Apple, Squash, Bacon Hash

This recipe is really an improvement from a previous bacon hash recipe, with a different method for cooking the squash and the addition of apple, which sweetens the dish a bit. Both are great because they combine my love for bacon and hash. I'm making the most of a ridiculously long winter in Saint Louis by making as many warm bacon dishes as possible :-) 

Apple, Squash, Bacon Hash:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cubed butternut squash
• 1 1/2 cups diced tart apples
• 1/2 large onion
• 1 package bacon
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Broil squash on parchment lined baking sheet, about 5-8 minutes. Flip and broil another 5-8 minutes or until squash begins to soften. Saute onion and olive oil in a skillet. Remove, then add bacon. Chop bacon, then add all ingredients back into the skillet for an additional 5 minutes. 

Avocado and Mushroom Stuffed Burgers

Evidently this is the week I stuff mushroom into meat. I bought a huge package of mushrooms from Trader Joes for the mushroom stuffed chicken breasts and decided to use the rest on this recipe, originally just avocado stuffed burgers. I have to say, my last minute decision to add the leftover mushroom was a good one. This recipe would be great for a Paleo Party- mushroom and avocado sliders. Either way you make them, they are mmmmmm!

Avocado and Mushroom Stuffed Burgers:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb grass fed ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• salt and pepper
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 cup mushrooms

Mix beef, egg, coconut flour, salt and pepper by hand in a mixing bowl. Split this mixture into four even sections, roll into balls. Cut those balls in half. Flatten four of the eight halves and lay them down on a foil lined baking sheet. Divide sliced avocado and mushrooms and lay on top of flattened patties. It will look like this:

Then take the other four halves and cover the tops of the burgers. Make a seal by pinching the edges all around the burgers so the avocado and mushrooms won't pour out. Broil for 8 minutes then flip and broil another 8 minutes.

*I served these with asparagus, but sweet potato fries would be a good addition!

Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breast/Dijon White Wine Sauce

This week was crazy (lack of posts usually=crazy week for me). But I still cooked, and I still cooked Paleo. AND I still managed to get pictures of everything. These were delicious. In my pre-primal days one of my favorite recipes was a spinach and feta stuffed chicken breast. This is my paleo version, although I would love to find a great paleo ingredient to pair with spinach and try this recipe again!

Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breast with Dijon White Wine Sauce:

Ingredients:

• 1 pound chicken breast
• 1/2 onion
• 3/4 cup mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper
• pinch of arrowroot powder (optional)

In a skillet, saute chopped onions, chopped mushrooms, olive oil, and 1/4 cup white wine for 5-8 minutes. remove. Butterfly your chicken breasts (if you don't know how to do this, youtube has some great how-to videos).  Salt and pepper each side of the chicken. Stuff the chicken breasts with mushroom mixture, use toothpicks to hold it together if necessary.  Bake in baking dish at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.

When the chicken is almost done baking, use a high sided skillet to heat chicken stock and white wine. When it starts to bubble add dijon mustard. If the mixture doesn't thicken to your liking, you can add a pinch of arrowroot powder.  Salt and pepper to taste, although I don't think the sauce needs much. Pour over chicken and enjoy!

Fruit and Nut Bars, Improved

A few weeks ago I posted my first fruit and nut bar recipe after looking at my grocery receipt and realizing how much money I was spending on Lara bars (those babies are EXPENSIVE!). Since then, I've been trying to improve on my original recipe to make them taste more like the packaged deal (those babies are also really really GOOD!). Sooo.. I think I'm making progress. The first batch was great, but I think I've improved the ratio of nuts to fruit and I added another tablespoon of coconut oil which helped to hold them together in the process of rolling out. For those of you who don't know, yes I'm a perfectionist. For the rest of you who do know, continue to laugh and enjoy my perfect fruit and nut bars :-)

Fruit and Nut Bars:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almonds
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1/4 cup macadamia nuts
• 1 cup dates
• 1 cup prunes
• 1 cup dried apples
• 1/2 cup cranberries
• 5 tablespoons coconut oil

Pulse the nuts in a food processor. Remove and wipe out canister of food processor, then pulse dried fruit. Add melted coconut oil and pulse again. Mix all ingredients by hand in a mixing bowl, then lay on parchment lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Roll out on baking sheet and refrigerate for 1 hour. Cut into squares or small bars. Store in fridge.

Tuna Salad

My CrossFit box has a great blog (http://crossfitstlouis.blogspot.com/). The most recent post anticipates the need for protein rich fuel after WODs requiring heavy weight lifting (which feels like every WOD to me, ha). I'm always on the lookout for simple protein rich meals that are easy to take to work.  I simplified the recipe a bit (and added avocado), but this still packs 26g of protein. Check out CrossFit StL if you are looking for a great box in Saint Louis, and check out their blog for CrossFit/Paleo ponderings.

Tuna Salad:

Ingredients:

• 1 can of tuna
• 1 hard boiled egg
• 1 tablespoon paleo mayo
• 2-3 cups spinach
• 1/2 avocado

Mix all ingredients. If you're packing this for lunch, do not mix the tuna in with the spinach until you are ready to eat it :-)

P.S. For my paleo mayo recipe, check out an older post under dinner labels (Paleo Mayo/Chicken Salad).

Paleo Carrot Muffins

This week I ran out of bananas. This might not seem like the end of the world to people who fly by the seat of their pants when it comes to meals, but for me, it was a catastrophe. It's become my habit to eat half a banana before my workouts in the morning. For regular readers, this explains why most of my shakes contain half a banana (it's the other half, because I can't stand to see it getting brown on my counter). Okay, so I know what you're thinking "omg, does she think carrot muffins are a good replacement for the banana?" No no no. I just think they are a viable option in case of an emergency.

Paleo Carrot Muffins:

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 6 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/4 cup raisins

Melt the coconut oil, then whisk with honey, eggs, and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl, then incorporate with wet ingredients. Fold in carrots and raisins. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

*This would also make a great loaf! 

Sausage and Sweet Potato Brunch Casserole

I love brunch. It's the perfect excuse to Paleo cheat and have a latte, and also to Paleo splurge and eat bacon.  I love the time of day, right in between breakfast and lunch- brunch allows for a lazy morning (or a morning workout) but also for an afternoon of productivity. Finally, I love the type of people who brunch; casual but classy folks who generally have something substantial to add to conversation. I associate brunch with morning visits to the farmers market, mimosas, and intimate conversations leading to meaningful connections. If you haven't made it a habit to experience the joy of brunching, I highly recommend scheduling it into your weekend in the near future.. or, make this casserole. It's big enough to share with a Paleo buddy or two :-)

Sausage and Sweet Potato Brunch Casserole:

Ingredients:

• 2 sweet potatoes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb ground sausage
• 1/4 sweet onion
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• salt and pepper

Shred sweet potato (or grate with cheese grater). Spread throughout bottom of greased baking dish. Heat chopped onion and ground sausage over medium heat with olive oil. Layer on top of potatoes. Blend eggs, coconut milk, and salt and pepper. Pour over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. 

Garlic/Vinegar Mushrooms and Asparagus

Vegetables can be really boring sometimes, but they are so essential. I don't post a lot of vegetable recipes because I can't always figure out ways to make them interesting. I do a lot of roasting and searing in olive oil; the most I stray from my regular salt and pepper routine is to add a little paprika here and there. My morning solution to this problem has recently been to add kale and/or spinach to fruit shakes, and this is one of my evening solutions. I plan to add beef or chicken to this recipe for an awesome on- the- go lunch. This was great paired with the peppercorn encrusted pork chops!


Garlic/Vinegar Mushrooms and Asparagus:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups mushrooms
• Garlic cloves
• 1 cup vinegar
• salt and pepper
• asparagus
• olive oil

Soak mushrooms overnight in vinegar and garlic.  Fry in olive oil with asparagus, salt, and pepper.

Peppercorn Encrusted Dijon Pork Chops

This recipe is probably going to get thrown into my regular rotation. It is so easy and delicious, and the chops soak up the sauce like a sponge. My recipe calls for four chops, but I really wish I had made eight, for twice the leftovers :-)

Peppercorn Encrusted Dijon Pork Chops:

Ingredients:

• 4 pork chops
• freshly ground black pepper
• sea salt
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• pinch of arrowroot powder

Pound the pork chops to make them thin, coat each with salt and pepper. Sear the chops on medium-high heat in coconut oil, about 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove the chops. Add wine, chicken stock, and mustard to the pan until the sauce begins to thicken. If the sauce doesn't thicken within 3-4 minutes, add a pinch of arrowroot powder. Add the chops back into the pan for about another 3 minutes, the chops will soak up a lot of the sauce. Enjoy! 

Spinach Shake

Green shake anyone? Get at those veggies in the morning!

Spinach Shake:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup spinach
• 1 cup cold coconut milk
• 1/2 banana

Blend- and don't be scared because it's green :-) 

Primal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Primal desserts are so controversial (which is dumb because they are delicious). When I first went Paleo, I remember reading on a blog that said we (paleos) should be telling ourselves "I can have that, but I don't want it"... and not "I can't have that but I really want it".  For the most part this has worked for me. I understand that it is my choice not to eat sourdough bread and Oreos, and I don't want that toxic crap anyway (see how well it worked?!). However, I really really really want Paleo desserts. I can't even cognitively trick myself into not wanting them, so I'm going to continue to bake them and post the recipes and you can continue to silently judge me if you so please. If not, make these cookies because they are unbelievably soft, and chewy, and delicious. 

Primal Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Ingredients:

• 3 cups almond flour
• 1/4 cup organic maple syrup
• 1/4 cup raw organic honey
• 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips or Enjoy Life Chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat maple syrup, honey, eggs, and vanilla. Mix with dry ingredients, then beat in coconut oil.  Fold in chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoon on parchment lined baking sheet and bake 10 minutes or until the bottoms start to become golden brown. Cool 15 minutes.

YUM!

Orange Chicken and Broccoli

Chinese food isn't exactly Paleo.. okay, Chinese food is in no way Paleo. This is the best substitution I've come up with so far. You could probably also use beef and it would be just as yummy.

Orange Chicken and Broccoli: 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken thighs
• 1 head broccoli 
• zest of 1 orange
• juice of 2 oranges
• 4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 8 tablespoons wheat free organic soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• coconut oil

Fry chopped chicken thighs in coconut oil. In a separate skillet, mix orange zest, orange juice, ginger, and 4 tablespoons of soy sauce. Cook on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add in chicken and simmer about 10 minutes. In a wok (or separate skillet) heat the rest of the soy sauce and olive oil. Add broccoli and cook until preferred texture is reached. Salt and pepper broccoli to taste (the chicken shouldn't need any!) 

Avocado Pudding

As a therapist I facilitate a considerable number of cognitive interventions.. cognitive challenging, cognitive refocusing, cognitive re-framing. Here is my free therapeutic advice for the day- do NOT think of this as chocolate pudding. If you begin to think of the pudding as chocolate, immediately re-frame that thought.. AVOCADO pudding. If that doesn't work, close your eyes and imagine the avocado being dropped into your food processor with the carob powder and producing this pudding. All that being said, the pudding is actually pretty good and will curb any sweet cravings that may come your way. Stay tuned for more primal cognitive re-frames.

Avocado Pudding:

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 ripe banana
• 3 tablespoons toasted carob powder
• raw organic honey (to taste, the more the sweeter)

Pulse all ingredients in food processor until it looks like pudding. Store in fridge. 

Mango Avocado Shake

I was so close to a perfect record, providing you only with pretty pink and purple shakes. Then the mango came along and got funky with the avocado and it all went downhill. I considered posting the recipe without the picture, because the shake is actually quite good. Unfortunately I'm such a perfectionist that I couldn't make a recipe post without a picture... the dilemma actually caused considerable cognitive dissonance. My conclusion was that you deserve to see what color the shake is before you make it, if you can't drink something yellow-ish green add in a few berries and problem solved.

Mango Avocado Shake:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cold coconut milk
• 1/4 cup water or almond milk
• 1/2 avocado
• 3/4 cup frozen mango 
• 1/2 banana
• 1-2 tablespoons almond butter (optional, for protein)

Blend and enjoy!

Paleo Quiche

I'm back in the kitchen baby! I had to take a short hiatus due to back to back family visits. When family is in town I cook to survive and eat out a lot, so being back in my kitchen with several hours to make something a little more complicated (and way more delicious) felt awesome.  I spent my Sunday afternoon perfecting this quiche, which turned out amazing!

Paleo Quiche:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups almond flour
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 3 cups spinach
• 6 slices bacon
• salt and pepper

Mix almond flour, egg, and egg white until dough forms. Press dough into pie dish, poke holes with fork, and bake at 375 for 15 minutes.

Whisk together 6 eggs and coconut milk. Fry bacon, then add chopped spinach and cook in bacon grease 1-2 minutes. Mix in with eggs then salt and pepper to taste. Pour over baked almond flour crust and bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool 15 minutes before cutting. 

Paleo Meatballs

During undergrad I worked for an AmeriCorps program called Jumpstart. We went into preschools in the area to provide literacy services for underprivileged children. Most of the kids needed help learning letters and numbers, sometimes even learning colors. We would often utilize books as a major part of our lesson plans. Books help to facilitate growth and learning in so many different ways-exposure to words, concepts, diversity, and even the numbers at the bottom of the pages were a huge part of learning for these kids. What I didn't know going into the program was just how amazingly rewarding it was to escape with the children into a story. Most of the kids were in desperate need of an escape, and books provided them with new worlds and a safe place to use imagination, creativity, and to experience discovery. 'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs' was one of my favorite books because the kids found so much hilarity in the concept of meatballs falling from the sky instead of rain or snow. As I was making these meatballs this morning, I could almost hear their laughter in my kitchen. Next time you're at the library, wander over to the children's section and take a look. In the meantime, cook some meatballs and imagine what it would be like if they fell from the sky :-)

Paleo Meatballs:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb grass fed ground beef
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 portobella mushrooms, chopped
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 1 tsp oregeno
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1 egg

Mix all ingredients and form into meatballs. Broil on baking sheet lined with foil for about 8 minutes. Flip and broil an additional 8-10 minutes. 

Paleo Blondies

Oh man. These are so freaking good. I actually looked like a caveman scraping the bottom of the baking dish with my fingers to make sure I didn't throw any away. I think cavemen would have been much fluffier if they had these amazing little things to go with their hunted bison and hand picked berries- they are pretty irresistible.

Paleo Blondies:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup raw organic honey
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut

Mix dry ingredients. In a separate bowl mix wet ingredients. Incorporate both then fold in chocolate chips and shredded coconut. Bake in 8x8 baking dish lined with foil, 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before cutting. 

Mediterranean Inspired Paleo Chicken

My best friend eats a Mediterranean diet, so I'm always excited to come up with a dish that marries both of our eating styles. Mediterranean eaters and primal eaters can generally find some overlap, but this dish is perfect! Unfortunately she works in a different town three days a week and by the time she gets back this Thursday I think it will all be gone ;-)

Mediterranean Inspired Paleo Chicken:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken breasts
• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1 cup Kalamata olives
• thyme sprigs
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• garlic
• salt
• pepper

Cover the bottom of a baking dish with thyme sprigs and layer chicken breasts on top. Fill the rest of the empty space in the baking dish with chopped cauliflower and olives. Mix together lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper and pour over dish. Marinade for 1 hour or overnight then bake at 400 degrees and bake for 45 minutes.

Traveling Paleo

Being Paleo and traveling is kind of like being really fair skinned at the beach- you can survive but conditions aren't always conducive to your needs. Last weekend I traveled to Cincinnati to visit a close friend. Luckily she is one of the sweetest people on earth- not only did she choose Paleo friendly restaurants but she also stocked her kitchen with a few essential items. The CD she sent me for the trip was definitely a saving grace during the flat and boring trek through Indiana :-)

I drove in during the middle of the day, aka lunch time. It was a great excuse to eat something simple for lunch. Sometimes I get so caught up in making amazing and complicated meals that I forget one of the core concepts of primal eating is to eat simply. This was a great reminder to bring the element of simplicity back into my kitchen every once in a while. Here's what I packed:

1/2 pear, 2 hard boiled eggs, paleo pancake and almond butter sandwich, and 1/2 fruit and nut bar for an afternoon snack. 

The first night I was there I was taken to this fabulous little gem called Honey. Their menu changes regularly but we definitely lucked out. I had an amazing spice encrusted salmon with vegetables and there were numerous other Paleo friendly options on the menu. The atmosphere provides a casual fine dining experience, perfect for meaningful conversation and sharing a bottle of wine. My Cincy companion ordered a beer and seemed thrilled with the selection.

Image from Trip Advisor

My verdict on Cincinnati OH? A great way for a stressed StL girl to get away for a weekend and stay Paleo :-)

Paleo Banana Pancakes

I realized when making Paleo pancakes for the second time this month that the ingredients are very similar to Paleo baked goods. I'm convinced that they are actually a dessert masquerading as a viable breakfast option. This realization won't stop me from continuing to pretend that I can eat them for breakfast, but I should probably pace myself :-)

Paleo Banana Pancakes:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 banana, mashed
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 tablespoons raw organic honey (optional)

Mix dry ingredients. In a separate bowl mash banana then whisk in the rest of the wet ingredients. Incorporate wet and dry together then cook in skillet over medium-high heat with ghee or coconut oil.

See earlier post "Paleo Pancakes" under breakfast label for topping ideas :-)

Apple Mustard Burgers

Primal eating definitely calls for some creativity. A burger becomes bland and boring after a couple of months.. but then you add avocado and it's satisfying. Well pretty soon that burger with a plain piece of avocado is old news and you have to roast some zucchini to add to the avocado.. After while you're just eating vegetables on a burger and you have to take it to a whole new level.  For those bored primal eaters out there, here is a way to amp it up. P.S. These were so delicious I can't imagine getting bored with them, but check back in two months just in case ;-)

Apple Mustard Burgers:

Ingredients:

• 1lb organic ground beef
• 1 apple, shredded
• 1/4-1/2 sweet onion
• 2 tablespoons ground Dijon mustard
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons pepper

Shred the apple using a cheese grater. Chop onion. Mix all ingredients together. Form burgers into 6-8 thin patties. Cover baking sheet with aluminum foil then broil patties for 8-10 minutes. Flip and broil for another 8-10 minutes.

Pumpkin Blueberry Protein Shake

I don't want to be one of those Paleo bloggers that only writes about CrossFit. When I was transitioning into Paleo it irritated me that most of the blogs I read were all like "OMGee CrossFit is so great and now I feel so good because I'm exhausting my body then refueling it with perfect paleo food".  Well, I would like to issue a formal apology to all of the paleo bloggers that I crabbed about from my couch because ya'll are totally right, CrossFit is freaking amazing (but I'm still not going to obsessively post about it). I thought I was pushing myself hard at the gym, but I was really really wrong. I also used to think that a shake with some coconut milk and a few pieces of fruit was a suitable post-workout breakfast. I was also really really wrong about that. Here is my latest creation packed with a bunch of other good stuff.

Pumpkin Blueberry Protein Shake:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/2-3/4 cup organic pureed pumpkin
• 1/2 banana
• 2 tablespoons almond or cashew butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 

 Blend all ingredients. 

Fruit and Nut Bars

I joined CrossFit. We all knew I would. Whoever had bets going can pay up now because I'm hooked and never looking back. About halfway through the first day I started On-Ramp classes I got really really hungry. The paleo turkey hash I packed for lunch just didn't get me through the day, but luckily I had packed one of these bad boys.

Fruit and Nut Bars:

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almonds
• 3/4 cup pecans
• 3/4 cup macadamia nuts
• 1 cup dried cherries
• 1 cup chopped fresh dates
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil

Pulse nuts and salt in food processor. Separately pulse dried fruit. Add coconut oil and pulse again. Kneed nuts and fruit together then place on greased cookie sheet.  Put plastic wrap over and roll out. Put in fridge for 30 minutes then cut. Store in air tight container or individually wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Paleo Turkey Meatloaf

Meatloaf is like the fruitcake of dinner foods. No one really wants to eat it but when Great Aunt Ethel happens to make it for your birthday you smile and pretend like it's your favorite. Meatloaf is never on the menu at a nice restaurant and always on the menu at church potlucks. Like fruitcake, meatloaf is a combination of an unnaturally paired ingredient and baking pan originally created for something way more delicious. Meatloaf is generally served with a green bean casserole made from cream of mushroom soup (canned of course) and some sort of frozen dinner roll. Well people, today is the day we are turning it all around. This meatloaf is classy (because it's Paleo) and paired with roasted veggies is totally acceptable for the young and hip Paleo's dinner party. Next time Aunt Ethel invites you over for dinner tell her you're bringing the meatloaf.

Paleo Turkey Meatloaf:

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground turkey
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix everything then bake in loaf pan for 1 hour. 

How to Roast Veggies

It has been (very nicely) brought to my attention by an undisclosed reader that there are times during my blog posts when I make assumptions about my reader's *ahem* cooking competency. Specifically, I often tell you to "eat roasted veggies with that", but don't actually say how to roast veggies. I apologize for making this demand without an explanation about how to do it. Being a therapist, I would never tell a client to use a mindfulness skill without practicing it with them first. Likewise, I wish I could practice cooking with all of my readers, but I thought maybe this "how to" will make up for it :-)

How to Roast Veggies:

What you will need:

• Raw veggies 
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Baking sheet
• Oven

How to choose veggies: I like to roast two or more veggies at a time.  Good combinations are: Asparagus and cauliflower, zucchini and red pepper, carrots and squash. You can add large slices of onion to any of these combinations to bulk up the dish. I would recommend chopping your vegetables and putting them in a big bowl to mix in the olive oil and spices so everything gets covered evenly.

Amount of olive oil: I've learned that the amount of olive oil is going to increase as the hardness of the vegetable increases. I use approximately 2 tablespoons of olive oil per baking sheet of vegetables. For cauliflower I might use a little more, and zucchini and squash a little less.

Salt and pepper: Don't skimp... but don't put so much on that you're going to be retaining water from eating vegetables.  I grind my little Trader Joes salt and pepper grinders all over the vegetables. I would guess that I use 1/2-1 teaspoon of each per baking sheet. When you look at your veggies spread out on the baking sheet, you should be able to see salt and pepper on each piece.

Oven temperature: I usually roast at 400-420 degrees because I like my veggies crispy. Zucchini and squash sometimes do better on a little lower temp (maybe 375). The cooking time is going to depend on the vegetable. I highly recommend roasting each vegetable on a separate baking sheet and keeping an eye on it until you know how you like them.

Other spices: Honestly salt and pepper are the only spices you need, but paprika and rosemary are also awesome additions if you start to get bored!

Paleo Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

I was in a three day long clinical training this weekend (thus the lack of recipes). I did find time one of the evenings to whip up a batch of Paleo cookies. My brain was so fried that I didn't formulate a recipe in my little notebook first (see Organized Paleo post). I just pulled out as many Paleo ingredients as I could from my cupboard and started throwing things together. Much to my surprise they actually look and taste like cookies.  The next day I brought some to one of my non-paleo buddies at the training and she reported that they were soo good. I totally agree :-)

I want to give a special shout out to her for being a good EMDR training mate (and for saying my cookies taste good).

Paleo Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 1/2 cups coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup raw organic honey
• 1/3 cup organic maple syrup
• chocolate chips
• coconut flakes
• 2-5 tablespoons coconut milk

Mix together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl whisk together eggs, honey, and maple syrup. Incorporate wet and dry ingredients. Add coconut milk one tablespoon at a time until mixture resembles cookie dough. Fold in chocolate chips and coconut flakes. Bake at 350 for 7-10 minutes, flipping cookies in the middle of baking. Bake on parchment lined baking sheet. 

Mashed Cauliflower

The other day I was reading a NYTimes article about tricking your kids into eating healthy foods. I thought the article was kinda dumb, I think people should teach their kids to value healthy food instead of tricking them, but I'm just a dog mom so what do I know (my dogs will eat anything, including raw pumpkin, no joke). Let me tell you, mashed cauliflower is NOT a good way to do trick anyone into eating vegetables. I honestly thought this recipe was so gross, but hail to the Paleo Gods my partner actually loved it. Go figure. The flavor combinations were great, but I just couldn't handle the weird lumpy texture. Since the non-paleo member of my household actually liked it, I thought I would still share.

Mashed Cauliflower:

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/8 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp sage
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp rosemary salt blend (see earlier post for recipe)
• garlic 
• salt

Boil cauliflower until soft. Mash with other ingredients.