Thursday, December 1, 2011

Savory Sweet Potato Stuffing

This is a fantastic stuffing but is time intensive. You have to have 1 1/2 hours allotted for prepping and cooking.
Here is a link to the original recipe. I would suggest adding fresh Thyme and Garlic Powder. It was a little bland.

Eggs in Ham Cups


Yet another way to eat eggs and ham.

Ingredients:
6 slices of ham (I love Applegate Farms Uncured Ham)
6 eggs
Pepper

Process:
Preheat oven to 375.
Grease muffin tin with coconut oil. Line each cups with 1 slice of ham, letting it ruffle to form a cup. Crack an egg into each cup. Sprinkle with pepper.
Bake for 15-20 min until the white of the egg is firm.
Serves 2. I'm sure you can make a full dozen at once but I'm not sure how well they keep.

Alternates:
You can scramble the eggs first and then pour into the ham cups. It bakes the same and is quite tasty.
You can also add thinly sliced veggies, though the egg fills the ham cup so I wouldn't add much.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Paleo Meat Cupcakes w/ Sweet Potato Frosting


Cupcake Ingredients:

  • 1 lb of ground beef
  • 1 lb of ground pork
  • 6 slices of bacon – cut into small pieces
  • 1 large carrot – shredded
  • 1 beet – shredded
  • 1 medium onion – chopped
  • 1 jalapeno pepper – finely diced (optional)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 4 cloves of garlic – crushed or finely chopped
  • 2-3 tbsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1 tbsp of cayenne pepper (optional )
Process:
  • Whisk Eggs separately. Combine all ingredients and mix well.
  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Grease a muffin tin with Coconut Oil and pack firmly into muffin cups.
  • Bake for 20min, then broil on high for 5 min.
Frosting Ingredients:
  • 2 medium Sweet Potatoes
  • Garlic Powder- to taste
  • Pepper- to taste
  • Coconut milk or Raw milk
Process:
  • Cube sweet potoatoes. Boil for 10 min, or until soft.
  • Drain and mash with remaining ingredients adding milk until creamy.
  • Let cool and then place in a ziploc. Clip a corner of the ziploc to create a frosting bag. Squeeze onto the cupcakes.

This dish was inspired by a recipe found on PaleoDigest.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Brownies

Ingredients:
1 1/4 C Agave
3/4 C Cocoa Powder
1 C Almond Butter
1 Egg
2 tsp Vanilla
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
Pinch of salt

Process:
Heat oven t0 325
1. Heat agave gently on the stove. When it is warm add cocoa powder and stir until smooth. Add almond butter. Remove from heat.
2. While agave is heating combine egg, vanilla, baking powder, and salt.
3. Combine egg mixture and cocoa mixture.
4. Grease an 8X8 pan with coconut oil or line with parchment paper. Pour in batter. Bake for 40-50min.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Coconut Flour Pancakes/Crepes

Ingredients:
  • 4 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup milk (raw cow’s or coconut both work)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon honey or a pinch of Stevia
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • coconut oil or butter for frying
Process:
Preheat griddle over medium-low heat. In a small bowl beat eggs until frothy, about two minutes. Mix in milk, vanilla, and honey or stevia. In a medium-sized bowl combine coconut flour, baking soda, and sea salt and whisk together. Stir wet mixture into dry until coconut flour is incorporated. Grease griddle with butter or coconut oil. Ladle a few tablespoons of batter into pan for each pancake. Spread out slightly with the back of a spoon. The pancakes should be 2-3 inches in diameter and fairly thick. Cook for a few minutes on each side, until the tops dry out slightly and the bottoms start to brown. Flip and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.

**Side note: Mine turned out thin like crepes. Still very tasty.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Stuffing

Ingredients:
1 yellow onion-chopped
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1lb Sausage
4 Carrots-diced
6 Celery Stalks- diced
1/2 C Slivered Almonds
1/2 C Dried Cranberries (or cherrie)- finely chopped
1/2 C Chicken Broth
1 Tbsp Fresh Sage-diced
1/2 Tsp Fresh Thyme leaves
1/2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
Pepper to Taste

The Process:
Preheat oven to 350.
In a large soup pot sautee onions in oil until translucent. Add sausage and brown. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer and cook 5-10min until the veggies start to absorb the broth. Transfer to a glass baking dish and cover tightly with tin foil. Bake 45min.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:
3 Bell Peppers
1lb Ground Sausage
1 Onion
3 C Spinach
1 Egg
Pepper and Garlic Powder

The Process:
Preheat oven to 400.
Sautee the onion. While it cools, mix the other ingredients (except the Bell Peppers) in a bowl. Add the onions. Pepper and Garlic Powder are optional as the sausage adds plenty of flavor.
Cut the Bell Peppers in half lengthwise and place in a glass baking pan. Stuff with the sausage mix.
Bake 40min.

Mexican Acorn Soup

Ingredients
  • 2 small acorn squash (scoop out and save the seeds)
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely diced
  • 2 c salsa, homemade or store bought
  • 1 qt chicken/beef/vegetable stock
Use a peeler to peel the skin off the acorn squash and remove the seeds. Chop into medium-sized chunks. In a large soup pot, saute the squash pieces, onion and garlic until soft. Add the stock and salsa. Bring to a simmer. Use a blender to puree the soup.

This makes A LOT. Cutting the recipe in half works well.

Morrocan Chicken

Ingredients:
  • 1 ½ lbs. chicken breasts, cut into chunks
  • 2 t paprika
  • 1 t coriander
  • 1 t cumin
  • ½ t cinnamon
  • ¼ t red pepper flakes
Mix the spices in a ziploc and add the chicken chunks. Shake. Fry in a pan until done. Use a little coconut oil to help with sticking.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Paleo Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

Crust

1/2 cup hazelnuts

1 cup pecans

4 tablespoons melted organic grass fed butter

pinch of sea salt

Preheat oven to 350. Place the nuts in a food processor and process until the nuts are a flour like or almond meal like consistency. Pour into a small mixing bowl, add the butter and salt and mix into a thick dough. Using your hands, spread evenly into a pie pan and back for 10 minutes.

Filling

1 – 14oz can of organic pumpkin puree (nothing added, just pumpkin)

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

2 eggs

1/2 cup raw organic honey

1/2 cup coconut milk

While the crust is in the oven, whisk all of the pie filling ingredients together. Pour into the curst that has been baked for 10 minutes, return to the oven and bake for and additional 45 minutes.

Pumpkin Chili

Ingredients:

For the Chili

2 lbs ground beef
1 large yellow onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 sugar pumpkin, diced (about 3 cups) or 1 ½ c canned pumpkin
1 (28 oz) can diced, fire roasted tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (7 oz) can diced, roasted green chilies
1 c chicken or beef stock
FOC
S&P

Chili Spice Mixture

2 T chili powder
2 T cumin
1 T paprika
2 t salt
2 t coriander
2 t cinnamon
2 t cocoa powder
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t cayenne

Orange, Coriander Avocado Cream

2 avocados
zest of 1 orange
juice of 2 oranges
1 t coriander
1/2 t salt


For the Chili

Heat a large soup pot over medium high heat with a tablespoon of your F.O.C. Add the beef and let it brown. Try not to stir it too much until you get some color on one side but make sure you break up the pieces. This should take 5-8 minutes.

While you’re browning your beef make your spice mixture. In a medium bowl, mix up all the spices.

We like to brown the beef first so we can use the fat that renders out to cook the vegetables. So, using a slotted spoon remove the beef and place in the spice mixture bowl…leaving the fat in the pot. Add your diced onion and garlic. Let those two saute for a few minutes (3-4) stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened. Add your diced pumpkin.

Cover and cook about another 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the pumpkin begins to get tender (check with a fork). Add the rest of ingredients and the beef/spice mixture. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer to let all the flavors “meld”. When you’re happy with the texture, you’re done.

For the Cream

Add all ingredients to food processor and blend until smooth

*The cream was a bit orange-y. Good in small doses.

Jalapeno Burgers

In a large bowl stir together 1 large beaten egg, 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs, 6 slices crisp cooked crumbled bacon, 3 T. chopped jalepeno or serrano, 2 T. milk. Add 1 pound lean ground beef. Mix well and shape into four patties. Grill.

Tex Mex Meatloaf

Ingredients:
8 strips bacon

1 small onion, diced

1 lb lean ground beef

2 eggs

4 oz can diced chiles

6 oz can tomato paste

1/4 cup almond flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp ground cumin

4 tbs water

Directions:

1. Cut 4 strips of bacon into 1/2 inch pieces. Fry over medium heat in a skillet until crisp. Remove and add onion to fat. Cook until onions are soft. Remove from heat to cool.

2. Preheat oven to 375.

3. In a small bowl, combine 3 oz of tomato paste with salt, pepper, garlic and water and stir to combine. Set aside.

4. In a large bowl, dump in meat, eggs, chiles, almond flour, the rest of the tomato paste, cumin, and cooled onions and bacon. Use your hands to squish it all together.

5. Line a bakings sheet with aluminum foil and place a metal rack (like what you’d use to cool cookies) on top of it. Divide the meat mix into fourths and form each fourth into a free-form loaf. Lay on rack.

6. Wrap one piece of bacon around each loaf.

7. Spoon on reserved tomato sauce and spread all over loaf and bacon.

8. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes.

Chili

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef (browned and drained)
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 green pepper chopped
2-3 carrots
2-3 celery stalks
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
2-3 tbsp chili powder
2 cans (14.5 oz) chopped tomatoes

Mix all together in crock pot...5-6 hrs on high or 10-12 hrs on low, stirring occasionally.

Wine-y Roast

Ingredients:
4 lb chuck roast
1/2 onion- chopped
4 cloves garlic. Slivered
1 cup each water & red wine
8oz tomato sauce
2 T red wine vinegar
1 bay leaf
1 t cumin seeds
7 whole allspice
1 cinnamon stick

Trim fat from meat
Sautee onion and garlic in pan
Add other ingredients to pan
Set meat in crock pot
Pour pan contents on top of meat
Heat on high until bubbling
Set back to low and cook until meat falls apart
Can leave in pot on low indefinitely

Paleo Phad Thai

Ingredients:
  • 1 lb cooked meat of choice (chicken, steak, duck)
  • 1/4 c fat (butter, coconut oil, or bacon fat)
  • 2 zucchinis
  • 1 onion
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 T apple cider vinegar
  • 2 T fresh ginger, minced
  • 3 T almond butter
  • 1 T chili garlic sauce
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • sliced green onions
  • s&p
Slice the zucchinis lenthwise on a mandoline or food slicer to 2-3cm.

Saute the onion, garlic and ginger, until soft. Add the chili sauce, vinegar, lime juice and almond butter. Stir to combine.

Add the zuke noodles to the saute pan. Stir them around to get the sauce incoporated onto the “zoodles”. The point here is get the “zoodles” hot and very slightly cooked through (just like an al dente noodle!), about 10 minutes.

Serve hot and topped with a squeeze of lime juice and some chopped green onions.

Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup almond flour (just ground almonds)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 mashed banana
2 tbsp honey
4 tsp cinnamon
3 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp almond butter

Optional:
1 cup raisins or other dried fruit
2 tbsp shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Grease muffin tray

Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees
Beat eggs. Add to the eggs all other wet ingredients except olive oil. No need for a mixer just stir till combined. In a separate bowl mix together the almond flour, baking soda and baking powder. Add the wet and dry ingredients together then add the raisins, walnuts and coconut. Stir. Grease muffin tin with olive oil (I poured a little in each muffin hole and that worked well) Divide evenly into muffin pan. Bake at 375 for 18 minutes. Store in the refrigerator for longer lasting muffins. Enjoy and post comments or modifications.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients:
Pinch of baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/2 tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/2 C Almond Flour

1/2tsp Vanilla
1/4 C Pumpkin Puree
1 tbsp Honey
2 Eggs

Mix the dry in one bowl. Mixthe wet in another bowl. Combine. Cook like regular pancakes. Makes 6 medium sized pancakes.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Paleo Lasagna

Ingredients:
1 large yellow squash
1lb ground sausage
Olive Oil
2 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 C onion- chopped
1/2 C red bell pepper- diced
1/4 C red wine - Merlot
1 14.5oz can tomato sauce
3 tbsp fresh basil
2 tbsp oregano
2 C spinach
2 C mozzerella

1. Sautee garlic, onion, and red pepper in olive oil 2-3 min. Add wine, reduce over high heat, then add tomato sauce basil and oregano. Simmer 10 min.
2. Preheat oven broiler to High. Slice yellow squash at 3cm. Coat baking sheet with olive oil. Line with squash slices. Brush slices with olive oil. Broil 4 min.
3. Brown the sausage. Combine with sauce.
4. In an 8x8 pan layer sauce, squash noodles, 1 C spinach, 1 C mozzerella. Repeat. Cover with foil.
5. Preheat oven to 350. Cook covered 30min, uncovered 10-15min. Can cool and freeze.

Turnip Hash

2 large turnips- grated
3-4 carrots- grated
1 onion-finely chopped
1 lb cooked ground sausage -spicy is best
Pepper to taste
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

In a deep skillet over med-high heat sautee onion, turnip, and carrots for a few minute. Then cover with a lid for 3 min to steam the turnip.
Add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer rapidly for 10 min, stirring occasionally.

Chipotle Chicken Salad

2 Chicken breasts- Shredded
1 medium onion- chopped
1/2 C packed fresh cilantro
2 tsp pureed chipotles in adobe sauce
1/3 C olive oil
1/3 C lime juice
3/4 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients (except chicken and onion) in blender and puree.
Combine chicken, onion, and chipotle sauce to taste.
Freeze leftover sauce.
Generally makes enough sauce for 2-3 meals.

Pork Loin Mojo Criollo

Ingredients:
1/4C lime juice
1/2 C orange juice
1/2 C olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
6 garlic cloves pressed (or 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
Pepper to taste
2 Pork Loins
Combine all ingredients in a plastic ziploc. Let marinate at least 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350.
Heat skillet on Medium. Sear pork on both sides.
Bake for 20-30 min.