Paleo Crepes

I've been dying to get in the kitchen and experiment with paleo crepes and tortillas. Since I have this week off from work I figured I would check one off the list. I did some research via Against All Grain and Caveman Creations and came up with this recipe, which was fantastic. It made about 10 crepes which is way too many for one person, so I would recommend cutting the recipe in half if you don't want leftovers lurking around your kitchen calling your name :-)

Paleo Crepes:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond milk
• 4 tablespoons coconut flour
• 6 eggs
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla
• 3 teaspoons coconut oil

Whisk together eggs, almond milk, coconut oil, and vanilla. Sift coconut flour, arrowroot powder, baking powder, and salt, then incorporate into the egg mixture. Heat a skillet on medium heat (not too hot, these brown really quickly). Use grassfed butter or ghee to fry. Scoop about 1/4 cup of the mixture into the pan at a time, and flip with a spatula when the edges become brown. Serve with fresh berries and a drizzle of honey!

Meat and Veggie Kabobs

It's summer! Hooray! Summer makes me really really really wish we had a grill. I made do with my oven and we still had kabobs last night :-)


Beef, Mushroom, and Onion Kabobs with Coconut Milk Dipping Sauce:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb grassfed steak tips
• 10 oz mushrooms
• 1/2-3/4 onion
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons coconut flour
• salt and pepper

Prepare kabobs by alternately placing meat and veggies on kabob sticks. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. Bake kabobs about 8-10 minutes, then rotate and bake another 5-8 minutes or until the beef is cooked to your satisfaction. To make the dipping sauce: heat coconut milk and coconut flour, whisking just until it bubbles. Then reduce heat and add salt and pepper. Continue to whisk until the sauce thickens. Sauce will last about 48 hours in your fridge!

*Makes about 6 kabobs


Chicken, Pepper, and Zucchini Kabobs in Garlic Marinade:

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, cubed
• 2 medium zucchini
• 1 yellow or orange pepper
• 1 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• salt and pepper

Prepare kabobs by alternately placing meat and veggies on kabob sticks. For the marinade: mix olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Marinade kabobs about an hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. Place kabobs on baking sheet and pour the marinade over the kabobs. Cook 10-12 minutes, rotate, then cook another 10-12 minutes.

*Makes about 4 kabobs

Caveman Crackers

These crackers have been making their way around all the Paleo blogs, but I can't seem to find the original creator. If anyone knows I would like to give proper credit. I made these with my mom over the weekend, they were so good with paleo guacamole that we snacked all afternoon on Saturday and then skipped dinner! Pace yourself, these are made with nut flour which packs a lot of calories.

Caveman Crackers:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 egg white
• coarse sea salt

Mix the almond flour and egg white until it forms a paste. Roll out the dough (super thin) in between two sheets of parchment paper. Remove the top sheet, and place the dough (still on bottom sheet of parchment paper) on a cookie sheet. Cut the crackers into desirable size, just making cuts in the dough but not attempting to move the dough. Bake at 325 for about 20 minutes, or until the edges of the crackers start to become slightly golden brown.

Pear and Hazelnut Pork Salad

Tis the season for allergies, too much rain, and amazing salads! This is one of my favorites :-)

Pear and Hazelnut Pork Salad:

Ingredients:

• 1 pork chop, seasoned with black pepper
• 1 handful hazelnuts
• 3/4 pear, sliced
• 3 cups field greens
• Balsamic and olive oil for dressing

Bacon Wrapped Chicken and Asparagus

These are making an appearance at my next dinner party without a doubt. Perfect for appetizers or dinner!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken and Asparagus:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken tenders
• 1 package uncured organic bacon
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Sea salt

Rub chicken tenders with sea salt. Place two asparagus over each chicken tender, then wrap each with one piece of bacon. Season with black pepper. Prepare baking dish with olive oil, and place bacon wrapped chicken and asparagus in dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. 

Maple Dijon Burgers

I should really crate a "Maple Dijon" label for this blog, I love the combination and have tried it with almost every protein imaginable- including eggs- which was NOT good. It was, however, delicious with beef. This was super quick and easy, and definitely spiced up what was going to be a relatively boring meal. I served these with green beans, Trader Joes saves the (busiest) day with large bags of frozen veggies!

Maple Dijon Burgers:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb grass fed beef
• 1/4 cup dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons pure organic maple syrup
• salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients in a bowl with beef, then form four patties (could also be made into meatballs). Place patties on a foil lined baking sheet, then broil for 6-8 minutes. Flip patties and broil an additional 6-8 minutes. 

Paleo Taco Salad

I love meals that can be easily made for a Paleo and non-paleo eater. Taco salad is definitely that go-to meal at our house. My partner replaces the spinach and kale mix with tortilla chips and chooses cheese over guacamole and olives. Everyone is happy, including the dogs who love to lick the guacamole bowl :-) 

Paleo Taco Salad:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb grass fed ground beef
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons cumin
• 1 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 3/4 cup water
• Spinach/kale mix
• Black Olives
• Guacamole
• 4 ripe avocados
• 1/2 onion
• 1 firm tomato
• cilantro
• salt and pepper

Brown the beef in a skillet. Mix seasonings with the water in a bowl, then add to the browned beef and cook until the water has evaporated. To make the guacamole- remove the flesh from the avocados then mix salt and pepper and cilantro with the avocados (your hands are your best tool). Finely chop onion and tomato, then incorporate. YUM!

*To keep guacamole green and fresh for several days, store in a plastic or glass container, then lay plastic wrap directly over the guacamole. Push the plastic wrap down so it's touching, the goal is to prevent air exposure. Then place lid onto the container over the plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Crustless Bacon, Spinach, and Mushroom Quiche

This quiche got me through lunches for the week, booya! I love making one dish that I can pair with raw veggies and/or fruit that will take me through the week without having to worry about preparing lunch. The sweet potato "crust" was a great alternate for quiche crust and the bacon topping was YUM.

Crustless Bacon, Spinach, and Mushroom Quiche:

Ingredients:

• 1 small sweet potato
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup spinach
• 3/4 cup mushrooms
• 8 bacon strips
• Salt and pepper

Prepare a pie dish by greasing it with your fat or oil of choice. Cut sweet potatoes into thin slices then lay them in the bottom of the dish. Next layer chopped mushrooms. Cook spinach either in a skillet or boil for two or three minutes, then layer on top of mushrooms. Whisk eggs with salt and pepper (be liberal with salt and pepper to give the quiche taste), then pour eggs on top of spinach. Finally, crumble *cooked* bacon on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Paleo Blueberry Muffins

Total self disclosure- I ate two of these for lunch yesterday. Do not follow my poor example folks, a green salad with some protein would have been a much better choice. By the time dinner rolled around I was craving meat. These are a great weekend treat though, and the maple nut topping makes them taste like they came straight from a bakery.

Paleo Blueberry Muffins:

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup coconut flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 eggs, beaten
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
•  1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted 
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 4 tablespoons almond meal
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• pinch of salt

In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.  Add eggs, vanilla, maple syrup, coconut milk, and coconut oil, and incorporate.  Fold in the blueberries. For the topping, combine almond meal, pecans, maple syrup, coconut oil, and salt. Scoop muffin batter into 12-15 muffin cups and sprinkle topping over each. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes (30 minutes if you are making bigger muffins).

White Fish Stir Fry

I'm trying really hard to incorporate more fish into my diet. Although I would much prefer huge chunks of beef in my stir fry, this was actually a really great dish. The lime juice and cilantro really balanced out the fishy taste of the tilapia, for those who aren't big on fishy flavors.

White Fish Stir Fry:

Ingredients:

• 4 white fish fillets
• one bunch of asparagus
• 10 oz chopped mushrooms
• 1 onion
• 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons lime juice
• olive oil for cooking veggies

Prepare the fish fillets in a baking dish or in the skillet, just make sure they are cooked before you add them in with the vegetables.  Chop the asparagus then throw them in a skillet or wok with olive oil first. After about 2 minutes add the chopped onion, then add the mushrooms. Shred the cooked fish and throw that in there as well. Mix the olive oil, lime juice, and cilantro and pour over the fish and veggie mixture, then cook covered about 3 minutes.

Cinnamon Maple Dijon Chicken Thighs

I was SO tired last night after I saw clients, I almost didn't make this. My partner offered me some spaghetti instead but the thought of a stomachache after pasta was motivation enough to go ahead and throw this together. I'm really glad I did, it took no time at all and was super delicious.

Cinnamon Maple Dijon Chicken Thighs:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken thighs
• 1/3 cup dijon mustard
• 4 tablespoons organic maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• salt

Season chicken thighs with salt. Mix the remaining ingredients and spoon onto chicken thighs. Bake in baking dish at 350 for about 30 minutes. It was awesome served with skillet cooked broccoli! 

Paleo "yogurt and granola"

A few years ago I got on a yogurt and granola kick- this was also around the same time I really got into yoga. Right when I was on the verge of wearing long skirts with random floral patterns to really round out the cool hippie image, I discovered running (thank God). Recently I started attending a yoga class every week in between CrossFit classes on my "rest" day. Somehow a few months of yoga + yogurt and granola = Brittany's brain is forever conditioned to think that the two go together. I, of course, came up with a sufficient paleo solution.

Paleo "yogurt and granola":

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup berries
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup finely chopped almonds
• 5 tablespoons coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon raw organic honey

Mix the coconut milk and honey with a spoon- the honey should thicken the coconut milk just enough to give it a yogurt-like texture. Mix with fruit and nuts, voila! 

No Bake Paleo Cookies

Chocolate, coconut, and pecans= pure paleo awesomeness.

No Bake Paleo Cookies:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Enjoy Life Chips
• 1 cup coconut flakes
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 1/3 cup raw organic honey
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Heat chocolate, almond butter, honey, and olive oil until smooth. Remove from heat and add coconut flakes, pecans, and cinnamon. Plop onto parchment paper lined baking sheet and refrigerate. 

Pork Chops with Blackberry Balsamic Reduction

I'm back in the kitchen! I took a short hiatus for the weekend so I could spend time with a special out of town guest. My partner was out of town today, so I had the entire day to create new recipes and listen to the Brave soundtrack as loud as my little heart desired. This is going to be lunch for the week, I threw half a bag of Trader Joes frozen green beans in boiling water to complete the meal- easy peasy!

Pork Chops with Blackberry Balsamic Reduction:

Ingredients:

• 4 pork chops
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries
• 1/2 cup balsamic 
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon raw organic honey

Heat balsamic, water, and honey until it bubbles. Reduce heat and add blackberries. Cook about 10 minutes until the blackberries begin to reduce. Heat oven to 350 degrees and prepare pork chops by placing them in a baking dish. Pour the balsamic reduction over the chops and cook for 30 minutes. 

Salmon with Avocado/Basil Cream

If you don't like this I will seriously judge you.. unless you have an allergy to one or more of the ingredients, then I will seriously feel sorry for you.  This avocado cream is probably one of the most delicious things I've ever created in 5.5 minutes. If I ever get famous for cooking (highly unlikely, unless they have social workers edition of Food Network Star, which I would totally go on) this will be the first recipe in my cookbook. I recommend making extra avocado cream so you can eat it by the spoonful.. I mean, dip carrots in it :-)

Salmon with Avocado/Basil Cream:

Ingredients:

• 2 large salmon fillets, or 4 small ones
• 2 ripe avocados
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 6 fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons crushed garlic
• salt and pepper

Prepare the salmon fillets by seasoning with salt and pepper, then place them on a foil lined baking sheet and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the rest of the ingredients, plus more salt and pepper, in a food processor and pulse until it looks like a cream. Bake salmon for about 5 minutes, then spread avocado cream on fillets and bake another 5-7 minutes or until salmon is cooked. YUM. 

Cranberry Sweet Potato Cakes

Guess what I put on top of these? I'll give you a hint, it's not bacon.

If you guessed fried egg.. you are correct! These are quick and painless, perfect for a last-minute lunch!

Cranberry Sweet Potato Cakes:

Ingredients:

• 2 sweet potatoes
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• Salt and pepper
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries

Peel sweet potatoes, then shred them either using a cheese grater or a food processor. Mix with all the other ingredients, folding in cranberries last. Form into 6 small cakes then fry in coconut oil, about 1 minute on high heat on each side.

Paleo Banana Muffins

Civilized Caveman claims that this recipe needs four tablespoons of grass fed butter, which I totally planned to incorporate, but I left it in the microwave after melting and completely forgot about it. About six hours later my partner found a block of hardened butter in the microwave- I had already consumed one *cough* or maybe two at that point, and was none the wiser that the butter was missing.  I'm all for simplifying recipes and removing unnecessary ingredients, in this case my absent-mindedness was a positive reminder to pay attention to the extra unneeded crap we add to our food.

Paleo Banana Muffins:

Ingredients:

• 4 mashed bananas
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup nut butter
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoons pure vanilla
• pinch of salt

Mash bananas, then add eggs and nut butter blending with a food processor, blender, or hand mixer. Add dry ingredients and incorporate with a wooden spoon. Pour into coconut oil greased muffin tins (makes between 10 and 12) and bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 20 minutes before removing from tin. Store in fridge. 

Burgers with Pineapple Mango Salsa

This recipe is way late, we actually ate these up early last week. I also made WAY too much salsa, so I'm tweaking the recipe for you. I put the leftovers on salad and ate them over fried eggs, so if you are weird like me and will pile anything on top of a fried egg then double the salsa recipe :-)

Burgers with Pineapple Mango Salsa:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb grass fed beef
• 2 tablespoons almond flour
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper
• 1/3 cup cubed pineapple
• 1/3 cup cubed mango
• 2 tablespoons raw organic honey
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground giner

Mix the beef, almond flour, egg, and salt and pepper in a bowl with your hands, until incorporated. Mold into four patties, and place on foil lined baking sheet. Broil for 8 minutes, then flip and broil another 8 minutes. For the salsa: Chop fruit, then put in a skillet on medium heat. Stir continuously for about 3 minutes, then add honey, cinnamon, and ginger and continue to stir about 5 minutes. Pay close attention so your fruit doesn't burn, turning the heat down as needed. Serve on top of burgers, yum!

Paleo Blueberry Pancakes

Sunday has evidently become paleo pancake day at my house. I've gotten pretty close to figuring out the perfect concoction of paleo ingredients for producing amazing fluffy pancakes sans gluten. I personally think that blueberries make pancakes a million times better, but given the pile of blueberries left on my partner's plate the chocolate chip pancakes may be a better bet at my house.

Paleo Blueberry Pancakes:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups almond flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 5 tablespoons coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons raw organic honey
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla
• 1/4-1/2 cup fresh fruit
• Coconut oil

Whisk together dry ingredients, then add in wet ingredients and whisk until incorporated. Fold in fruit.  Cook in medium-high heat skillet adding about 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil every round.

Salmon with Avocado and Fried Egg

I'm not even going to pretend like this recipe was complicated or creative, but it's the end of the week and the WOD was really hard today.. and I really just needed a protein and fat packed lunch to get me through the day. This did the trick!

Salmon with Avocado and Fried Egg:

Ingredients:

• two small salmon fillets
• 1 fried egg
• 1 sliced avocado

Cook salmon at 350 degrees (using salt, pepper, and olive oil) for 15-20 minutes depending on fillet size. Stack avocado and fried egg on top and enjoy!