Paleo and Vegan "Cakies"

 I LOVE these cookies/"cakies"!

1 - They are easy!
2 - They are tasty!
3 - They are Vegan as well as Paleo! I know a few people who are Vegan and it can be a little tricky trying to find something that is good that everyone can enjoy! But these do the trick!

They are called "Cakies" because they are much lighter and more fluffy in texture. I only had almond "meal" on hand for these. It is a little more coarse than almond flour. It tastes just the same...just makes the texture a little different.

Here is where I found the recipe: http://www.multiplydelicious.com/thefood/2011/09/paleo-banana-chocolate-chip-cakies/

Banana Chocolate Chip “Cakies”

1 cup mashed ripe bananas, about 1 large banana
2 tablespoons creamy almond butter
1 tablespoons apple butter (optional)* (Sometimes I just use Apple Sauce)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of Salt
1 ¼ cup almond flour
¼ cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips (gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free – delicious)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
With a hand mixer, blend together the banana, almond butter, apple butter, vanilla extract, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add in almond flour and chocolate chips and stir to combine.
Using a 1 ½” ice cream scoop, scoop dough into even scoops and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 11-14 minutes or until cookies are slightly golden on top. (I cooked mine quite a bit longer...hence the very golden on top!) Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before removing from pan. Again, these are soft so if you remove too soon you’ll have a soft cookie crumb mess.

"Spaghetti" (sqaush) and Meatballs

The pictures didn't turn out so great on these because we were in a hurry and very hungry! :) Our kitchen smelled SO good. It turned out quite delicious. I would highly recommend it. I think this would be something great to try if you are trying to get your kids (or husbands!) to eat more vegetables.

I haven't had spaghetti squash in quite a while because a few years back I was eating it just about every day for breakfast and got really burnt out on it.

Spaghetti squash...I've missed you...and I look forward to rebuilding our relationship! :)

Paleo Spaghetti and Meatballs:

Meatballs: (approximate measurements)

• 1 lb ground chicken;
• Garlic powder
• 1 egg;
• Almond flour;
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce;
• 1 tsp paprika;
• 1 tsp onion powder;
• Italian seasoning
• Generous amounts of basil paste
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon;
• Coconut oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients together (add enough almond meal to make the right meatball consistency…whatever that is?!)
2. Form into golf ball size balls
3. Heat Coconut oil up in frying pan
4. Fry meatballs up (3-5 minutes per side)
5. If you don’t move them around a lot they can get nice and crispy!

Spaghetti Sauce:

This was an experiment.  I’ll have to get measurements next time!

• 1 can of tomato sauce
• 1 small can of tomato paste
• Basil
• Lemon
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Olive oil
• Italian seasoning
• Fresh tomatoes from the garden crushed up
• Chives from the garden

Spaghetti Squash:

Cut in half

Scrape out the seeds from the middle

Bake/Cook as directed (usually there is a sticker with instructions on the squash)

Scrape out “noodles”

Serve!


 

Flank Steak

Paleo Flank Steak:

I have never been a fan of red meat…but I’m trying to branch out a little more.  I like to do a flank steak once in a while because it seems to be a little cheaper of a cut.  Using a marinade seems to really help things out.  Get creative with your own but here is what I might do…(honestly…I just add a little of this and a little of that)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup coconut aminos
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• Juice of half a fresh lemon
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbl of honey
• Garlic powder
• Fresh ginger
• Onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds flank steak

Instructions:

1. Put all ingredients in a large Ziploc bag
2. Marinate overnight (or while at work)
3. Have your husband grill it up on the grill (About 5-7 minutes on each side…or more depending on your preference).
4. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing against the grain.

Tonight we served it up with some grilled zucchini and Mashed Cauliflower.

Paleo Chicken "Fettuccine Cauli-fredo"

 

Paleo Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo AKA: "Zuchi-ccine Cauli-fredo":

We had A LOT of zucchini from the secret garden. (What is the secret garden you ask? You’ll have to check back to this blog post.) Kyle previously made me some zucchini muffins and made some zucchini bread for himself, we used the rest for grilling (YUM!) and decided to try some Zucchini noodles.

Problem: I don’t have a mandoline. (Is that the right word? Great…now I’m going to end up with a musical instrument for Christmas!) You know what I’m talking about…right? Like a pampered chef slicing thing…yeah…I really want one! It would make this whole process A LOT easier! I had to use a peeler and peel the zucchini into strips and then cut it up into fettuccine size. It works…it just takes a while!

To cook your “noodles”: (Jessica dubbed them zuchi-ccine. I told her I didn’t think it would stick…but maybe?!)

Slice and sprinkle with salt – let rest to draw the moisture out. (About 20 minutes)

Rinse the salt off and now dry the noodles with a paper towel

Saute the noodles in some olive oil and season to taste.

Cauli-fredo:

Original recipe found here:  http://cupcakesomg.blogspot.com/2012/08/caulif-redo-sauce-aka-paleo-alfredo.html

I tweaked a little bit. My tweaks in italics

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower, cored and chopped into large chunks

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 shallot - Chives from Secret Garden only because I can’t have onion
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 3 Tbsp. shredded Parmesan – I added a little more
• 1/4 cup canned coconut milk
• salt/pepper to taste
• Garlic powder
• pinch of nutmeg

Instructions:

1. Steam cauliflower until fork-tender. 

2. While cauliflower steams, heat olive oil over medium low heat in a small pot and saute shallot. Add chicken broth and heat through. Add all other ingredients and heat through.

3. Add cauliflower, shallot/broth mixture, and remaining ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add more coconut milk if needed.

We served it with some leftover chicken.

It is one of those surprisingly yummy recipes. Who knew Cauliflower could be so good!J

Pumpkin Waffles

 

Paleo Pumpkin Waffles:

Fall is here people! 

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Fall! I love the crisp smell in the air. I love the beautiful fall leaves. I love the fog in the morning. I love the Fall fashion. I don’t love pumpkin. (No…that wasn’t a typo!)

 

Never been a big fan of pumpkin. I’ll try to eat pumpkin pie every year at Thanksgiving, but never with any big success.

But…I LOVE these pumpkin waffles! They may have just made a pumpkin lover out of me. I’ll post some pumpkin muffins that are pretty tasty too at some point! (Thanks for the recipe Jacob!)
 

Imagine it…What could be more yummy than curling up in your PJ’s with your family on a foggy, Fall Saturday morning to some delicious pumpkin waffles and a mug of tea (or coffee for you coffee lovers). 

Hint: NOTHING!  It is just so heartwarming and absolutely delicious!

Here is a link to the original recipe: http://paleomg.com/paleo-pumpkin-waffles/

I doubled it, made a couple little tweaks

Paleo Pumpkin Waffles

Ingredients

• 1 cup pureed pumpkin
• 1.5 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup canned coconut milk
• 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 4 tablespoon maple syrup (I used honey!)
• 4 eggs, whisked
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (I used a lot more!)
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger (I used fresh grated)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Sugar free/Dairy free chocolate chips

Instructions

1. In a medium sized bowl, mix together coconut milk, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla.
2. Then add the rest of the dry ingredients and pumpkin and mix together. Add a bit more coconut milk, if needed.
3. Ladle into your waffle maker. Be careful, they expand a bit so they will be pour over if you get ladle happy.
4. Cook until done – mine took a little longer than a “normal” waffle

You can top with some coconut ice cream and fresh blackberries. Or some coconut butter and blackberry "syrup." Or whatever sounds good to you!

 

SOOOOO GOOOOOOD!!!!

Baked Chicken and Mashed Cauli

 

Paleo Baked Chicken:

Easy and delicious…what more do you need to know?

I didn't have pecans...so I had to use Almonds.

Original recipe found at:  http://everydaypaleo.com/2010/05/01/pecan-crusted-chicken/

Pecan Crusted Chicken
4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup organic spicy brown mustard
2 tbsp raw organic honey
1 cup pecans
sea salt
Instructions:
Pre heat oven to 350. In a medium sized mixing bowl blend together the mustard and honey.  Toss the pecans in a food processor and pulse until the nuts are finely chopped.  Pour the chopped pecans either on a plate or in a pie pan if you have one.  Using a paper towel, remove any excess moisture from the outside of your chicken breasts.  Taking one chicken breast at a time, first place the chicken into the mustard/honey mixture and coat on both sides.  Transfer chicken to the chopped pecans and again cover both sides.  Place coated chicken into a greased glass baking dish (I used a little olive oil spray to cover the bottom of the dish) and sprinkle each chicken breast with just a little sea salt.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear.

We chose to serve it up with some Mashed Cauliflower.  I’m going to tell another of Kyle’s secrets…he has never been much of a Cauliflower person. Every time we are going to have it he has to tell me how cauliflower is actually a cabbage broccoli hybrid and not a real vegetable etc. (A lot of you are thinking…”that sounds like Kyle.”) He recently said though, “As much as it pains me to say this, I think you might have made a cauliflower convert out of me.”  Maybe you’ll be a Cauliflower convert too.  There are so many things you can do with it: Riced Cauliflower, pizza crust, “alfredo" sauce (coming soon!)  But for now...

Mashed Cauliflower:

Steam your cauliflower florets

Put in a food processor

Add some chicken stock

Season to taste (Worchestire sauce is good!)

Coconut Shrimp

I'm surprised I haven't posted this before!

 



This is a delicious, easy dinner option.  Kyle and I love having this for dinner. 

 

Paleo Coconut Shrimp:

Ingredients:

• Shrimp
• ¼ cup Coconut flour
• Cayenne pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• 3 egg whites (beaten)
• Unsweetened Coconut flakes

Instructions:

1. Mix Coconut flour, cayenne, garlic and onion to your taste
2. Prepare shrimp and dry with a paper towel
3. Dredge shrimp in coconut flour mixture
4. Dip shrimp in egg
5. Dip in Coconut flakes
6. Put some coconut oil on baking sheet
7. Cook at 325 for 15-20 minutes flipping half way through

Serve with Salad or Asian Slaw



Do you know the muffin man?

Q. What is better than fresh baked muffins?
A. Muffins you don't have to bake yourself or clean up after!

Today we have 2 different muffin recipes (both equally delicious in different ways) made by 2 different guys.

First we have Kyle's Paleo Zucchini muffins featuring zucchini from "the Secret garden." Kyle made these for me a while back when I was at work. I came home to some delicious muffins and was able to enjoy them for breakfast the next few days.
Kyle gets bonus points for this one because it features vegetables he actually grew himself!

 

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cup blanched almond flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 ripe banana
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1/4 cup honey
• 
  

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl.
Place the wet ingredients in the bowl then beat on medium for 1-2 minutes until frothy and fully combined. Add the zucchini and beat again just enough to incorporate.
Slowly add the dry ingredients with the mixer running, until all of the flour mixture has been incorporated.
Spoon the batter into muffin tins
Bake for 30-35 minutes
Enjoy!





Then we have Jacob's Paleo Pumpkin Spice muffins. I know Jacob from work. He has an infectious sense of humor and is super nice. He made some Paleo muffins and was nice enough to share and to share the recipe.
Jacob gets bonus points for the muffin tins...nice feature!

Ingredients:

• 1 /2 cups almond flour
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tsp almond butter

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Coat muffin tins with coconut oil (or muffin cups)
3. Mix all ingredients
4. Bake for 25 minutes (He baked at 300 for around 28 minutes to avoid them drying out.)

Enjoy! I'm sure they will be delicious...but I can't promise they will taste quite as good if you have to bake them and clean up after yourself!

A Tale of Two Cobblers...

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...it was blackberry time!

Jessica and I went blackberry picking by our house last week on a beautiful sunny day. We weren't well prepared; we had flip flops and yoga pants on..not a good combination with thorns! We spent most of our time "unhooking" each other from the vines! To quote Jessica, "Why do blackberry bushes have thorns anyway?" Luckily, Kyle came and joined us and picked twice as much as the both of us did in about half the time. :)  Gotta love Kyle!

We decided to make a couple cobbler's for our family get together the next day. Our brother was supposed to be coming home from 2 months in Alaska and we were supposed to be celebrating. I say supposed to... the day before his return he decided to stay a couple more weeks. "It was time for Jordan to come home, it wasn't time for Jordan to come home." I'm happy for him...it sounded like a good opportunity.  It didn't stop us from getting together and eating...a little too much. 

After putting the finishing touches on my parent's beautiful deck. (It really does look nice and I look forward to enjoying it for many years to come!) We grilled and enjoyed a yummy dinner outside. We broke out Jordan's salmon from the freezer (Sorry Jordan!) and served it up with some baked yams, cole slaw, brisket...and then...Cobbler!  LOTS of cobbler!

We made 2 different types.  One with more of a crumble topping (using almond flour) and the other turned out a little more like bread pudding (using coconut flour).  Both were good. Mom preferred Cobbler 2...and enjoyed it for breakfast the next day as well.  I think everyone else preferred Cobbler 1. :)

Love you Jordan; wish you could have been there. Looking forward to seeing you in a few short days...it has been too long!

I love my family...and I love this time of year! :)

Cobbler 1: (Tweaked from original recipe found here)
http://everydaypaleo.com/2010/06/18/blackberry-cobbler/

Ingredients:

• 6 cups of fresh blackberries
• 3 cups almond meal (finely ground almonds)
• 2 eggs
• 4 tbsp coconut oil
• A drizzle of honey
• Cinnamon to taste
• Nutmeg to taste
• Sugar free apple sauce
• Unsweetened coconut flakes (1 cup?)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Pour the blackberries into an 8x12 pan and add a little Apple sauce. 
3. In a small bowl mix together the egg, almond meal, coconut flakes, and coconut oil, a drizzle of honey and shake in a bunch of cinnamon and a little nutmeg.  Stir well.  The mixture will be really thick and clumpy. 
4. Drizzle a bit of  honey on top of the blackberries. 
5. Crumble the almond meal mixture on top of the blackberries and bake in your pre-heated oven for 35 minutes. 

Enjoy! (You can put a little coconut milk or coconut ice cream on it.)

Cobbler 2: (Tweaked from original recipe found here)
http://www.grassfedgirl.com/grandmas-blackberry-cobbler/

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp coconut oil for greasing the pan
• 1 tbsp of honey
• 3-4 cups blackberries (enough to cover bottom of 8×8 baking dish)
• 3 eggs beaten
• 4 tbsp of honey
• 1/3 can coconut milk 
• Vanilla to taste
• Grated ginger to taste
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• Cinnamon to taste
• Nutmeg to taste
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Instructions:

1. Use an 8×8 glass baking dish that you have greased evenly with coconut oil. 
2. Cover the bottom of the pan with blackberries and drizel a tablespoon of honey over them.
3. Mix the wet ingredients together.
4. Mix the dry ingredients together. (Except coconut flakes)
5. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until mixed together.
6. Pour over the blackberries until they are covered evenly.
7. Top with Coconut flakes.
8. Bake on 325 for 25-30 minutes until it is nicely browned and set.

Enjoy! (Top with coconut milk or ice cream if you'd like!)

BLT Salad

Another easy dinner.  It is so fresh and yummy and satisfying! 

I got this idea from The Cheesecake Factory. Kyle and I went there for dinner one night and I ordered the BLT salad.  I couldn't have the dressing so I just asked for some Olive Oil and lemon.  I think I had to ask them to remove something else from the salad...but I can't remember. I was prepared for disappointment...but I was pleasantly surprised.  I mean...C'mon...it's bacon!

You can make it as simple or as complex as you want:
Obviously you need the:
Bacon (of course)
Lettuce (spinach...whatever you want)
Tomato
You can also add:
Egg
Feta (if you are eating dairy...or OCCASIONALLY eating dairy)
A roasted bell pepper (HIGHLY RECOMMEND)
Sweet peas
Carrot
Anything else really!

The dressing:
A little chipotle mustard
A little honey
A little lemon
Thin out with some Olive oil

Enjoy!!

Asian Pork and Slaw

 

 

This was really yummy and very easy to throw in a crock pot while you are at work and then whip up the slaw when you get home.

 

Asian Pulled Pork:

Ingredients: (I don't have exact measurements)

• Rice Vinegar
• Orange Juice
• Honey
• Coconut Aminos
• Ginger
• Sesame Oil
• Lime
• Curry
• Chili paste
• Onion Powder
• Garlic Powder
• Black tea (I heat make some really concentrated black tea and add that in to thin it out a little...you probably don't need to!)
• Pork Roast

Instructions:

1. Mix together "sauce" cover the pork roast
2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
3. Shred with 2 forks a little while before serving so it can soak up the sauce.

Asian Slaw:

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons grated ginger
• Garlic powder to taste
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons coconut aminos
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 roasted bell pepper thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup sliced snap peas
• Green onions to top
• 1 bag Cole Slaw mix (or you can cut up Red/Green cabbage)
• 1 carrot sliced
• Pepper to taste
• For a little kick add some red chili paste
• Cashews or Almonds to top

Instructions:

1. Mix all wet ingredients together and mix in with the dry ingredients.

 

Easy...right?  It is for me but it is pretty traumatic for Kaia.  Believe it or not she is terrified of the Crockpot. :\  I might have to start using it in the garage or something.

 

So here is poor Kaia for the rest of the night...trying to recoup from her traumatic day.  Poor puppy. :)

 

 

"TV Dinner"

Friday night...long week at work...

We decided to do something easy and cuddle up on the couch in front of a movie for dinner. 

Cilantro Chicken Nuggets

(found here: http://paleomg.com/cilantro-chicken-nuggets/)

Ingredients

• 1lb ground chicken or ground turkey
• 1 egg, whisked
• 1 bundle of cilantro, chopped (the more, the better!)
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1/2 cup Coconut flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1-2 tablespoons Coconut Oil

Instructions

1. Mix all of your nugget ingredients together: ground chicken, egg, cilantro, scallions, sesame oil, ginger, and salt and pepper.
2. Now heat up a large skillet under medium heat and add 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil.
3. Place your coconut flour in a shallow bowl.
4. Make small balls from your nugget mixture, “nugget sized” and place each nugget in the coconut flour (being sure to only lightly dust the nuggets) then place in your skillet.
5. Use a spatula to slightly flatten out each nugget. It only needs just a little press down.
6. Cook on both sides for 5-7 minutes or until cooked through.

 

Dipping sauce:

• A little honey
• A little Chipotle mustard
• A little Olive oil to thin it out.

Sweet Potato Fries: (Kyle's always turn out better than mine!)

• 1 Sweet Potato (or yam)
• A little Olive oil
• Season (we like to season with Tex Joy!)

1. Cut Fries into 1 inch thick wedges
2. Put on Cookie sheet and drizzle with a couple Tbl of Oil Oil
3. Season to taste
4. Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes. (Flip half way through)

Kyle and I were joking that this was a little like a TV dinner.  We started reminiscing how TV dinners were always a "special treat" growing up and I could probably count on 1 hand how many times I actually had one.  I remember going to the grocery store and we would each be able to pick out our own TV dinner and then we would come home and eat dinner while watching a movie or TGIF.  (Remember TGIF?!) :)  Kyle's experience was about the same.

We were laughing that we actually thought that was a treat growing up and remembering how ridiculous the desserts were that came with the TV dinner and we got inspired to make a little microwave cake to go with our TV dinner.

Microwave Chocolate cake: (I've made this for breakfast a couple times in a pinch!)

Ingredients:

• 1 mashed banana
• 1 egg whisked
• 2 Tbl Almond butter
• 2 Tbl Cocoa powder
• Splash of vanilla
• Add ons:
• A couple Tbl of honey
• Some sugar free/dairy free chocolate chips
• Sliced nuts

Mix all together and microwave 2 1/2 minutes.

EASY! (And surprisingly tasty!)

We served it up with some coconut ice cream and sliced strawberries.

 

Better than any TV dinner I've ever had! :)

Chicken Satay and "Peanut" (almond) Sauce

What to bring to a finger food potluck??

We made some chicken satay with Thai "Peanut" (almond) sauce.  It turned out pretty yummy.  I think we cooked them a little long...they were a little dry.  Better safe than sorry. :)

We made a marinade and had the chicken tenders in it overnight. Then we put them on bamboo skewers. Kyle grilled them up for me.

Thanks for the help babe!

Marinade:
Coconut milk
Grated ginger
Coconut aminos
Lime juice
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Cayenne powder
Curry powder
Honey

PB&J Ice Cream: Paleo Butter and Jelly Ice Cream

PB&J Ice cream

Paleo Butter and Jelly ice cream

This is the easiest little dessert. I'll be honest...sometimes when Kyle is working...and no one is watching...I'll just have this for dinner or lunch. Okay...the secret is out. All you need is some frozen bananas...some almond butter...and some strawberries.

I always have frozen bananas in my freezer now. Take them out of the peel...cut them up into smaller chunks and freeze. I will usually freeze on a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. (That way they don't stick all together.) Once they are frozen you can put them in a freezer bag and save them for later.

Here is all you do...take out your food processor. (Have I told you lately how much i LOVE my food processor?!) Best purchase ever! If you don't have one...you should get one!

Then you put in your bananas. I just put in as much as I think I am going to eat. Next you put in a couple spoonfuls of Almond butter. Process until they get smooth. It will eventually turn into the consistency of soft serve ice cream...I promise...it just takes a while!

Top with Strawberries...YUM!!! I got my strawberries from "the secret garden." Well...that is what I like to call Kyle's little garden on the side of the house. The story goes...unbeknown to me...Kyle had built a garden on the side of the house that I never go on (there are no windows on that side of the house). One day we were coming home from services, the garage door opens and I see vegetable plant sitting in the garage. I ask, "What is that for?" Kyle says, "Nothing." The tone in his voice and look on his face told me something was definitely up. Kyle walks me to the side of our house and I say, "We have a garden?!" Thus...it has been referred to as "the secret garden" ever since. He says he wanted to surprise me with produce from our garden one day.

Back to the ice cream...It really tastes like ice cream!

There are so many variations you can do with this. Sometimes I just do banana, no almond butter, and then I top with some slivered almonds and a little Chocolate (no sugar/no dairy). YUM!!!

This would be another really easy, healthy treat for some kiddos!

I bet you want a bite...don't you?!

No Peanut Thai Peanut Sauce

A few of my friends have been raving about a Thai Peanut sauce recipe this past week or so...I started thinking...how could I make this Paleo. I do LOVE Thai food...and I do LOVE Thai Peanut sauce. But Peanut and Sugar aren't really going to work with Paleo. Today we were having the Fried "Rice" Cauliflower I posted awhile back and I thought if I could get it to work...it could be pretty yummy together.

The taste was good...I think I just need to thin it out some more and make sure I use a smoother almond butter.

Almond butter

Coconut milk

Sesame oil

A little honey

Curry Powder

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Cayenne powder

A little black tea (steeped 3 bags of black tea and added a few tablespoons)

Add all together and simmer on oven.

I kind of loved it on the Fried Rice. I'm looking forward to trying it on a salad or maybe some Thai lettuce wraps this next week.

Tweaks for next time...make sure to have a Thai chili, and smooth almond butter on hand. I don't think I need to add the sesame oil next time. And...I need to add more coconut milk/black tea to thin it out a bit more.

I'll keep working on it until I get it right!

Salmon Caesar Salad and Lemon Treats

Today we feature the Lemon. :) There was lemon on the fish, the dressing and in the "dessert." I just love lemon!

The weather has been A-MA-ZING in the Pacific Northwest these past few days. We've been doing a lot of grilling. Tonight Salmon was on the menu. I wanted to try something a little different than our typical dressings...so I thought Caesar! Now, Caesar is a little difficult when you can't have garlic...that is kind of the key ingredient. But here is what I did and it turned out pretty yummy.


Caesar Dressing:
1 coddled egg
We didn't have anchovies so we used sardines...haha (2 1/2 of them)
Garlic powder (sad...no garlic!)
A little onion powder
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Put in food processor
Drizzle in Olive oil slowly until consistency you want.

Kyle seasoned the Salmon and added some lemon. He cooked it perfectly on the grill.

I wanted a little something sweet after dinner so I found what we had in the cupboards. I wasn't sure if it was going to turn out...but it was pretty tasty. There was a recipe I saw on pinterest that I would really like to try that is very similar. I'll have to actually measure the ingredients and let you know how it turns out.

I put the last of the almond flour, the last of the shredded unsweetened coconut...a little coconut flour...juice of half a lemon...a squeeze of honey (I don't usually use honey), some vanilla and a little coconut oil. I mixed it all together and then put it in the oven at 200 for awhile until they were warm.

I tried drizzling some unsweetened chocolate on a few of them. It worked for a little sweets fix. They were best eaten warm. It is kind of fun experimenting here and there.

Paleo Pizza...Wha?!

Well almost...according to some it is Paleo...and on Friday night "almost" is good enough for me! 

So I don't as a general rule eat dairy. For the past 30 days I have been pretty strict about that. Jessica was doing her first Whole 30 and I was supporting her in that. She finished on Thursday...Woo-hoo! Way to go Sis! I'm proud of you. When I'm not being super strict I'll have a little dairy (cheese) maybe like once every couple weeks. It doesn't seem to bother me. Some people still eat dairy while eating paleo/primal...I guess it is up to you. I suggest cutting it out for a while and then reintroducing it to see how your body reacts.

So anyway...Kyle and I like to have this one on a Friday night...sit on the couch and maybe watch a movie. It feels very indulgent...but still quite good for you!

The crust is cauliflower...yep...cauliflower. I would suggest trying it with your kids. A good way to get them to eat some veggies. They don't even need to know! C'mon...who doesn't love pizza!

Ingredients: The crust: (This makes 2 pizzas!)

• 1 head cauliflower
• 2 eggs
• Some mozzarella cheese (I'm not sure how much? A couple cups at the most. Sometimes I put very little in it when I'm trying to "be good")
• Italian Seasoning (to taste)
• Onion Powder (to taste)
• Garlic Powder (to taste)

Crust Preparations:

1. Put cauliflower in food processor. (Or you can grate it...I had to do that a couple times when our food processor died!)
2. Put cauliflower in microwave for about 7-8 minutes.
3. Take out and let cool. This step is important...but SO hard when you are hungry!
4. Mix together cauliflower, cheese, eggs, and seasonings.
5. Place half the mixture on a pizza pan (or stone) and push it out until it is a good pizza shape.
6. Bake at 450 for about 15 minutes (until it starts to get golden)

While that is baking...make your sauce. Or you can use a pre-made one...but they usually have sugar in them.

Sauce Ingredients: (somebody might have a really good recipe...I just eyeball things)

• 1 can Tomato Paste
• Olive oil
• A little apple sauce
• Italian seasonings
• Onion/Garlic powder to taste

Sauce Preparation:

1. Mix together and microwave...or prepare on the stove top

When the "crust" is done...top with tomato sauce and whatever toppings you like. I like to put some Canadian bacon and Zucchini. I love the crunch of the Zucchini. (Kyle put some pepperoni on his half.) Then top with a little more cheese.

Now put your pizza under the broiler until it starts to get bubbly. Keep an eye on it. :) Nothing is more disappointing to getting side-tracked and coming back to burnt pizza!

SO DELICIOUS!! :) I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. It makes a great breakfast the next day too...Cold pizza!

Crock Pot Carnitas

This turned out really yummy!! :) (I know the picture doesn't look super appetizing.) I was planning on making some coconut flour tortillas to go with it - but Kyle ended up having to work overtime and didn't get home until I was already in bed. I just ate mine with some salad. Maybe next time we'll try it with the tortillas.

So this was pretty easy. It is so nice to come home and have dinner all ready to go. :) I didn't really measure anything...so I'll do my best to remember.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 pounds of Pork
• 1 can green chili
• 1 can Ro-tel
• Cumin
• Chili powder
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Juice of 1 lime
• Paleo Ketchup
• Vinegar
• Spicy Brown mustard
• A little orange juice

Yeah...I can't remember measurements...just a little of this...a little of that.

Preparation:

1. Put all ingredients in Crock Pot on low for about 6 hours (or more).
2. Pull apart with fork
3. Serve

EASY! And really tasty. Except I think I would like a little more spice in mine. Although my sister had some and she thought it was pretty spicy.

Curry Shrimp

Looking for a fast, easy, yummy paleo friendly dinner? Look no further! I got the original recipe from Every Day Paleo: Fast Shrimp http://everydaypaleo.com/2011/03/05/fast-shrimp/.

I had to omit the onion and I cooked the spinach down a little too much...oops. :) It probably worked out for the better because my stomach is a little sensitive to spinach. Below is the original recipe. I made a couple little tweaks because I can't have onion. I just eyeballed things...didn't measure.

I love it because it is so easy...and really quite tasty!

1 lb Wild Caught Argentinian Red Shrimp or other shrimp of your choice (I found mine at Trader Joe’s in the freezer section, raw, tails removed and de-veined)
1 bag frozen roasted red bell peppers and onions from Trader Joes (I used 1 red bell pepper and left out the onion. I put a little garlic powder and onion powder in. The second time I made this I did 1 red bell pepper and 1 yellow bell pepper.)
4 big hand fulls of baby spinach leaves
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons coconut milk
1/2 tablespoon curry powder (or more to taste)
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the onions and bell peppers and cook until defrosted and sizzling if using the frozen or until the veggies become tender if using fresh. Add the shrimp and the spinach and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the shrimp curls up and is no longer opaque in the middle. Add the coconut milk and spices, mix well and serve! Serves 3-4. Delicious, fast, no fuss.

Enjoy!

Paleo Fried Rice(d Cauliflower)

Tonight I wasn't really feeling what was planned for dinner. It was a pretty crazy day at work and I just wanted a bowl of something comforting. So on the drive home I started thinking we might have the stuff to attempt to prepare fried rice. It actually turned out pretty good. This would be a great winter dinner. A steamy, yummy, comforting bowl of deliciousness!

I almost forgot the most important part...it really does taste like fried rice...not cauliflower!

I really didn't measure anything out. Here is what you'll need:

• Sesame oil
• Olive oil
• 1 large carrot (diced)
• Peas (I just cut up some pea pods)
• Chicken (However much you would like) Or any other meat - we had chicken on hand
• 1 head Cauliflower
• Fresh Ginger Grated
• Juice of 1 lime
• Chili powder
• Cayenne pepper (Next time I'll make sure to have some Thai chillies on hand)
• 2 eggs (next time I would use at least 3)
• Garlic powder (you could use fresh)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

*I would add cashews next time...that sounds yummy!

Prepare:

1. "Rice" cauliflower (put in food processor until the consistency of rice. Or you could shred it)
2. Put riced cauliflower in the microwave for about 7 minutes.
3. Cut chicken into small, bite sized pieces
4. Cook chicken in a mixture of Olive and Sesame oil. Season with ginger, cayenne pepper, chili, garlic and salt.
5. Put chicken aside
6. Cook Carrot and peas in sesame/olive oil until they start getting a little tender
7. Put in Cauliflower - Cook until Cauliflower starts to brown a little
8. Season with more ginger, garlic powder, chili, cayenne, juice of 1 lime, salt and pepper to taste.
9. Move Cauliflower to side of pan. Crack 2 eggs (or more) and scramble a little then mix in with the rest of the cauliflower.
10. Place meat back into pan and cook together for a few minutes. Season to taste.

Eat piping hot and steaming...this was good stuff! I'm excited to try some different variations!

It was just what I needed after a crazy day...a yummy dinner...a hug from my sweet husband who helped to make dinner and clean up after...and a nice relaxing evening watching a Mariner's game. Okay...the Mariner's game wasn't my choice. But Kyle is doing laundry right now as he watches and he just swept the floor so I'd be crazy to say something! :)