Berry Cobbler

First things first... many thanks to Everydaypaleo.com for all the awsome goodnes in your recipe book! This one came from Everyday Paleo cookbook... as ususal, I added my own little spin, because I can! ;-)

Berry Cobbler
3 cups of fresh blackberries, raspberries, blueberries... whatever combination of berries you want!
1 1/2 cups almond meal ( or finely ground almonds)
1 omega 3 enriched egg
2 tbsp coconut oil  ( I prefer palm shortening, as it is flavorless)
A drizzle of raw organic honey ( I used about a Tablespoon, melted)
Cinnamon to taste
“So Delicious” coconut milk  ( I used homemaed whipped cream)

Preheat oven to 350. Pour the berries into a pie pan. In a small bowl mix together the egg, almond meal, and coconut oil, and shake in a bunch of cinnamon. Stir well. The mixture will be really thick and clumpy. If you wish, drizzle a bit of raw organic honey on top of the blackberries. By hand (or if you have a 2 year old to help you, that works just as well…) crumble the almond meal mixture on top of the blackberries and bake in your pre-heated oven for 35 minutes. Serve in bowls with cold “So Delicious” brand coconut milk poured over the top. Yes, it’s addicting, but life’s too short to not eat cobbler now and then…

Note: I substituted heavy whipping cream w a tsp. of Vanilla extract and served as whipped cream.. (as we allow heavy cream, occasionally in our diet) this should only be used as a "special treat".

Bacon Wrapped Chuck Roast.

BACON Wrapped Chuck Roast........ as with anything.. BACON can only make it that much better!!

Ingredients:
Large 3-4 lbs Chuck Roast
2-4 large Carrots or small bag of baby carrots
2-3 Stalks Celery
1 Med. Onion
Lots of Garlic (I use a hold head. Leave skin on, but separate cloves)
Salt
Pepper
Arrowroot
and BACON (nitrate free/uncured)


Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Salt and Pepper, to taste, Chuck Roast and Wrap in Bacon strips.
Chop Onion, Celery and Carrots in large chunks, peel paper off Garlic but leave the skin on each clove.
Place roast on top of onions, add Celery and Carrots and Garlic around the Roast in the pan.
Add about a 1/2 cup or so of water or beef stock to the pan.
Cover and bake for approx 3-31/2 hours..

When Roast is finished baking, remove from the pan, along with the veggies. Peel the roasted garlic and mash, add back into the roasting pan with the juices and place on low heat, add in a bit of arrowroot to thicken... viola.. tasty sauce to smother your veggies!

Mashed Cauliflower goes great with this!!

Note: This dish can be made in the crock pot as well. Just place all ingredients into crock pot and place on low for 6hrs or longer..

Chocolate Almond Fudge Brownies..

Even the little ones like Paleo!!
Jaydin and I spent some fun baking time together last night. We rolled up our sleeves and dove right into making some nummy fudge brownies.. it was Jaydin's idea to add the walnuts... not a bad idea!

If you haven't purchased the Make it Paleo cookbook yet.. you should!

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut oil  or Palm Shortening

5 oz. bittersweet baking chocolate (make sure it's like 72% or higher)

1 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted

4 eggs

1 tsp. salt

1tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. vanilla extract

12 oz. raw almond butter,  ( I used creamy and added walnuts)

1/4 coconut flour

Combine coconut oil (or Palm shortening), baking chocolate and maple syrup in a small pan and heat on low heat until chocolate is melted.. stir frequently..

Sift in cocoa powder, stir to distribute evenly, set aside and let cool a bit.

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Blend eggs, salt, baking soda, and vanilla in a medium sized mixing bowl.

Once smooth, slowly add almond butter and continue blending together.

Add in melted chocolate mixture, blend

Add in coconut flour and continue mixing until smooth and mixed completely

Pour batter into lightly greased (with coconut oil) 9"x13" baking pan.

Bake at 350 F, for approx. 30 minutes.

Option: Add nuts to the mix or sprinkle on top... Try folding in chunks of chocolate to the batter and bake for a "lava" brownie..

Easy Balsamic and Olive Oil Salad dressing..

We eat a lot of salad... and well.. there just aren't alot of Paleo salad dressing out there..
There is always the good 'ol standby: Olive oil and Lemon.. but that can get a little boring...

Here's a little creation of mine that tastes great on just about any type of salad.

Ingredients:
4 ounces Balsamic Vinegar (or you could use Bragg's Apple Cider vinegar)
8 ounces EVOO (for you newbies: that's EXTRA VIRGIN olive oil)
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. Pepper
Seasonings ( I use Bragg's Organic Sprinkle) but Italian Herbs mix would work great too.
2-3 pressed Garlic cloves
1/4 tsp. Onion Powder
Water just as a thinner..

This recipe will yield approx. 12 oz. of Dressing

Breaks down to 1 part Balsamic vinegar to two part EVOO.
Add ALL ingredients into a blender, mix in quick short spurts. If dressing seems too thick, add a few drops of water until desired consistency.

If you want your dressing a little more on the sweet side.. add 1/2 tsp. of agave nectar (I like the dressing more on the tart side, side I omit the sweetener)

Store in a spill proof container..shake to mix before each use.
IF you refrigerate, take out of fridge and let sit to room temperature before using.. .the oil and vinegar tend to separate and not mix well when cold.

One of our fav's... Rib Eye Steak Salad....

I usually BBQ Rib Eye Steaks once a week.. I use the left over steak the next day to top off my salad at lunch or dinner!

Paleo Challenge Weekend Survival..

The first weekend (for most of us) during the Paleo Challenge begins this evening!...
Are you prepared to survive your first weekend with NO sweet, sugary and syrupy drinks???

I have one word for you...................

Paleo Margarita

One to two count pour of  100% Agave Tequila (white or gold doesn't matter, whichever you prefer.
Juice from Fresh squeezed Lemon and lime (1 or 2 wedges each)
Orange wedge peeled, in blender
1/2 cup fresh squeezed OJ (or any unsweetened juice) you can always juice your own, just more work.
Ice, Blend.
Drink, Enjoy!

Another version, for those of you who want options:
One to two count pour of Tequila
One or two two lemons and limes, squeezed ( I usually juice a few and keep the juice reserved in a small pitcher to add to the drinks as I make them)
1/2 to 1tsp. agave nectar (depending on how sweet you want it)
Place Ice in drink shaker, pour tequila, juice and agave nectar over the ice and shake...
pour into salted rimmed glass...

Your OTHER option, if you want to have purple stained lips and teeth.. is Wine... the choice is yours!

Disclaimer: Drinking is at your own risk!! I am not a professional dietitian or drinker, for that matter!  I am merely sharing my simplistic ideas and recipes with you.. how you choose to execute is at your own risk! PLEASE!!! DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE!!

OK, now that I got that out of the way... Enjoy!

(PS: there are some out there in the Paleo world that will have an issue with Agave nectar and while I agree to some extent with their views, I also believe that the occasional (moderation is key) use of Agave nectar won't kill you.)

German Apple Pancakes

Who knew this could be soo much fun! Trying a new recipe pretty much everyday creates a sense of adventure and accomplishment that I never thought I would find in cooking....... I usually despise spending so much time in the kitchen.  Just goes to show, You become/accomplish what you focus on... Focus on how hard  this Paleo thing is... and it will be! Focus on how easy and fun this Paleo thing can be, and it IS! Amazing....
OK, enough of the "fluff" to help motivate you..... Just make these amazing German Apple Pancakes and you'll fall into the cult easily!!

Thank you Civilized Caveman for this wonderful delicisiousness

Servings: 8 with smalll ramikens 4 with large ramikens
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 40 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 Eggs
• 1 Cup Almond Milk
• 3 Tbsp Coconut Oil, melted
• 2 Tsp Vanilla
• 2 Tsp Pure Maple Syrup
• 1/4 Cup Coconut Flour
• 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1/8 Tsp Nutmeg
• 2 Apples, cored and diced
• 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
• 2 Tbsp Raw Organic Honey
• 1 Tsp Cinnamon
• 1 Tsp Nutmeg
• Juice of 1/2 Lemon
• Handful of crushed pecans

Process:

1. Preheat Oven to 425 Degrees Fahrenheit
2. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, almond milk, coconut oil, vanilla, and Maple Syrup
3. In a small bowl, stir coconut flour, nutmeg, and baking soda
4. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients and beat well to combine, set aside while you prepare the apples
5. In a small frying pan, heat 2 Tbsp coconut oil and raw organic honey
6. Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg and juice of 1/2 Lemon and cook for 1 minute
7. Add in your apples and sauté until all your apples are nicely coated
8. Evenly divide your apple mixture between 8 Ramekins greased with coconut oil and then evenly divide your egg mixture on top of the apples between the 8 Ramekins
9. Place your Ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 20 Minutes at 425 and then reduce heat to 375 and cook for an additional 20 Minutes
10. Sprinkle with Pecans when removed from the oven
11. Enjoy

Moroccan Chicken and Broccoli with Riced Cauliflower

So my daughter Kaytlyn was over yesterday and sees my Paleo cookbooks sitting on the counter. She picks one up and starts perusing the pages... then she says... "this stuff looks pretty good"... So, I thought I'd better seize the opportunity and chatted about what to make for dinner... I chose Moroccan Chicken from Mark Sissons, Primal Blueprint Cookbook
So, we made dinner together... It was a great dinner! Not because the dish was good, but because Kaytlyn and I prepared it together AND she liked it!!

This dish, more like a stew and can be fairly spicy!  If you don't like spicy, cut back on the  turmeric and the cayenne pepper... another alteration we made was to cut the amount of cinnamon in 1/2, Kaytlyn doesn't like cinnamon very much... in my opinion, I think it was the perfect amount, otherwise I think it would have been a bit on the sweeter side.

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons of oil
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon, finely chopped Ginger (if  not using fresh, cut it down by 3/4)
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. Cayenne (adjust in small doses to turn up/down the spiciness)
4 Chicken Breasts ( the cookbook calls for thighs, but we prefer breasts..)
1 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes in juice
2 cups of water (chicken stock would be a good substitute to add a richer flavor)
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 lemon, thinly sliced
2 cups of Broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces (recipe calls green beans)
1/4 finely chopped mint ( I omitted the mint, didn't seem to miss it!)
Juice from 1 lemon

4 servings

Saute onion, garlic, and ginger in oil until soft and slightly browned. Add spices and saute a minute more. Then add chicken, tomatoes, water, cilantro and sliced lemon. Simmer with a lid for 30 minutes. Add green beans (if your using them) Otherwise, steam the broccoli first, then add to the dish. Simmer for a few more minutes, just enough for flavors to mix in with the broccoli.
Serve over "riced" Cauliflower (see below for directions to prepare)

Cauliflower Rice:
Cut cauliflower in to small florets. If you're adding the cauliflower rice to a dish that will simmer on the stove, there is no need to pre-cook. If you're serving it as a side dish, then steam it slightly before grating.. If using a food processor, use the grating blade. If grating by hand, mind your fingertips!

Taco Salad with Coconut flour tortillas...

Day ONE of the Paleo Challenge and off to a great start!!

Sooo Yummy!

Tex Mex Coconut Flour Tortillas (click the link for the recipe) and Taco Seasoning, Thanks to Mark's Daily Apple and his posted recipe we had a great dinner..

The Taco Seasoning can be used with just about any meat... I used Organic Hamburger this time.
But it's really good with Bison or Pork as well.

Today's post is short and sweet as I am currently "experimenting" in kitchen... Cilantro Ceasar Dresssing seems like it would be a great addition to this Taco Salad.. so I'll post the recipe when I get it figured out...

Enjoy!!

Stay Focused!  This isn't as hard as you think!!