Thursday, February 28, 2013

Paleo Thai "Peanut" Chicken "Linguine"

3 chicken breast cut in half or 6-8 chicken tenderloins grilled, baked or cooked in a skillet with a little coconut or almond oil
1 Spaghetti Squash cooked according to directions and strands removed

Sauce Ingredients-
  • 3/4 cup Almond Butter
  • 1 Tbsp Coconut, Sesame oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Lemon Juice of 1/2 of a lemon, more can be used but start with half
  • 2 diced green onions
  • 1/8 cup of Tamari, you can use more but even the reduced sodium is high in sodium
  • 1 Tbsp crushed red pepper (the sauce will become really spicy as it cooks, so you might want to use only 2 tsp(s) the first time you cook this, and judge from there.  You can always add more.  1 Tbsp is perfect for my husband and I, but too spicy for the kids)
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 Tbsp ginger
  • 2-3 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 Tbsp raw honey
  • 1 cup coconut milk, add only 1/2 cup to start and stir frequently as it heats up.  Add more about 1 Tbsp at a time and keep stirring until you get a sauce consistency. 
I actually used 1 Tbsp of natural peanut butter as my kids really like peanut sauce, I did not want to turn them away from the sauce.  I will take the PB out slowly, but before Paleo it was an entire cup, so we are making headway.

In a small saucepan, heat all ingredients for the sauce over medium low heat until heated through and is a smooth consistency.  Stir frequently

Serve chicken over squash and then use as much of the sauce as you wish, you could also chop the chicken into bite size pieces and stir into the sauce and then serve over the spaghetti 

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Paleo Banana, Nut, Chocolate Chip Muffins


2 1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 coconut oil, melted about 25 seconds
1/4 cup raw honey melted about 20 seconds
2 eggs
2 very ripe bananas mashed well
1 Tbsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp to 1/4 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 and line 10-12 muffin cups with paper liners. In large bowl mash the bananas, add almond flour, and baking soda and stir to combine. Add coconut oil, honey, coconut milk and eggs and mix well. Mix in cinnamon, nuts and chocolate chips. Evenly divide batter between cups and fill almost all the way to the top. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top. Cool in pan for 5 minutes.

I fill the cups about 3/4 of the way full and the cooking time is usually 27 minutes.

Check with a toothpick before removing from the oven

You can also make into a loaf, grease loaf pan with coconut oil or line with parchment paper, bake at 350 for about 34 minutes, check at 34 minutes and bake 3-4 more minutes if needed.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Paleo Crock Pot Spicy Coconut Curry Chicken




Very good but Very Spicy
 
6 boneless skinless chicken breast cut in cubes or halves, 3-4 if chicken breast are large, I recommend completely thawed chicken or it will create too much liquid
1 tablespoon Olive oil
2 Cloves garlic, chopped
2 Scallions, chopped
4 tablespoon Curry powder (original recipe I adapted to Paleo says 4 Tbsp(s), that is a lot and very very spicy, I would use 2 Tbsp(s), you can always add more). 
1 tablespoon Allspice
1 tsp ginger
1 cup organic, reduced sodium, chicken broth
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 Serrano pepper minced(Optional as it is already a very spicy dish)
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut for garnish
Additional chopped chives for garnish


As it cooks, If the sauce it too thin, add about 1-2 Tbsp(s) Arrowroot powder, if it is too thick add a little more coconut milk and stir well (Arrowroot powder clumps almost immediately in liquid, stir the sauce well until the powder is dissolved)


Serve over cauliflower rice, spaghetti squash or steamed veggies

Line a crock pot with a liner or coat with coconut oil or sunflower spray
Add all ingredients and cook on high for about 3-4 hours or low for about 4-5 hours (mine is new so it cooks a lot faster than previous slow cookers)

I would check on it at about 2-3 hours for liquid and sauce consistency and stir well, all slow cookers cook at different rates.  Check on it again each hour, at least the first time you cook it.  Then you should know how much liquid or arrowroot powder (if needed) for your sauce preference and what the appropriate time is for your slow cooker.

Monday, February 25, 2013

Paleo Grilled Chicken Pizza

Chicken
 Chicken breast seasoned with Pizza seasoning, (you can actually buy pizza seasoning, similar to Italian Seasoning) or in a small bowl mix a few dashes of garlic powder, Oregano, Basil and Marjoram and sprinkle over the chicken before grilling) 
Grill the chicken and chop into small pieces

Crust
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup of coconut flour.
  • 1 cup of coconut milk
  • Optional- 2 tsp of garlic powder (the crust will have a nice garlic flavor, you can use 1 tsp or no powder at all if you do not want the garlic flavor in the crust)
  • 1/2 baking soda
  • Optional- 1 minced garlic clove


preheat your oven to 375f
Prep cookie sheet or pizza pan by covering it with parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan
Brush with coconut oil
Lightly beat eggs, milk an garlic powder and minced garlic in a bowl till smooth. Mix wet and dry ingredients and whisk.  The consistency will be batter not dough
Spread the batter on the already prepped pan
Bake for 20 minutes
Remove from oven

Toppings
1/2 a 15 oz can of Organic Pizza Sauce ( I use Muir Glen)
Chicken
1 1/2 cup shredded Vegan Mozzarella, we use a mixture of vegan mozzarella and Colby jack
1 red bell pepper diced
1 cup frozen spinach thawed and drained well
2-3 cloves garlic minced
Optional- mushrooms, red onion, black olives, finely chopped broccoli florets

Turn the oven to broil
Layer over crust, sauce, chicken, veggies, and cheese, broil until melted, about 5 minutes tops, check at 3

Paleo Pancake



1/2 cup coconut flour
2 eggs
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp (s) Agave or Maple Syrup (if you are watching calories, 1 will work, but we like 2 Tbsp(s) )
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 Tbsp oil of choice
Optional- Enjoy Life chocolate chips, a mashed banana, blueberries, chopped berries

Unsalted Organic butter for the skillet, I put a small amount in between each batch to prevent sticking, it only takes a little so do not worry about fat

Mix all the ingredients well

Heat a large skillet over high heat, reduce to medium low, I cook on temperature 5 out of 1-10
Add a small amount of butter and melt and swirl through the skillet
Add pancakes and kind of smooth around with a spoon to even them out
It will take longer than a regular pancake so be patient, when the bottoms are golden brown, they are ready to turn, the first time, you should use one spatula to flip and one to help push the pancake onto the spatula so it does not tear.  They will stay together well, when you get the cooking time down.  They do not bubble like a regular pancake so you just have to be patient and turn gently until you have the cooking time down.   After that, you will once again be making perfect looking pancakes.


Paleo Sloppy Joes over Paleo Biscuits

 
I forgot to take a picture of the final product, so this is all that is left out of 2 1/2 pounds of meat, I served the meat in a bowl over Paleo Biscuits

2 to 2 1/2 pounds ground beef or turkey
2 cans 15 oz organic no salt added tomato sauce
1 small can organic tomato paste
2 Tbsp(s) raw honey
2 Tbsp(s) distilled vinegar
2 Tbsp chili powder (more if desired)
1 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp pepper (or as desired)
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 yellow onion
3-4 cloves garlic

Finely chop the veggies or use a food processor on chop, but do not puree

In a large skillet sprayed with Sunflower Spray or lightly greased, add meat, peppers, onions and garlic, cook until meat is browned through and drain well.  Add meat and veggies back to skillet and add all remaining ingredients,  stir well and sauté on medium heat for about 10 minutes or until heated through. 

Serve over Biscuits- Makes 4  biscuits if using the large style muffin tins

½ cup Almond Flour
¼ Golden Flaxseed
¼ cup Coconut Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 Tbsp Walnut Oil or Almond Oil
3 eggs


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line cupcake tin with cupcake liners. Set aside.
In a bowl, combine the almond flour, flaxseed meal, coconut flour and baking powder. Mix thoroughly.
In a small bowl, combine the walnut oil, eggs. Blend until frothy, then add the mixture to the dry ingredients.
Fill liners with the batter, I fill to the top and lightly pack the dough down a little and add more if needed. Place in the middle of the oven for about 15-18 minutes.   The texture is much better with cupcake liners instead of just greasing the cupcake tin.

I double the biscuit recipe and if have you left overs, use the biscuits for breakfast the next morning with almond butter and honey, heated up and poured over them. 

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Paleo Cheeseburger Pie, (with our without Vegan Cheese)

Gluten Free Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie

You can omit cheese to keep it Paleo, but we use Vegan cheese for a weekend meal. 

Serves: 6

Preparation Time:15 min

Cooking Time:30-35 min
 

Ingredients
  • 1 pound lean ground turkey or beef
  • 1 (1/2 cup) medium onion, chopped
  • 2-3 cloves garlic minced
  • pinch of pepper
  • 1 cup shredded vegan Colby Jack or Monterey Jack (or 1/2 cup salsa with excess liquid drained if you do not want to use cheese)
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1/2 of baking powder
  • 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
  • 3 eggs
  • Optional, frozen chopped green beans or spinach, thawed and drained

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 9-inch glass pie plate with sunflower spray or lightly coat with coconut oil.
        
  2. In 10-inch greased skillet, cook meat, garlic and onion  over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until meat  is thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in pepper. Optional- if using  additional veggies, add now)Spread in pie plate; sprinkle with cheese or salsa.
  3. In medium bowl, stir flour, baking powder, milk, and eggs with whisk or fork until blended. Pour into pie plate.  I actually pour about half of it in and stir it up really well to help hold it together and then spread the rest on the top.   
  4. Bake 30 minutes or until inserted in center comes out clean.  Check at 30 minutes and most likely you will need to cook an additional 5 minutes.

Optional- great with homemade or organic salsa or  hot sauce

 


 
 

 

Monday, February 11, 2013

Paleo Buffalo Hot Wings

 

2-3 lbs. of chicken wings and drumettes
2 tbsp of grass-fed unsalted butter melted



1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees(F). Bring a large pot of  water to a boil.
2. Boil your chicken wings and drumettes for 7 to 8 minutes. Remove the chicken wings/drumettes and let them drip dry.
3. Take a large baking sheet and line it with parchment paper. Brush olive oil or coconut oil lightly over the parchment paper to prevent sticking.
4. Pat the wings dry with paper towels
5. Place your wings on the baking sheet in a single layer.
6.  Melt the butter and lightly brush the melted butter over the wings.
7. Place into the oven and bake them for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes you'll want to flip your chicken wings and cook them for an additional 10 minutes.
8. Take them out of the oven and toss them in a large mixing bowl with the sauce.


Buffalo Sauce
Ingredients
1/2 cup of Franks Red Hot Sauce or your preferred hot sauce
1/4 cup of grass-fed unsalted butter
1 tsp of paprika
2 tbsp of organic apple cider vinegar
Directions
Melt the butter over medium heat and mix in all the other ingredients. Turn the heat to low and simmer until the wings are ready to be tossed in the sauce.

Paleo Chicken Pot Pie







3 chicken breast chopped
Sunflower cooking spray
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Mrs. Dash Table Blend
1/2 tsp Oregano
1-2 tsp Savory
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil or coconut oil
2 cups Chicken Stock
1 Tbsp Almond Oil
1  medium Yellow Onion diced
¼ cup Arrowroot Powder
¼ cup Coconut Milk
1 cup Carrots diced, I used frozen, but all frozen veggies must be thawed and drained or it will be too runny
2 Garlic cloves minced
2 Celery Stalks diced
1 cup frozen or fresh peas, if frozen, thawed and drained (optional as peas are not Paleo, but we still eat them sometimes since my kids eat them willingly)
1 cup frozen or fresh green beans chopped, if frozen, thawed and drained (if you omit peas, add more carrots and green beans)

Biscuit Recipe

1 cup Almond Flour
1/2 cup Golden Flaxseed
1/2 cup Coconut Flour
2tsp Baking Powder
2Tbsp Almond oil
6 Eggs

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and in a separate bowl combine the eggs and oil, mix the eggs and oil into the dry ingredients




Preheat the oven to 325

Mix pepper, garlic powder, Mrs. Dash, savory and Oregano in a small bowl, sprinkle the mixture over the chicken

Spray a very large skillet with cooking spray, place chicken in the skillet, cover and cook on medium heat until the chicken is cooked through.  Drain and set the chicken aside


Heat the Almond and Olive oil in the skillet add the onions and garlic. Cook until the onions are translucent, stirring frequently, then add the arrowroot and stir well.  It will start to feel like a paste.

Add the chicken stock, savory and coconut milk. Mix thoroughly. Then add the remaining vegetables, chicken and season with pepper.

Saute in the pan until the mix is thick and the vegetables are slightly soft.   As it cooks you may need to add a little more coconut milk, I add about 2 Tbsp

Spray a 13 x 9 inch dish with cooking spray or grease with coconut oil

Pour the filling into the sprayed dish


Cover the filling from edge to edge with the biscuit mix.  Cook on 325 for about 25 minutes.  Check at 25 minutes to see if the biscuits are golden and the filling is bubbling.  If not, cook for 5 more minutes and check it again. Use a toothpick to insert just into the crust to make sure it is cooked through the underside of the crust too.

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Paleo Lemon Pepper Pork Loin Over Mashed Cauliflower, Crock Pot



1 pork loin
1/4 carton organic chicken broth, reduced sodium
Generous amount of Mrs. Dash Lemon Pepper
1 head of cauliflower
Unsweetened coconut milk as needed to blend the cauliflower
pepper to taste
2-3 cloves garlic chopped

Place pork in the crock pot, pour broth around it, season with Mrs. Dash and set to high for about 5 hours or low for about 8 hours, hard to judge the first time as it all depends on the size and thickness of the pork.  First time, cook it on a weekend when you can check it.  It will fall apart, it is so tender

Chop cauliflower, steam until very tender, place in a food processor, add enough milk to create mashed potatoes, add garlic and pepper

Serve cauliflower on the bottom, then put the pork on top and some of the broth from the crock pot.  Or if you prefer, serve side by side.


Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Paleo Hawaiian Salmon




salmon filets thawed (we buy ours not frozen in bulk from Sams or Costco)
1/2 fresh pineapple sliced in rings or if using canned, buy no sugar added

Marinade
1/2 cup Coconut oil melted, Grape seed or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup raw honey melted or 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar in the Raw, or if you allow it occasionally-Splenda Brown Sugar
1/2 cup reduced sodium Tamari
2 Tbsp garlic minced
1 cup pineapple juice (I just use the amount in the can from the rings) Or use juice from the fresh pineapple, but it usually is not enough
1 tsp fresh grated ginger, or you can use 1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp onion powder


Mix marinade ingredients well, marinate salmon in 3/4 of the marinade

In a separate container marinate the pineapple rings in the remaining marinade

Refrigerate both for 2-3 hours, do not marinate overnight, the citrus will break down the meat

Heat grill to High

Wrap salmon in foil sprayed with cooking spray and grill on medium-low heat until cooked through and the salmon flakes easily in the middle, grill pineapple rings for about 2 minutes per side right before or after the salmon is done

Grilling time varies greatly depending on thickness of salmon, but salmon does cook much faster then chicken breast or steak.  You can also bake in a sprayed glass dish on 450 for about 10-25 minutes depending on if the filet size is an individual size or one large filet like the one in the picture.

You do not have to grill the pineapple or even marinade it, you can use it cold with no marinade, it is great either way.  If you are not marinating the pineapple, just pour all the marinade on the salmon when prepping.

When serving salmon, pepper to taste and serve with pineapple slices on top.

You can also only use half of the marinade and refrigerate the rest to use the next day for Grilled Hawaiian Chicken


Monday, February 4, 2013

Paleo Strawberry Muffins




Paleo Strawberry Muffins

2 1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 coconut oil, melted about 25 seconds, only fill the 1/4 cup about 3/4 full, I know it sounds weird but that is the perfect amount to keep them from being to moist, it will keep it from boiling over too
1/4 cup raw honey melted about 20 seconds
2 eggs
1 Tbsp Pure Vanilla Extract
Cupcake Liners
1 cup strawberries diced, you can use frozen, just defrost and drain (actually they have more flavor with the frozen strawberries)
Optional, but yummy- Sucanat for sprinkling on top (sub for brown sugar) (I like using more diced strawberries for added flavor about 1 cup), but totally optional)

Preheat oven to 350 and line 10-12 muffin cups with paper liners. In large bowl combine almond flour, and baking soda and stir to combine. Add coconut oil, honey and eggs and mix well. Mix in strawberries. Evenly divide batter between liners and fill almost to the top.  Sprinkle with sucanat (about a pinch per muffin). Bake for 30-32 minutes or until golden brown on top. Cool in pan for 5 minutes.  Don't overcook

Check with a toothpick before removing from the oven



Friday, February 1, 2013

Paleo Pizza with Coconut Flour Crust






Ingredients
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup of coconut flour.
  • 1 cup of coconut milk
  • 2 tsp of garlic powder (the crust will have a nice garlic flavor, you can use 1 tsp or no powder at all if you do not want the garlic flavor in the crust)
  • 1/2 baking soda
  • 1 minced garlic clove
  • Organic pizza sauce or you can make your own with organic tomato paste and organic crushed tomatoes and seasoning
  • Vegan mozzarella cheese, I like Trader Joes Vegan cheese
  • 1 pound turkey sausage or pork sausage
  • 1 yellow, red or orange bell pepper chopped into small pieces
  • Optional- spinach, diced onion, diced tomatoes, mushrooms, black or green olives, banana peppers
Instructions
preheat your oven to 375f
Prep cookie sheet or pizza pan by covering it with parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan
Brush with coconut oil
Lightly beat eggs, milk an garlic powder and minced garlic in a bowl till smooth. Mix wet and dry ingredients and whisk.  The consistency will be batter not dough
Spread the batter on the already prepped pan
Bake for 20 minutes
Add toppings, sauce, meat, veggies and cheese
Broil for about 8-10 minutes, but watch closely, remove when edges are golden and cheese is melted