Here are some great breakfast ideas:
Fun Ideas:
I thought this was a fun alternative to candy, little boys can make and give these little cars, the top link has the free printable:
Dessert Ideas:
Showing posts with label Paleo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paleo. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Valentines Day Recipe Ideas
Valentines Day is sneaking up on me, I had intended to do this post earlier but just didn't get to it until now. Here are some fun ideas, some I've found on Pinterest, some are favorites or ours, and some just looked fun. We will be making Chocolate Sun-Butter Cups in a heart shaped mold, along with some other truffle filled dark chocolate candies, we might also do some Chocolate Dipped Strawberries and for sure some Bacon Wrapped Dates, we all LOVE those. Happy Valentines Day!
Pin It
Grain Free Garlic and Herb Snack Crackers
I though these would be a fun snack for the kids on Valentines Day. I used my recipe for Almond Meal Crackers, but after I rolled them out I used heart cookie cutters and then lifted them with a thin spatula onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. The kids loved them, these take just a little more time to make than cutting them with a pizza cutter or pastry cutter, but it's well worth it.
2 slightly heaping cups of almond flour ( I make my own Unblanched Almond Flour)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3 TBSP good quality olive oil ( or butter)
1/2 tsp sea salt (or more)
Garlic powder to taste ( about 1/4-1/2 tsp)
Dried Basil to taste ( about 1/2-1 tsp)
Oregano (about 1/4 tsp)
Rosemary ( optional)
Combine all of the above ingredients in a bowl and mix well until combined. Then knead the dough into a ball, place on a large sheet of parchment paper and flatten with your hands. Then cover with another sheet of parchment paper and roll out with a rolling pin until its thin ( about 1/8"). Then remove the top layer of paper and using a pizza cutter, cut dough into crackers or using a cookie cutter cut into shapes. If you are using a cookie cutter you will need to use a thin spatulat to lift them off the paper and move them to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. You may then re-roll the scraps and repeat the process. If you are not using the cookie cutter method then just slide the parchment paper onto a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven of 325 degrees for about 20-30 minutes removing the ones on the edges as the get done more quickly and allowing the middle to finish baking. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, enjoy or store in an airtight container!
Pin It
Paleo And GF Crackers #2
( all almond flour)
2 slightly heaping cups of almond flour ( I make my own Unblanched Almond Flour)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3 TBSP good quality olive oil ( or butter)
1/2 tsp sea salt (or more)
Garlic powder to taste ( about 1/4-1/2 tsp)
Dried Basil to taste ( about 1/2-1 tsp)
Oregano (about 1/4 tsp)
Rosemary ( optional)
Combine all of the above ingredients in a bowl and mix well until combined. Then knead the dough into a ball, place on a large sheet of parchment paper and flatten with your hands. Then cover with another sheet of parchment paper and roll out with a rolling pin until its thin ( about 1/8"). Then remove the top layer of paper and using a pizza cutter, cut dough into crackers or using a cookie cutter cut into shapes. If you are using a cookie cutter you will need to use a thin spatulat to lift them off the paper and move them to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. You may then re-roll the scraps and repeat the process. If you are not using the cookie cutter method then just slide the parchment paper onto a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven of 325 degrees for about 20-30 minutes removing the ones on the edges as the get done more quickly and allowing the middle to finish baking. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, enjoy or store in an airtight container!
Dough ready to be rolled out.
 |
| Flattening the dough with my hands. |
Cutting out the shapes.
Baking
Yummy Garlic and Herb Crackers ready to eat.
Pin It
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Paleo and GF Crackers
This is a very simple recipe, one that would be fun for children to help with or make depending on their age. They can help mix the dough, roll it out and even cut them into crackers. They may however need some help putting them in and taking them out of the hot oven, again depending on their age. My apologies for the cell phone photos, my internet is down for a few days while we wait for a new line to be installed, so I am having to post this from my phone, I hope to get higher quality, instructional photos up in the future.
I hadn't made crackers for a while, but two of my girls were sick with the stomach flu and were asking for crackers so I thought I would whip out a batch really quickly for them. In the past I've always made them with spices and they have tasted like Italian or pizza crust flavor. But today since the girls were sick I made them plain, and used the opportunity to experimented using Sunflower Seed flour for part of the flour. We really liked the nice nutty flavor that the Sunflower Seed Flour imparts. The idea for making Sunflower seed flour is does not come from me, it comes from a wonderful post written by the Paleo Parents last week using a Blendtec. I however, have been using the technique found on my post and video for making almond flour at home, and am happy to share that it can be made inexpensively with a Coffee grinder. Sunflower Seeds are much cheaper ( like $3-$4 less per pound than almonds) and using a coffee grinder you will end up with a wonderful, fine flour, perfect for baking (unless of course you already own a Blentec or Vitamix). Another huge advantage to grinding your own nut/seed flours is that you can soak them in advance, dehydrate them and then grind them into flour removing many of the anti-nutrients and making them more easily digestible (here is a little information on soaking : The Healthy Home Economist or How to soak and dehydrate nuts and seeds by: Mommypotamus if you are interested).
Feel free to experiment with these cracker recipes using different seasonings or maybe adding a couple tablespoons of sesame or poppy seeds.
I will give both recipes I've used for making Paleo and GF Crackers so that you may try them both if you like:
1 cup almond flour ( I made my own so if you are using store bought you may want to decrease this slightly)
1 cup of homemade sunflower seed flour, finely ground
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp sea salt ( scant)
1 1/2 TBSP melted butter or olive oil ( your choice and does change the flavor slightly)
Seasonings or seeds of your choice
Combine all of the above ingredients in a bowl, mixing well to be sure it's well combined. Then knead the dough into a round ball, place on large piece of parchment paper, flatten with your hands slightly. Cover with another piece of parchment paper and roll out dough with a rolling pin, until its nice and evenly thin ( approximately 1/8"). Peel off top layer of parchment paper and using a pizza cutter, cut your dough into squares or whatever shape you would like. Slide the parchment paper onto a baking sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until done, ovens vary so much it's a good idea to watch them closely the first time you make them. I also removed the ones on the edges and put the rest back in to finish baking as the edges will cook faster. Remove from the oven and let cool, I used the tip of a sharp knife to break or separate them where they stuck together. And that's it, then you get to enjoy them or store them in a airtight container ( ours rarely last that long). We got about 3 1/2 dozen crackers out of this.
2 slightly heaping cups of almond flour ( I make my own unblanched almond flour)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3 TBSP good quality olive oil ( or butter)
1/2 tsp sea salt (or more)
Garlic powder to taste ( about 1/4-1/2 tsp)
Dried Basil to taste ( about 1/2-1 tsp)
Oregano (about 1/4 tsp)
Rosemary ( optional)
Combine all of the above ingredients in a bowl and mix well until combined. Then knead the dough into a ball, place on a large sheet of parchment paper and flatten with your hands. Then cover with another sheet of parchment paper and roll out with a rolling pin until its thin ( about 1/8"). Then remove the top layer of paper and using a pizza cutter, cut dough into crackers. Slide the parchment paper onto a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven of 325 degrees for about 20-30 minutes removing the ones on the edges as the get done more quickly and allowing the middle to finish baking. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, enjoy or store in an airtight container!
Pin It
I hadn't made crackers for a while, but two of my girls were sick with the stomach flu and were asking for crackers so I thought I would whip out a batch really quickly for them. In the past I've always made them with spices and they have tasted like Italian or pizza crust flavor. But today since the girls were sick I made them plain, and used the opportunity to experimented using Sunflower Seed flour for part of the flour. We really liked the nice nutty flavor that the Sunflower Seed Flour imparts. The idea for making Sunflower seed flour is does not come from me, it comes from a wonderful post written by the Paleo Parents last week using a Blendtec. I however, have been using the technique found on my post and video for making almond flour at home, and am happy to share that it can be made inexpensively with a Coffee grinder. Sunflower Seeds are much cheaper ( like $3-$4 less per pound than almonds) and using a coffee grinder you will end up with a wonderful, fine flour, perfect for baking (unless of course you already own a Blentec or Vitamix). Another huge advantage to grinding your own nut/seed flours is that you can soak them in advance, dehydrate them and then grind them into flour removing many of the anti-nutrients and making them more easily digestible (here is a little information on soaking : The Healthy Home Economist or How to soak and dehydrate nuts and seeds by: Mommypotamus if you are interested).
Feel free to experiment with these cracker recipes using different seasonings or maybe adding a couple tablespoons of sesame or poppy seeds.
I will give both recipes I've used for making Paleo and GF Crackers so that you may try them both if you like:
Paleo and GF Crackers
( With Sunflower Seed Flour and almond flour)
1 cup almond flour ( I made my own so if you are using store bought you may want to decrease this slightly)
1 cup of homemade sunflower seed flour, finely ground
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp sea salt ( scant)
1 1/2 TBSP melted butter or olive oil ( your choice and does change the flavor slightly)
Seasonings or seeds of your choice
Combine all of the above ingredients in a bowl, mixing well to be sure it's well combined. Then knead the dough into a round ball, place on large piece of parchment paper, flatten with your hands slightly. Cover with another piece of parchment paper and roll out dough with a rolling pin, until its nice and evenly thin ( approximately 1/8"). Peel off top layer of parchment paper and using a pizza cutter, cut your dough into squares or whatever shape you would like. Slide the parchment paper onto a baking sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until done, ovens vary so much it's a good idea to watch them closely the first time you make them. I also removed the ones on the edges and put the rest back in to finish baking as the edges will cook faster. Remove from the oven and let cool, I used the tip of a sharp knife to break or separate them where they stuck together. And that's it, then you get to enjoy them or store them in a airtight container ( ours rarely last that long). We got about 3 1/2 dozen crackers out of this.
Paleo And GF Crackers #2
( all almond flour)
*updated 2/11/13
*updated 2/11/13
2 slightly heaping cups of almond flour ( I make my own unblanched almond flour)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3 TBSP good quality olive oil ( or butter)
1/2 tsp sea salt (or more)
Garlic powder to taste ( about 1/4-1/2 tsp)
Dried Basil to taste ( about 1/2-1 tsp)
Oregano (about 1/4 tsp)
Rosemary ( optional)
Combine all of the above ingredients in a bowl and mix well until combined. Then knead the dough into a ball, place on a large sheet of parchment paper and flatten with your hands. Then cover with another sheet of parchment paper and roll out with a rolling pin until its thin ( about 1/8"). Then remove the top layer of paper and using a pizza cutter, cut dough into crackers. Slide the parchment paper onto a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven of 325 degrees for about 20-30 minutes removing the ones on the edges as the get done more quickly and allowing the middle to finish baking. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, enjoy or store in an airtight container!
Pin It
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Banana Crepes/pancakes and Our month of clean eating..
After an extremely busy month of December ( which included moving), and visiting family at Christmas we were feeling a real need to clean up our Paleo diet. We decided that my husband and I would do a Whole 30 followed by a 21 Day Sugar Detox and that our children 15 years old and under would do 30 days of Paleo eating. What we hadn't anticipated is that our two oldest sons, both adults living in our home (19 and 21) would decide that they too wanted to do a 30 day Paleo challenge. We were thrilled! It has made it much easier for the rest of us to stay on track because they aren't tempting the younger kids with treats, etc. And I know they will feel so much better, especially our oldest who has known problems with wheat and dairy but won't stop eating them completely (he will reduce his intake when he feels badly, and has a fiancee who keeps baking him wonderful treats). She is suddenly asking for Paleo dessert recipes, realizing that is going to be the only way she can bake for him this month though. With the two oldest they are really doing more of what we call a Robb Wolf 30 day challenge, just clean Paleo eating, with some dried fruit and occasional Paleo treats. And honestly I have no idea what they are really eating while not at home, it's really up to them and how far they want to take it. One thing they were running into their first week was being hungry all the time so I encouraged them to increase their fat intake and up their veggies (they tend to eat tons of meat, but slack on the veggies). It will be interesting to see how they feel, what they think about the experience and how they body composition changes over the 30 days.
As for our 5 younger ones (all under 15 years of age), we are just having them stick to Paleo and not "eat off the farm" for 30 days. They still get my Paleo Pancakes for breakfast, but only get one treat a week, on Friday or Saturday night they get to pick out a Paleo treat. Last weekend they chose to have our favorite Brownies from Elena's Pantry. The only hard part about that for me was not eating them ( I do confess to eating a crumb!), thankfully all 7 of them plus Jamie's fiancee polished them off the next day at lunch so I wasn't tempted to eat them! We feel that as children they don't need to feel like they are on a diet, and their little bodies need way more fuel/carbs than us big people, which is why we aren't being so strict with their 30 day challenge. As long as it falls into Paleo, we're okay with it and I've found that involving them in the prep and cooking process also helps get them more excited about it. I think this is a wonderful time of year to boost their little immune systems and heal their little guts, with all the serious flu going around this year. I'm also big on fermented foods/drinks and so are they, thankfully, several of them love Bubbies fermented sauerkraut and my oldest daughter has mastered making water kefir (which tastes like soda). My younger ones all love Kombucha too, but lately we've been going through it so fast I'm having to ration it. Maybe it's time to add in another 2 1/2 gallon jar in place of the 1 gallon I've been using. I actually make a total of about 6 gallons every 10-14 days depending on the weather and the warmth of our house.
For myself, I've noticed my gut is much happier (as someone who had severe IBS before going Paleo the tighter my diet is the better), inflammation from Lyme's seems to be in better control too, and I wish I could say I had more energy, but with the physical things I'm battling and medication I'm on I think they are preventing that. I have noticed that my body composition seems to be changing already (just 1 week in). I've done 3-4 Whole 30's so it's much easier this time around, I know what to do and that makes a big difference and makes for much "smoother sailing". I also started some light exercise yesterday, it's been a long time since I've been able to work out, with the lyme treatment and all, so I'm taking it very slowly and trying not to overdo it and put to much strain on my body. I'm looking forward to regaining some strength, the reality of how weak I'd gotten hit me hard on our trip to visit my brother. We went sledding with the kids, which was a blast, but I found I didn't have the strength to get up when I wiped out in the deep fluffy snow at the bottom. Something I've never had a problem doing before, I now had to roll to my knees to get up, it was then and there I decided I needed to do whatever I can do to regain some strength.
My husband, who works 2 jobs, his first as a Captain for the fire department has found it much easier this time around because one of the other men on his crew is also doing a Whole 30 so he is not the "odd" one out and they can encourage each other to stick with it. The one thing I worry about with him is sleep, you can have the best diet in the world but not see results if you're lacking sleep and under to much stress. Stress is a funny thing to, it doesn't have to be the kind of stress most of think of, it can also be physical stress we put on our bodies by doing something that is supposed to be healthy for us like working out, or in my husbands case doing a physically hard job with a lack of good sleep (his second job is construction).
Okay, enough about all that...time for a quick recipe. This isn't a new idea by any means, I've seen this floating around the internet for a while, and we've been enjoying them ( although usually with a different ratio, I prefer more eggs or I find them to sweet). While they are often called 2 ingredient banana pancakes, I prefer to think of them more as crepes. I think they would be amazing spread with homemade almond butter or Chocolate Pecan Almond butter. I do find that when I eat these I often need another protein like bacon, canadian bacon or ham on the side. Unfortunately if you are doing a Whole 30 you will need to wait until your 30 days are up to try these. But if you're on a 21 day sugar detox and you use greener bananas they are okay as far as I understand (I'm not as familiar with the 21 Day Sugar Detox). My kids have been enjoying these this past week...
2 medium size bananas
6 eggs
splash of real vanilla (gluten free)
and a generous sprinkling of cinnamon (to taste, I like a lot!)
Combine all of the ingredients in your blender and blend until smooth and a little frothy. Heat a griddle (I heat mine to about 300 degrees), grease well with coconut oil, ghee or butter. Pour small amounts of batter on and cook like you would pancakes. Remove and eat plain or topped with your desired toppings, these do not need any maple syrup as the bananas sweeten them naturally. They also make a great snack, my kids LOVE to nibble on these!
Pin It
As for our 5 younger ones (all under 15 years of age), we are just having them stick to Paleo and not "eat off the farm" for 30 days. They still get my Paleo Pancakes for breakfast, but only get one treat a week, on Friday or Saturday night they get to pick out a Paleo treat. Last weekend they chose to have our favorite Brownies from Elena's Pantry. The only hard part about that for me was not eating them ( I do confess to eating a crumb!), thankfully all 7 of them plus Jamie's fiancee polished them off the next day at lunch so I wasn't tempted to eat them! We feel that as children they don't need to feel like they are on a diet, and their little bodies need way more fuel/carbs than us big people, which is why we aren't being so strict with their 30 day challenge. As long as it falls into Paleo, we're okay with it and I've found that involving them in the prep and cooking process also helps get them more excited about it. I think this is a wonderful time of year to boost their little immune systems and heal their little guts, with all the serious flu going around this year. I'm also big on fermented foods/drinks and so are they, thankfully, several of them love Bubbies fermented sauerkraut and my oldest daughter has mastered making water kefir (which tastes like soda). My younger ones all love Kombucha too, but lately we've been going through it so fast I'm having to ration it. Maybe it's time to add in another 2 1/2 gallon jar in place of the 1 gallon I've been using. I actually make a total of about 6 gallons every 10-14 days depending on the weather and the warmth of our house.
For myself, I've noticed my gut is much happier (as someone who had severe IBS before going Paleo the tighter my diet is the better), inflammation from Lyme's seems to be in better control too, and I wish I could say I had more energy, but with the physical things I'm battling and medication I'm on I think they are preventing that. I have noticed that my body composition seems to be changing already (just 1 week in). I've done 3-4 Whole 30's so it's much easier this time around, I know what to do and that makes a big difference and makes for much "smoother sailing". I also started some light exercise yesterday, it's been a long time since I've been able to work out, with the lyme treatment and all, so I'm taking it very slowly and trying not to overdo it and put to much strain on my body. I'm looking forward to regaining some strength, the reality of how weak I'd gotten hit me hard on our trip to visit my brother. We went sledding with the kids, which was a blast, but I found I didn't have the strength to get up when I wiped out in the deep fluffy snow at the bottom. Something I've never had a problem doing before, I now had to roll to my knees to get up, it was then and there I decided I needed to do whatever I can do to regain some strength.
My husband, who works 2 jobs, his first as a Captain for the fire department has found it much easier this time around because one of the other men on his crew is also doing a Whole 30 so he is not the "odd" one out and they can encourage each other to stick with it. The one thing I worry about with him is sleep, you can have the best diet in the world but not see results if you're lacking sleep and under to much stress. Stress is a funny thing to, it doesn't have to be the kind of stress most of think of, it can also be physical stress we put on our bodies by doing something that is supposed to be healthy for us like working out, or in my husbands case doing a physically hard job with a lack of good sleep (his second job is construction).
Okay, enough about all that...time for a quick recipe. This isn't a new idea by any means, I've seen this floating around the internet for a while, and we've been enjoying them ( although usually with a different ratio, I prefer more eggs or I find them to sweet). While they are often called 2 ingredient banana pancakes, I prefer to think of them more as crepes. I think they would be amazing spread with homemade almond butter or Chocolate Pecan Almond butter. I do find that when I eat these I often need another protein like bacon, canadian bacon or ham on the side. Unfortunately if you are doing a Whole 30 you will need to wait until your 30 days are up to try these. But if you're on a 21 day sugar detox and you use greener bananas they are okay as far as I understand (I'm not as familiar with the 21 Day Sugar Detox). My kids have been enjoying these this past week...
Simple Banana Crepes/Pancakes
2 medium size bananas
6 eggs
splash of real vanilla (gluten free)
and a generous sprinkling of cinnamon (to taste, I like a lot!)
Combine all of the ingredients in your blender and blend until smooth and a little frothy. Heat a griddle (I heat mine to about 300 degrees), grease well with coconut oil, ghee or butter. Pour small amounts of batter on and cook like you would pancakes. Remove and eat plain or topped with your desired toppings, these do not need any maple syrup as the bananas sweeten them naturally. They also make a great snack, my kids LOVE to nibble on these!
Pin It
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Chunky Paleo Cranberry Sauce
My 15 year old daughter loves pretty much anything that's sour or tart. So when it comes to tart cranberry sauce she is in love, and the more there is of it the better. She will sit down with a bowl of cranberry sauce and a spoon and just eat it plain by the spoonful, she loves her cranberry sauce. Funny thing is she never really liked it back when we used the stuff out of a can and honestly I can understand why, homemade is so much better! This one is a collaboration of what we both enjoy in a Cranberry sauce and we hope you'll enjoy it for your holiday meals to, or actually any time of the year like we do! When fresh cranberries are in season I buy them up and freeze them for later so we can enjoy our cranberry sauce. I find that each recipe cooks down to about 1/2 the amount you started with, and I'm including two versions or portion sizes. Obviously we love our cranberry sauce so we make a lot but I realize not everyone loves it like we do and not everyone has a large family like we do.
8 cups of fresh Cranberries
1 TBSP fresh grated orange zest
1 1/2 cups of fresh squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup + 2 TBSP thawed, frozen apples juice concentrate (no water added, just the concentrate) more if you like it sweeter
1 tsp. cinnamon (or to taste)
Combine everything in a large saucepan, bring to a boil over medium heat high heat and then reduce to simmer. Stir occasionally, until desired texture and consistency. I just let mine simmer while I'm doing other things in the kitchen so I do mine real low and slow and let it go 45 minutes to 1 hour. But if you were in a hurry I'm sure you could speed that process up. I just like not really having to think about it, and letting it do it's thing and only stirring on occasion. That's it, remove from the heat, let it cool, store in a glass airtight container for later in the refrigerator and then serve when you're ready to eat it (although my daughter likes it hot, or warm too).
4 cups fresh Cranberries
1/2 TBSP orange zest
3/4-1 cup Orange juice
1/4 cup Frozen Apple juice concentrate (no water added and for a sweeter sauce just add more)
1/2 tsp Saigon cinnamon (or more to taste)
Follow the above directions.
Pin It
Happy Thanksgiving!
Chunky Paleo Cranberry Sauce
(makes approximately 4 cups)
8 cups of fresh Cranberries
1 TBSP fresh grated orange zest
1 1/2 cups of fresh squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup + 2 TBSP thawed, frozen apples juice concentrate (no water added, just the concentrate) more if you like it sweeter
1 tsp. cinnamon (or to taste)
Combine everything in a large saucepan, bring to a boil over medium heat high heat and then reduce to simmer. Stir occasionally, until desired texture and consistency. I just let mine simmer while I'm doing other things in the kitchen so I do mine real low and slow and let it go 45 minutes to 1 hour. But if you were in a hurry I'm sure you could speed that process up. I just like not really having to think about it, and letting it do it's thing and only stirring on occasion. That's it, remove from the heat, let it cool, store in a glass airtight container for later in the refrigerator and then serve when you're ready to eat it (although my daughter likes it hot, or warm too).
For Smaller Servings:
(about 2 cups )
4 cups fresh Cranberries
1/2 TBSP orange zest
3/4-1 cup Orange juice
1/4 cup Frozen Apple juice concentrate (no water added and for a sweeter sauce just add more)
1/2 tsp Saigon cinnamon (or more to taste)
Follow the above directions.
Pin It
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Paleo Pesto Chicken on Spaghetti Squash
We love Pesto! I don't know what it is about it but we really love our Pesto sauce around here, and this has quickly become one of our favorite go to meals. It's perfect for leftover chicken or turkey, or just keep the sauce in the fridge to use as desired on eggs, or other dishes. Our family is so large and we are such big eaters that we polish this off in nothing flat. So what I've started doing is doubling it or making the two different Pesto sauces so we will have some leftovers. My oldest daughter and I love the Basil and Sun dried Tomato Pesto sauce, but those who don't particularly care for tomatoes prefer the Basil Pesto ( quite a few in family don't like tomatoes including my husband).
Pin It
I've also started baking my spaghetti squash earlier in the day or even the day before, cooking up a bunch and then refrigerating it for later. When it's time to eat I just pull it out and reheat it by frying it up in a little bacon grease or coconut oil in a frying pan. Makes dinner prep a lot quicker and provides quick lunches too. Yesterday I baked up 4 large spaghetti squash (3-4 pounds each), served 2 of them with the pesto sauce, chicken, tomatoes and bacon. And tonight we will have the rest of the spaghetti squash with Mom's Homestyle Spaghetti Sauce, mmmmm...yum!
A few weeks ago we cooked up a huge free range turkey that we had purchased from a local friend who raises them. We had tons of turkey leftovers, so this was one of the re-created turkey meals we had, and boy was it good! My husband says you know it's good when everyone cleans their plates, all the way down to the little ones. So with Thanksgiving coming I thought I would share this with all of you, in case some of you may be looking for new ways to use up your leftover turkey after the holiday.
Though traditionally made with Pine Nuts, I make mine with either pecans or walnuts, for two reasons, one, it's two nuts I always have around and two, I find they are cheaper than using pine nuts, and taste great.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we have and do!
SPAGHETTI SQUASH:
In advance bake your spaghetti squash ( I usually do 2 large squash to feed our family of 9), see directions here: HOW TO BAKE SPAGHETTI SQUASH. And don't forget to save your seeds and ROAST THEM just like pumpkin seeds.
BACON:
Next Fry up some bacon or BAKE IT IN THE OVEN, reserving the fat (it's like gold around here, I use it for everything!). Crumble the bacon and use it as a garnish.
MEAT:
Then either grill some chicken breast or thighs or slice and pan fry your chicken in some bacon grease with salt and pepper (unless you are using leftover meat or seafood). If you are pan frying your chicken, after slicing it please be sure to dab dry (I use paper towels for this) before placing it in the pan of hot bacon grease. Oh, and I typically figure on one piece of chicken per person.
TOMATOES:
Chop up some fresh ripe tomatoes to garnish your Pesto Chicken with if desired.
PESTO SAUCE:
3 cups fresh basil leaves, (you'll kind of have to shove them in there a bit)
1 1/4 cups whole walnuts or pecans (toasted*)
4-5 cloves of fresh garlic (depending on your taste)
2 TBSP lemon juice
1 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil ( a good olive oil can make all the difference in taste!)
salt to taste (I use approximately 1/2 tsp)
pepper to taste
Combine basil, nuts, and lemon juice in food processor, then adding the olive oil very slowly turn the mixture on. My food processor has a little reservoir I fill and it allows a trickle to go in, which makes it much easier. Mid way through add some salt and pepper and mix and then taste. Mix until combined and the desired texture, it's that simple and sooooo yummy!
* To toast your nuts preheat oven to 375 and bake for 8-10 minutes on a baking tray, mixing 1/2 way through. Allow to cool before using.
Pesto Spaghetti squash with leftover turkey mixed in and bacon to garnish.
SUN DRIED TOMATO BASIL PESTO SAUCE:
I WILL PREFACE THIS BY SAYING THAT I USE MY OWN HOME DEHYDRATED TOMATOES FOR THIS. I TAKE MY FRESH HOMEGROWN TOMATOES, SLICE AND SPRINKLE WITH DRIED BASIL AND THEN PLACE IN MY DEHYDRATOR UNTIL DRY.
2 cups fresh basil leaves
heaping 1/2 cup dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
4 cloves of garlic
1/4-1/2 tsp sea salt (to taste)
1 cup of toasted pecans * see note above*
1 TBSP lemon juice
pepper to taste
1 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil (good quality makes all the difference regarding taste!)
Place everything except the oil in your food processor bowl, while processing very slowly add the oil to the mixture. Process until desired texture and taste.
My apologies for the lack of photos, but I hope you'll try it anyway. Enjoy!
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Chocolate Pecan/Almond Nut Butter
I posted some pictures of this the other day on Facebook, and promised to get a recipe posted. So... here it is! I will preface this post by saying this, please do not expect this to taste like Nutella, funny thing is I really don't even know what Nutella tastes like! I know funny, huh? I've just never really eaten it, but this stuff is addicting and we LOVE it, I hope you will too! And it's very simple to make and I have to confess, we have been eating it by the spoonful mostly (it's that good).
1 cup raw almonds
1 cup unroasted pecans
2 TBSP cocoa powder
1 TBSP honey (this can be adjusted up or down to your liking)
1 TBSP Extra Virgin Coconut oil (use a good one so you get that nice coconut flavor coming through)
2 tsp. real vanilla extract
Splash of almond extract (if desired, we really like it this way)
small pinch of sea salt if desired
pinch of ground cayenne pepper
Turn your oven on to 375 and allow to preheat. Place almonds in a jelly roll pan and roast in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until nicely roasted. You could roast your pecans also, but I didn't. Remove the almonds from the oven and let cool just a few minutes, then add them to a food processor along with the other ingredients. Let it run, stirring if necessary (a couple of times), until it is your desired consistency, it should look and sound runny, it'll thicken up a bit in the fridge. That's it, really simple and easy.
This is the food processor I'm using if you're interested (Costco also sells it I believe):
Cuisinart 11-cup Food Processor
For the Roasted Almond Butter, here is the link to an earlier post on how to make your own nut butters, it's really fun to experiment with all the different nuts and seeds.http://budgetpaleo.blogspot.com/2012/06/how-to-make-your-own-almond-meal-and.html
Pin It
 |
| Still warm and fresh from the food processor. |
Chocolate Pecan/Almond Butter
1 cup raw almonds
1 cup unroasted pecans
2 TBSP cocoa powder
1 TBSP honey (this can be adjusted up or down to your liking)
1 TBSP Extra Virgin Coconut oil (use a good one so you get that nice coconut flavor coming through)
2 tsp. real vanilla extract
Splash of almond extract (if desired, we really like it this way)
small pinch of sea salt if desired
pinch of ground cayenne pepper
Turn your oven on to 375 and allow to preheat. Place almonds in a jelly roll pan and roast in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until nicely roasted. You could roast your pecans also, but I didn't. Remove the almonds from the oven and let cool just a few minutes, then add them to a food processor along with the other ingredients. Let it run, stirring if necessary (a couple of times), until it is your desired consistency, it should look and sound runny, it'll thicken up a bit in the fridge. That's it, really simple and easy.
This is the food processor I'm using if you're interested (Costco also sells it I believe):
Cuisinart 11-cup Food Processor
Pin It
Friday, August 17, 2012
New and Improved Fluffy and Tasty GF and Paleo Pancakes!
So this morning is the morning of my grocery shopping day, I only shop once a week and sometimes by the end of that time we are running low on nearly everything. This is one of those weeks, yesterday was my actual grocery day, but I was feeling worn out and decided to postpone it until today. When we got up this morning the kids (4 younger ones) all wanted pancakes. No problem I thought, I'll just whip up a batch of my Tasty Grain Free Pancakes, only problem was I didn't have any sparking water left. What to do, so I subbed in some canned full fat coconut milk and the results were even better than the original! Maybe some of you have already tried this but if you haven't I really suggest trying it. They are extra thick and fluffy, and mmmm, so good! The other thing I like about these is that this addition will make them "stick with" my kids longer giving them more energy for their day. Here is the revised recipe I hope you enjoy it:
2 cups almond meal
4 eggs
1/2 cup full fat coconut milk from a can (I use Organic Native Forests)
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1-2 TBSP maple syrup (optional, but it will affect the taste greatly if you don't)
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon (optional, I like to use Saigon Cinnamon)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda (measure scant, closer to 3/4)
In a medium mixing bowl combine all of the dry ingredients and mix well. Then add the all the remaining wet ingredients and mix to combine, then using a hand mixer beat the batter ingredients for 1 minute, this will help make a fluffier batter and better pancakes. Set aside and preheat your griddle to about 325 degrees (depending on your griddle). Grease your griddle well with coconut oil and pour the batter making small-medium size pancakes, turning when they start to bubble. I like to top them with some applesauce and berries, but you may top them with whatever you like.
* You may halve this recipe for 2-3 people if you would like. But if I were you I would make them all and then you can just pull them out of the fridge as needed.*
Pin It
Tasty Grain Free Pancakes
Serves 4-6
2 cups almond meal
4 eggs
1/2 cup full fat coconut milk from a can (I use Organic Native Forests)
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1-2 TBSP maple syrup (optional, but it will affect the taste greatly if you don't)
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon (optional, I like to use Saigon Cinnamon)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda (measure scant, closer to 3/4)
In a medium mixing bowl combine all of the dry ingredients and mix well. Then add the all the remaining wet ingredients and mix to combine, then using a hand mixer beat the batter ingredients for 1 minute, this will help make a fluffier batter and better pancakes. Set aside and preheat your griddle to about 325 degrees (depending on your griddle). Grease your griddle well with coconut oil and pour the batter making small-medium size pancakes, turning when they start to bubble. I like to top them with some applesauce and berries, but you may top them with whatever you like.
* You may halve this recipe for 2-3 people if you would like. But if I were you I would make them all and then you can just pull them out of the fridge as needed.*
Yum!
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Slow Cooker Asian Pork
Slow Cooker Asian Pork
I tried a new recipe last night that I found on chowstalkers, it's from the blog, http://hollywouldifshecould.net/2011/04/easy-weeknight-paleo-crockpot-recipe/.
I tried a new recipe last night that I found on chowstalkers, it's from the blog, http://hollywouldifshecould.net/2011/04/easy-weeknight-paleo-crockpot-recipe/.
It's really quite good, there are just a few changes I made to make it more to our liking.
And I might add, that last night it was nice and juicy, but today it seems to need a sauce. I think that my Faux Thai "Peanut" Sauce, makes it even better! With those few changes it's a winner. I used Pork Sirloin Roast and cooked it for 5-6 hours on low, shredded it, put it back in the crock pot and cooked for about another 30 minutes on high. Then served it, we liked it with grated cabbage, shredded carrots, sliced almonds and chopped cilantro. Oh and a dash more of the hot chili sauce, yummy!
Here is the modified version of her recipe:
And I might add, that last night it was nice and juicy, but today it seems to need a sauce. I think that my Faux Thai "Peanut" Sauce, makes it even better! With those few changes it's a winner. I used Pork Sirloin Roast and cooked it for 5-6 hours on low, shredded it, put it back in the crock pot and cooked for about another 30 minutes on high. Then served it, we liked it with grated cabbage, shredded carrots, sliced almonds and chopped cilantro. Oh and a dash more of the hot chili sauce, yummy!
Here is the modified version of her recipe:
For the meat:
2-3 lbs of pork shoulder or any type of pork roast
Liberally salt and pepper
3 smashed whole garlic cloves.
For the sauce:
Mix all of the following:
4 TBS Coconut Aminos
1/4 cup Almond Butter
1 TBS Honey
2 TBS Vinegar (I used the Bragg's apple cider vinegar)
2 tsp Sesame Oil
2 TBS A Taste of Thai Garlic Chili Pepper sauce
1/2 tsp of Black Pepper
1 TBS minced ginger
Recipe
Put prepared meat in crockpot, with the salt, pepper and garlic. Combine ingredients for the sauce and pour over the meat. Then set it on low and forget it. She suggests 4-6 hours, I found mine took about 6-7 hours. I cook mine, shred it and put it back in for another 1/2 hour. That's it, you can prepare all of your toppings or garnishes before hand to save time to, and the leftovers make great leftovers for lunch. I even like it cold the next day!
When it is done cooking serve a top your favorite garnish. You can use whatever toppings you would like these are just some suggestions-- jicama, cilantro, shredded carrots, shredded cabbage, green onions, sliced almonds,Kelp noodles, etc..
Toppings
Ingredients I used
Pin It
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Divine Dark Chocolate and Strawberry Cake (Grain Free and Paleo Friendly)
My youngest had his 3rd birthday last weekend and to celebrate I made him this beautiful and tasty Paleo/ Grain Free cake! The actually dark chocolate cake recipe is not mine so I will include a link to it along with the changes I made, we really enjoyed it and hope you do to!
DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE: I used this recipe from The Food Lovers Kitchen, the only modifications that I made where the following; I reduced the honey to 3/4 cup (we have a wonderful mild local honey) and added in 1/4 cup of coffee liquor (which is a simple sugar syrup with coffee and vodka essentially).
Strawberry Syrup Filling: I made a "syrup" of 4 cups chopped strawberries and 1/2 cup raw honey. I pureed them in the blender and then poured it into a saucepan. Brought it to a boil, reduced the heat and simmered until it was my desired consistency. You will have extra you can use on pancakes or ice cream if you like. I then set it aside and let it cool a bit while I made the Ganache.
Ganache: 12 ounces dark chocolate broken into pieces
( I used 85% dark Lindt Chocolate)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 TBSP coffee liquor (optional)
splash of vanilla (optional)
Break chocolate into a medium glass bowl. Pour the whipping cream and coffee liquor into a small saucepan and bring to a boil stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate pieces stirring until melted and glossy. Cool for a glaze or if you would like to use it more like a frosting or for piping, chill it in the fridge until desired consistency. Pour over the cake or spread to frost and you are ready to go!
Whipped Cream Filling: You may use whipped coconut milk cream for the filling or real dairy whipped cream ( I used dairy whipped cream). Here are a few resources for Whipped coconut milk/cream recipes if you don't have one of your own. You may choose to sweeten it slightly with honey or maple syrup or leave it plain, it's entirely up to you and what you prefer.
Additional Thinly Sliced Strawberries: I sliced up some strawberries to use in the filling, the amount will vary depending on your preference.
ASSEMBLY: First bake your cake and let it cool completely. Then make the Strawberry Syrup and set it aside to let it cool. Make the Ganache and set it aside to cool also. While they are both cooling make some stiff whipped cream and slice up some fresh organic strawberries. Then using a cake leveler divide each cake round into two cakes, you will go from 2 to 4 cake layers.
 |
| Small Wilton Cake Leveler I used. Place your first cake layer on the plate and top with some whipped cream, then top with some fresh strawberries and finish that off with some strawberry syrup. Then place another cake layer on and repeated the steps until you get to the 4th cake layer. Pour the ganache over the cake or spread to frost and finish it off by decorating it with some fresh strawberries (if desired). We enjoyed this with homemade Non-dairy Strawberry Ice Cream topped with some leftover strawberry syrup. It taste amazing, it looks rich but it's not it's nice and light and not to sweet. The guys in my family enjoyed more than one piece because it wasn't super sweet, and they also gave it a hearty thumbs up. Hope you enjoy it too! |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)