Paleo Pancakes - 1st Edition

This morning it was snowing, on Easter!  I decided pancakes and a nice fire would be comforting with the cold weather outside.  I have used other recipes for paleo pancakes and have not found one that I was 100% satisfied with.  Today I make my own concoction from scratch and was pretty pleased with the results!  These turned out fluffy, like pancakes my mom used to make and have a slightly sweet flavor.   

Ingredients:
5 eggs
1 apple
1/4 almond butter
1/4 coconut flour
30g vanilla whey protein powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Spray coconut oil

Directions:
Peel apple and cut into small pieces.  Combine all ingredients into blender (including apple slices).  Blend until smooth.  Heat pan/griddle and spray with coconut oil.  I like to make mini pancakes so I pour 3-4 pancakes at a time in the pan.  Cook through on both sides.  Enjoy! 

Once cooked, eat plain or top with honey/agave nectar.

Peel and cut apple into small slices

Coconut flour

Put all ingredients in blender

Heat pan with coconut oil

Yum!

Chicken Chili

Sometimes I get tired of regular beef/bison chili and want something lighter, but still full of protein and of course, easy and fast to make.  Chicken chili is a great alternative as the weather warms up.

Ingredients:
3 lbs ground chicken
1 White onion
2 Cans diced green chilis
3 Poblano peppers
2 Jalapenos
1 Box chicken broth
Cilantro
Avocado

Spices:
Chili pepper
Onion powder
Black pepper
White pepper
Red pepper
Cumin
Garlic powder

Directions:
Turn crockpot on 4 hours.  Cook ground chicken.   Dice onion, jalapeno and poblano pepper.  Add veggies along with green chilis in crockpot.  Add chicken once cooked.  Add spices to your liking then pour 3/4 container of chicken broth.  Add more seasoning and/or chicken broth as needed.  I prefer to use less chicken broth at first then add more later if I need to.  I do not like a my chili too runny. 

Garnish with fresh cilantro and avocado.

Alternatives:  I used 2 lbs ground chicken and 1 lb ground turkey this time as I was short on chicken.  I was also out of onion so I used extra onion powder.  It still turned out great!!

Ingredients - minus onion I had missing :)

Add chicken and veggies to crockpot

Garnish with cilantro and avocado!

Spicy Indian Stir-Fry

This is a great dish to put together during the week for dinner or lunch the next day.  I made this one on the spicy side 'a la Murff'!

Ingredients:
3 Chicken breasts
1/2 Red onion
1 Jalapeno
1 Poblano pepper
1 Red bell pepper
2 Cups fresh shitake mushrooms
3 Green onions (scallions)
1 tsp tamarind paste
1 tsp red chili paste
Tamari soy sauce (few Tbsp)
Spicy thai chili (1/4 cup)

Directions:
Heat pan with olive oil.  Cut chicken breasts into cubes, add to pan.  While chicken is cooking, chop all veggies.  Add veggies to pan and stir-fry.  Add seasoning and continue to cook until chicken is cooked through and veggies are sauteed.  Cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Seasoning

Meaty Crockpot Chili

My crockpot is my new best friend lately!  Makes such easy meals and lasts several days.  This Sunday I decided to make a spicy meaty chili.

Ingredients:
~ 3 lbs grass fed lean ground beef
1 medium-large white onion
2 jalapeno peppers
2 poblano peppers
2 slices cooked applewood bacon
~ 40 oz tomato sauce

Spices:
Chili powder
Garlic powder
Dash sea salt
Black pepper
White pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes
Red curry (pepper)
Tumeric

Directions: Cook ground beef.  Chop all veggies and throw in crockpot.  Add cooked ground beef, bacon, tomato sauce, and season with spices to your liking.  I never measure spices, I just gradually add until the flavor suits my taste.  I also never add water.  As the crockpot heats up, condensation gathers on the lid of the crockpot and each time I open to stir/taste, water is added to the chili :)  Simmer on low for 4 hours.  The bacon adds a really nice flavor to the chili.  Enjoy!

Saturday Morning Breakfast

Basic Breakfast

This is a great healthy breakfast for the weekends and very simple.

Ingredients:

Bacon

Eggs

Mushrooms

Onion (I used white onion)

Avocado

Apple

Strawberries

Blueberries

Directions: Cook bacon, set aside.  Saute mushrooms and onions.  Scramble eggs either plain or season them up.  Wash and slice fruit and avocado.  Top scrambled eggs with sauteed veggies and top with avocado and hot sauce (if you like).

Alternatives:  Add jalapeno and/or poblano pepper with sauteed veggies

Fresh strawberries, blueberries and apple

Sauteed mushrooms and onions

Mmmmm Bacon!

Organic pasture raised eggs

 

Breakfast is served :)

Rosemary Bacon Wrapped Pork Chops

This makes a tasty meal and takes only minutes to put together!  Tonight I am making this dish with a side of grilled zucchini and squash.  This meal will feed 3-4 people.

Ingredients:
4 Pork chops
Thinly sliced bacon
Fresh rosemary leaves
Oregano
Cajun Seasoning
3 Zucchini
3 Squash

Directions:
Sprinkle pork chops with a dash of oregano.  Place fresh rosemary leaf in the center of pork chop.  Wrap 1 thin slice of bacon around pork chop and rosemary.  There is no need to wrap pork chop with string to make bacon and rosemary stay.  Once it is on the grill and the bacon begins to cook, it will hold everything together.  Spray with olive oil and grill over medium heat until pork chop is cooked and bacon is crispy.

Wash zucchini and squash and slice in half.  Sprinkle with garlic powder and cajun seasoning.  Spray with olive oil and grill over medium heat until cooked.  (Make sure you take the veggies off before they get overcooked).

Here are the ingredients for the pork chops

Organic rosemary

Sprinkle with oregano and place rosemary leaf in center of pork chop

I use Applegate Organics bacon for this recipe because it is sliced thin and contains no nitrites or nitrates

Wrap 1 slice of bacon around center of pork chop, securing rosemary in place

 Zucchini and squash, sprinkled with garlic and cajun spices

Grilled and ready to eat!

Easy Taco Salad

I find it hard to cook during the week at times so a taco salad is always a tasty quick meal.  I try to cook 1-2 pounds of grass fed ground beef or buffalo every other weekend to keep on hand for easy meals during the week.

Ingredients:
Salad (I buy the Organic Girl brand from Whole Foods because it is pre-washed 3x which saves me time)
1 Poblano Pepper
Red Onion
Avocado
Salsa
Ground Beef (I typically season with cumin, black pepper, white pepper and cayenne pepper.  Sometimes I will add dried cilantro flakes for a fresh taste)

Directions:
Heat ground beef.
Wash Poblano pepper and cut into thin slices
Slice red onion and avocado

Add all ingredients into a large bowl, mix and top with salsa of your choice!  I use salsa instead of salad dressing as it is easy, tasty, and low in calories :)

Alternatives: Depending on which salsa I use, I will add fresh jalapeno to spice it up.  Sometimes I will also add fresh tomatoes and substitute guacamole instead of sliced avocado.

I prefer to use 50% spinach and 50% spring mix for taco salads to add texture other than spinach.

I love Amy's medium salsa, the hubs prefers a hotter variety which is also very good.

Chopped poblano, onion and avocado

Grass fed lean ground beef seasoned 'Mexican Style'

Mix all ingredients together.

Voila!

Breakfast Casserole

I try to make a breakfast casserole every Sunday for the work week.  A simple casserole takes just minutes to throw together and makes about 6 meals.  I also cook a package of sausage or bacon to go along with the casserole for a extra protein.  Here is what I made today:

Breakfast Casserole Ingredients:
Chopped white onion
Handful chopped spinach
1 carton of egg whites
5 eggs
Spices (I used creole seasoning today)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease 8x8 baking dish with spray olive oil.  Put all ingredients into baking dish (including spices) and mix with fork.  Bake for 30-35 minutes.  Let casserole cool, then divide into 6 portions and divide sausage evenly.  Makes 6 meals!

Chocolate Chunk Pecan Brownies

Now you can ask anyone, I have a sweet tooth!!  I am constantly looking for paleo recipes that I can freeze and have a treat or two when I get a craving.  I know this recipe was a hit because my husband, who is not a huge sweet fan, loved these!

I found this recipe online and tweaked it just a tad.  The brownies came out very fluffy, delish!!

Ingredients:
1/4 C Coconut Flour
1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt
1/2 tsp Baking soda
2 Eggs
1/4 C Honey
1/4 C Light Agave Nectar
1/4 C Grapeseed Oil
1/4 C Shredded coconut flakes
1 Tbsp Vanilla extract
1/2 C Chopped Pecans
3/4 C Dark chocolate chips  (at least 70% cacao; I used 72% for this recipe)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put 1/2 C dark chocolate chips in food processor and pulse until consistency of coarse sand.  Place 1/4 C dark chocolate chips (the remainder not put in food processor) and 1/4 C pecans aside.  These will be used for topping.  Mix all remaining ingredients including ground chocolate chips into blender. 

Grease 8x8 baking dish with spray coconut oil.  Pour batter into dish.  Top with remaining nuts and chocolate chips.

Bake for ~25 minutes or until done.  Enjoy!!!

Alternatives: You may use any type of nuts for this recipe.

Paleo Protein Breakfast Muffins

One thing I miss every now and then are muffins.  This recipe can be modified in many ways whenever you need a healthy muffin fix.  I find these muffins great as a snack or as breakfast during the work week.

Ingredients:
1 Banana
1/4 C Dried cranberries (unsweetened or sweetened with apple juice)
1/2 C Almond meal (from ground almonds)
1/2 C Flax meal (from flax seeds)
1/4 C Sesame seeds
1/4 C Water
4 Eggs
1 1/2 Scoops vanilla protein powder (~45 grams protein)
1 tsp Baking soda
2 Tbsp olive oil
Dash celtic sea salt

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Put all ingredients into blender and mix thoroughly.  Coat 12 count muffin pan with spray olive oil (no need for liners).  Pour batter evenly into all 12 muffin cups.  Bake for approximately 25 minutes.  Enjoy!

Alternatives: I constantly change this recipe when I make it.  I will add chopped walnuts or pecans, substitute dried blueberries, or add 1/4 C hazelnut meal and reduce the almond meal.  Sometimes I do not use dried fruit at all and simple use the banana and chopped nuts.  I simply adjust the recipe to fit my appetite for the week. 

With the addition of protein powder (sometimes I will add two scoops) these muffins have close to 10 grams of protein each!

Here we go

I decided to create this blog to keep track of my recipes, encourage me to create new ones and also for those who are interested in eating Paleo.  I love to cook, a trait I inherited from my mother.  And although I did not inherit her natural genius in the kitchen, I have slowly but surely experimented with recipes and modified them to my liking, as well as creating my own inventions here and there. 

I do have to admit I enjoy cooking in my new and improved kitchen since it was remodeled about a year ago!

So here's to healthy living, healthy eating, and fitting into those "skinny jeans".

A look into my kitchen:
Paleo Basics - The basics of paleo eating are simple.  Eat meat, fish, veggies, fruit, roots, nuts, exclude grains, legumes, dairy products, salt, refined sugar, and processed oils.

Here are some pictures of my fridge and pantry as well as some 'Swanson Staples'

Coconut milk and fish oil are staples for protein shakes.  Egg whites are always nice to have handy.

Eggs of course are important and I do use coconut milk creamer for my coffee occasionally.

Apples, oranges, avocados and limes are always around.

I love poblano peppers and jalapenos, they can add a nice flavor and kick to most meals.  I know there is a lot of squash and zuchhini in there.  I am making veggie patties tomorrow :)

I like to have an abundance of frozen meat on hand.  Grass fed ground beef, chicken, and salmon burgers make a quick meal.

Frozen shrimp, scallops, salmon fillets, yellowfin tuna burgers and of course bacon!

Salad, carrots, mushrooms, onions, strawberries and blueberries, yum!

Coconut water makes a great recovery drink.

Coconut milk and oil are found in many paleo recipes.  And of course almond butter!!  I always have a supply of various nuts on hand such as almonds, walnuts, pecans and pistachios.

Tomato sauce is always needed for a quick crockpot of chili.