefical effects on the body, especially the brain, heart and gut."

Using an immersion hand blender, I then blend all these ingredients together for about 30 seconds. Now, all you have left to do is enjoy your labors. Drink up, it's good for you!

-Stefan

What you need to know first:

-All ingredients must be room temperature or the emulsifying process will be hindered. Set out your egg and lime ahead of time. I often pop my egg into the toaster over or Nuwave to heat it up for a minute if I forget, which I usually do. 

-You need EXTRA LIGHT olive oil so the taste is not so strong. Avocado oil works great too. I have been using the Filippo Berio brand and it has worked just fine for me. Will likely experiment with others in the future.

-You must pour slowly. It usually takes me about 3-4 minutes to pour all the oil into the blender. 

-It is recommended you use a pasteurized egg, that is, an egg from a chicken who has lived a relatively normal life of eating grass and free from factory farm cage practices. Your using the egg raw here, so you want to make sure the food your sourcing (the egg) is not going to run the risk of containing many of the contaminates that result from a factory farmed life. 

-If you have a hand blender (immersion blender) you can make this even faster with easier clean up. Read below.

-This mayo is good on almost anything.

-A big thanks to Mark Session, who I hold in high regard for his dietary research and prolific writings. His company Primal Kitchen was were I tried this mayo first before crafting my own. His blog Mark's Daily Apple is loaded with a wealth of helpful wellness and fitness articles I can't recommend enough. 


YOU WILL NEED:

-3 cups EXTRA LITE olive oil or avocado oil

-1 fresh lime

-1 pasteurized egg

-sea salt

-hot sauce or sriracha

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS:

-tablespoon of dijon mustard

-garlic

-herbs like rosemary or thyme

-paprika powder

-turmeric

-ground cumin 


STANDARD DIRECTIONS:

1. Place a quarter cup of the oil, the hot sauce, 1 squeezed lime, and in other additional herbs or spices in the blender or food processor. Crack the egg and add it to the blender. Add a little sea salt.
2. Pulse the liquids to mix. While the machine is running (I usually keep taping the pulse button but you may be able to run it low on your device) beginning SLOWLY adding the remaining oil to the blender or food processor. It should take you about minutes to pour it all in.
3. Check the mayo. Assess it's thickness. If you find it too thick you can add more lime juice or perhaps another egg, but I've never felt the need as it generally comes out fine for me. Taste the mayo and add whatever additional ingredients you prefer. Scoop the mayo into mason jars and store in the refrigerator. This mayo should stay good for up to 7-10 days.

HAND BLENDER VERSION:

Have a hand blender? Good for you. Now you can whip up this recipe in seconds. If you have WIDE MOUTH MASON JARS, you can just put the ingredients in and blend them right in the jar.

1. Put your ingredients in the mason jar. 
2. Place the hand blender at the very bottom of the jar and turn it on a lower setting. Blend the bottom for 30 seconds and the SLOWLY begin to pull up toward the top. Emulsification should take place as you bring the blender up.
3. Taste and add more of what you want, then seal the jar with the lid. Store in the fridge for up to 7-10 days.

Here you can see some of my meal prep from this week. See all my food work on my Instagram @Stefanlawsonmusic. From left to right: Cinnamon Raisin Cashew Sunflower butter, guacamole (which I use by itself or blend with cocoa to make a slightly sweet but healthy dessert), and a few jars of Chipotle Garlic Lime Mayo. All high quality fatty foods to get me through my work days and my workouts. Hope you enjoyed this post. Please comment and share. Would love to know what kind of mayo adaptations you make in your own home. Maybe a citrus variety? Let me know. 

      I am sick in bed but while I have rested I've been cooking up a highly regarded dish in my crock pot that I learned a few months ago and adapted to make "Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken Stew", which is reminiscent of Indian style dishes. I figured I'm not doing anything else productive, I might as well type up a new food blog. I let several friends try it and they liked it a lot and one asked me to write the recipe, so here it is. As usual I leave flexible room for your preferred taste, so adjust the ingredients (especially the spices and herbs) to your own liking. 

While your here, I hope you'll check out my last podcast with Kelly Jacobs on her initiative #48 measure regarding cannabis regulation in Mississippi. You can hear it here on the Coastal Noise Podcast page. 


INGREDIENTS:


4-6 diced chicken thighs (you can also use beef)

-2 medium sized potatoes 

-2 or 3 large carrots

-1 large onion 

-several cloves of garlic

-Approximately 1/2 cup of ketchup

-Approximately 1/2 cup of soy sauce (I use low sodium)

-1/4 cup of honey

-2 to 3 tablespoons of lemon juice

-2 Tbsp of olive oil (optional)

(Spices)

-Turmeric, cumin, basil, garlic powder (if needed), chile powder, ground ginger, & brown sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Cut your meat with a knife or kitchen scissors and place it into the crock pot

Dice your carrots and add to the mix. Next do the potatoes. Make sure to wash everything first! You can follow with the onion.

Now it's time for the sauce. The ketchup, soy sauce, honey, and lemon juice will morph over the hours into a delcious vineager concoction. Pour in your soy sauce, ketchup and olive oil (if you want it). Squeeze in your lemon juice next. Now slowly pour the honey over all that food. You know you want to. 

Oh yeah. Somebody's been a bad bear. 

Now, let's get funky with the spices and herbs. This part is subjective so if you want more or less of something, go for it. This is just a guideline. 

Add 1 to 2 Tbsp of Turmeric 

Add a couple dashes of Cumin

Add a dash of Ground Ginger 

Add 1 to 2 Tbsp of Chile Powder 

Add 2 Tbsp of Brown Sugar

Add a couple dashes of Garlic Powder (unless you only use real garlic)

And a generous amount of Basil 

Be sure to add salt and pepper if you want some traditional seasoning. I used a little of both. 

Are you kidding me? Just look at how sexy that is. 

Now if you want true respect from the Indians, you can't skip on the real garlic. I used about 5 or 6 cloves, diced and topped over the pot. 

Stay with me Dorothy, we still have to let this thing simmer. Turn it on low and kick back for 6-8 hours. Go on and handle your business. This dish is a strong, independent woman. She will take care of herself while your away, Jack. When you come back, you'll have this on your hands. 

Take the phone off the hook. You'll have to get back with them later.

Stefan

     I'm being served tea in a room by a little girl, age 2. 
     "You make the best tea," I tell her. "I sure did," she says and goes off to make more of the imaginary drink. An idea comes to my mind. 
     "Do you want me to make us some Oakmeal?" 
     "Okay, sure. I love Oakmeal. I can help too. I'm supposed to be an expert." 
     "Well how convenient is that? Cooking in the kitchen is tough stuff. You sure you wanna help?"
     "I can handle it."
    
     Who am I to argue? We both go to the kitchen and get the ingrediants ready. 

     You see, here in lies the problem. How many times have you made oatmeal and felt like this?

      Trust me, I know the feeling. That's why I started getting creative with how I made mine. This is how I made my Oakmeal this time, but you can experiment with your own tastes. I pretty much just grabbed whatever was laying around that I was into at the time. 

 INGREDIENTS: 

- 1 Pack of Brown Sugar Maple Oatmeal and additional oats for a little extra. Add as much as you need for yourself. I was feeding two this time. 

- Dash of brown sugar

- Dash of nutmeg 

- Dash of cinnamon 

- Dash of pumpkin spice

- Almond granola 

- Almond milk

- 1 Tablespoon of honey

- 1 Tablespoon of butter

- 1 Teaspoon of vanilla extract


DIRECTIONS: 

1. Pour your oats in a bowl. I was informed by the little girl I would need help with this part. I guess it's a judgment call you have to make for yourself. Keep your kitchen safe. 

At this point, the girl could not help with adding the milk because of how messy it can get. She became very discouraged at this.
     "I'm not an expert anymore," she said sadly. 
     "Sure you are. In fact, when we are done, I'll make you a certificate for being a Certified Oakmeal Expert." 
     "Okay!"

4. Microwave for about 1 minute and 30 seconds. Stir in your honey and butter.

 I placed the cooled Oakmeal in front of the girl and spooned some into a little bowl for her. 
     "There you go," I said. "Are you ready to try your Oakmeal?"
     "No," she said, "I want to get down and go play."
     And she did. 

     The End

In the course of making a new kind of sweet potato's this past hour, I had an idea for three other dishes that came to mind. While researching the web for one idea, I stumbled on this weird bacon and sweet potato dish created by Paleo awesome-guy Robb Wolf. I haven't done anything with it yet, but thought it would be worth sharing. Whose got the guts to make it? If you do, tell me how it turned out. Now...time for Cooking and Movie Quotes...who asked the question: "Is 'what' a country?"

Click for directions

Tons of multi-colored peppers, onions, spinach leaves, buttery Ritz Crackers, and a fried ham in the center with a side of salsa. This idea came when I wanted to do something with my left over cracker/cheese mix that I had from my Ranch Parmesan Breaded Chicken recipe I posted recently.  This is what came out of it. 

What you'll need.

INGREDIENTS:

-4 Eggs
-A mix of red, yellow, green and orange peppers
-Spinach leaves
-Sliced ham 
-Salsa (I added a little ketchup to mine)
-Ritz Cracker Mix : Make by smashing Ritz Crackers in zip-lock bag with a handful of mozzarella cheese and/or Parmesan cheese.  See previous dish here for reference. 
-Spices (I used basil, garlic pepper, and Mrs. Dash)


DIRECTIONS:

1) Add your butter and saute your peppers and onions on medium heat for about three minutes.

2) Add your sliced ham (I used three slices). Push the onions to the sides and place the ham in the middle.  Cook each side for a minute or two.  Remove the ham and place it on a plate for later. 

3) Add your eggs to the frying pan. Scramble. 

4) After you cook the omelet on one side, flip over, and place a handful of spinach leaves toward the sides of the pan. They will start to wilt as the omelet finishes cooking.  When done cooking, place the omelet and spinach on top of the cooked ham on the plate. 

5) Top your omelet with the Ritz Crackers Cheese mix. Pour your desired amount of salsa on the side. 

That's it. Have yourself some tea with it. 

If you haven't heard yet, we're giving away a free "Day on the Boat" session like the one me and Daniel Mark received at the Rejuvenation Station while podcasting with the owners. Go to the podcast page and check out CNP #36 for details.

This was a super random idea I had right before I took a hard snooze. Not sure where the inspiration came from but I thought I'd give it a shot. Turns out, they made for a good snack with minimal work. I will admit though, I throw the dish together kind of fast before I had to be somewhere and the pictures are reflective of the lack of attention to detail, but I was more interested in just getting the content out. In this version, I had almonds and cashews mixed from my home-made trail mix container, so, for the sake of time, I just threw them both in the mix. It came out okay to me. You may choose to use more or less of the nut blend depending on your preference. I used about one handful (no real measurements, to much in a rush!) and felt like I would have like a little more to the mix. Next time, I will use extra. 


INGREDIENTS: 

1 avocado 

4-5 slices of honey ham

1 handful of cashews (or other nut)

DIRECTIONS:

Place your cashews in a small blender or food processor. Pulse for just a second or two a couple of times to get a powdery mix. 

Place out your hams on a plate. Cut open your avocado. Get a spoonful of the inside and spread it across the meat evenly. 

Scoop a little bit of the cashew power onto the avocado spread. Distribute evenly. Then, roll up one end of the ham until the wrap is complete. Repeat the same steps with the other hams. 

Eat it. 

Stefan 

     It's been a minute since I've posted a good food blog. I've been whipping up dishes as often as I usually do but I keep forgetting to document first time attempts and I eat the damn things before I get a chance to take any pictures. Such is my life. On the plus side, the fact that we have had some pretty incredible podcasts here lately has also kept me from writing a new food article. We just did an episode with Chase Taylor and Nick Quave on the grand opening of Kress Live, July 4th. If you go onto our Facebook page and look for the posts, you can enter to win 2 free VIP tickets to said grand opening. All you have to do is like, share, or comment, on any of those posts. Hurry though, only a few more days are left to enter. Be sure to check out episode #36 this week as well, in which Daniel and I go to the Rejuvenation Station and podcast while getting a full treatment of oxygen masks, saline I.V. lines, and B12 injects. If that sounds like something you might be into, we are also giving away a round of the same exact treatment as we underwent while we recorded the show. Pictures and podcast will be up soon. 
      This dish came together one night when I decided to throw a bunch of random stuff in the refrigerator into a pot for some hot soup. I happened to buy some canned coconut milk earlier that day and thought I'd figure out how to incorporate that into something good. This coconut chicken soup is what I came up with, and I must say, it's not a bad dish for something made out of improvisation. I made it again two nights later and tried some different approaches, which I'll write down here, since it seemed to come out even better. It is a hardy soup loaded with meat, vegetables, and a big spoonful of grass fed butter, which blends well with the coconut milk. 

INGREDIANTS:


-16oz Chicken Broth

-1/2 Cup of Water

-1 Onion 

-2 Carrots

-1 Bell Pepper

-1 Can of Diced Tomatoes

-Garlic

-1/2 Cup of Coconut Milk 

-Cooked Shredded Chicken (find the leanest, best raised meat you can get)

-Grass Fed Butter 

-Hot Sauce & Spices 

-Spinach Leaves



DIRECTIONS:


     Chop your onion, carrots, and bell pepper. Shred your chicken. Set aside. In a pot, pour your chicken broth and water. Dump your vegetables in the broth mixture. Bring it to a boil. Dump in your can of tomatoes and chicken meat, then drop your heat to low. Add your coconut milk while the water is dropping from it's boiling state. Also add your grass fed butter, garlic, and spinach leaves so they start wilting. 

Add any hot sauce, spices or seasoning you like.
 
     Let the pot simmer, covered, for about 45 minutes. 

      It's been a busy time for me these last few weeks. The Diberville Crawfish Festival starts May 10th, which has taken up a lot of my free time (check out the last podcast I did with Len Bentz, a returning performer for the festival). On top of that are a number of new developments in my personal life that I've been working around, but I always have Coastal Noise in the back of my mind. Today is my official "catch up" day where I will make up for the lack of content that has resulted from my running around. In a few hours, the latest episode of the Coastal Noise Podcast will be up, which highlights Ryan Vanskiver's upcoming departure for Colorado where he will be attempting to break into the comedy scene that is thriving in Denver. We're going to miss you pal, but I'm super proud of you for making the bold move (and a little jealous in fact). I know you'll do just fine in the big city. Check out the episode to hear what ole Ryan has planned for his new home.   
       My second contribution to the site will be a new food blog, which you are reading right now. This recipe is a close modification from "Practical Paleo", a cookbook by Diane Sanfilippo. A two step process makes this breakfast favorite an easy fix and a great alternative to traditional flour based pancakes. 

INGREDIENTS:

-3 eggs
-2 teaspoons coconut flour
-1 teaspoon of brown sugar
-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
-1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin spice
-1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger 
-Dash of salt 
-Olive oil for pan
-2 cups shredded sweet potatoes (use a grater or food processor)

DIRECTIONS:

1.) Combine all ingredients into a medium sized bowl and mix well. 

2.) Heat your oil on the skillet. Scoop a clump of the sweet potato mix onto the skillet. Cook 3-4 minutes on each side on medium heat. Top with grass-fed butter, raw honey, or a little bit of maple syrup. You can also experiment with fruits blended into the mix. 

    It's the happy accidents that make for great discoveries. And no happier am I than when that accident involves delicious food. I'm strollin' along through the grocery store and I spot some Larabar Cookie Dough snacks in one of the isles. Did I spell that word right? I don't care. Anyway, it looks super good and, after reading the ingredients, I see it is also super easy to make. So I go home with the intention of recreating this simple snack. 

    Flash forward to me as I flashback getting home. I look up a few suggestions for similar bars and get to work. As I start the process, I add my own ingredients here and there to make it my own, and hope for the best. Before long, I've got a paste of some sort that needs to be pressed and molded before being frozen in the freezer. I do just that with about four bars, but realize I have a little bit left of the crumpled mixture that wouldn't be worth putting in foil to harden. Instead, I take out a bowl, pour some almond milk, and drop the mixture in. As I eat the concoction, I realize I haven't created a delicious nut bar, I've made a delicious cereal. 

    I pull out all the foils containing the granola mixture and dump it in a zip lock bag. Then I add more cashews and flaxseed, an ingredient that had previously been absent. I've been missing cereal for a long time since I omitted wheat from my diet (and almost all oats as well) and this cashew nut mixture hits the spot and was a breeze to put together with a food processor. 
    Here's the break down:


    INGREDIENTS:

-1 cup of dates


-1/2 cup of cashews or almonds (or mixed)


-1/2 cup sunflower seeds 


-1/3 cup of flaxseed 


-Spoonful of raw honey


-1 Tbsp of vanilla extract


-1 Tbsp of coconut oil


-Dash of salt 


-Dash of brown sugar




    DIRECTIONS:


1). Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend.


2). Transfer to a zip lock bag.


3). Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Enjoy. 


    This will produce about six servings. Experiment with a variety of nuts and fruits to make the recipe your own work of art.