Coconut Chicken Nuggets with Paleo “BBQ” Sauce

Nom nom nom... I feel like a kid again!!

These nuggets are fabulous. If you aren't a big shredded coconut fan- don't worry. The shredded coconut in this recipe gives more texture rather than taste.

Zach and I didnt make the BBQ sauce but I didn't want to leave it out because it does sound delicious. *Total time does not include the BBQ Sauce.

What you will need:

Two medium sized [mixing] bowls

A sauté pan

A baking sheet

Parchment paper

PREP: 15-20 minutes

Cook time: 15-20 minutes

*Total: 30-40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 pound ground chicken- Note: I couldn't find ground chicken so I grabbed a rotisserie chicken and put it in a food processor- the meat was a bit dry  after cooking since it was already cooked- I recommend finding actual ground chicken, if possible

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ cup + ½ cup almond flour

½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

½ cup coconut oil

Salt & Pepper 

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a bowl combine ¼ cup almond flour, ½ cup coconut and salt & pepper. Mix to combine

In a separate bowl, combine the ground chicken, ½ cup almond flour, onion powder, garlic powder, egg yolk and salt & pepper. Mix well until everything is incorporated

In a sauté pan, melt coconut oil on medium heat

Take about 2 tablespoons worth of the chicken mixture and roll into a ball and then coat with the coconut and almond mixture

Repeat with the remaining chicken

You should make about 15 to 18 chicken nugget/balls

In small batches place nuggets into heated coconut oil and cook on each side for about 3 to 4 minutes

Transfer balls to a parchment lined baking pan and place in oven for 4 to 5 minutes to allow the chicken to cook through

Repeat with the remaining chicken nuggets

Allow nuggets to cool and serve with Paleo “BBQ” Sauce, if you choose (recipe follows)

Yes, we ate all of our broccoli too!

Paleo “BBQ” Sauce

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup fresh orange juice

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

10 tablespoons tomato paste

4 tablespoons shallots, minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon coconut oil

DIRECTIONS

Heat coconut oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Place minced shallots and garlic in sauce pan until soft. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy!!

-All the Best

Recipe from www.multiplydelicious.com

Spinach Tomato Shrimp with Cheese Grits

Wow. It’s been awhile. Let’s catch up. I can’t believe its mid July. Anyway! I have been reborn! In posting Paleo recipes again! How did that happen?! Why did that happen?! (You may (or may not) ask). Got a couple minutes? Let me answer your questions. I know you're anxiously waiting.

After a fun night of playing with my 1.5 year old nephew I woke up around 7:30 the next morning with intense pain in the left upper part of my body (shoulders, neck, arm). I was crying it hurt so damn bad. No, it wasn’t a heart attack- even though it felt like it could have been- even though I have no idea what that feels like. I went to ExpressCare. After seeing the doctor- I found out I had a pinched nerve in my neck. PAINFUL. I got some pain medicine and took it easy for a couple days. About a week after my nerve got pinched- I was in my car- on my way to lunch and had a bag of trail mix in my car (it’s a almond, berry & pistachio mix- nom nom nom). I was so hungry and didn’t want to wait 4 more minutes to get home and eat lunch… I tilted my head back to toss some mix in my mouth and POP! Seriously?? I didn’t snap my neck back- I didn’t force it back- I gently and slightly tilted my head back. Extreme pain- except now at the base of my neck. On to the Chiropractor I went.

The moral of my story is- KEEP YOURSELF HEALTHY. Eat healthy, exercise and STRETCH regularly. I was told by the doctor that people “my age” become more prone to this type of injury. Hell. I just turned 28! Zach and I do pretty well with eating right but I must admit- working out and stretching is something we need to work on. I don't want anyone to go through what I am now. So. Read up and eat up! Ha, that's stupidly catchy..

Now. To the recipe! You are probably like “Grits aren’t Paleo!” Technically, no. They are primal though. If you don't have a problem with corn (some do, some don't), it is still a nutritionally lame source of starch (see Marks Daily Apple- he’ll tell you corn is not a vegetable: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/corn-is-not-a-vegetable/#axzz20Pv11MXg.  

However, if you love grits. Love is more important than being Paleo.  

If you are completely against grits- here is a link for cauliflower grits:

http://modpaleo.com/2011/07/26/friday-not-yet-but-how-about-cauli-grits/  

While we’re on the subject. Cheese is another nono- unless it is grass-fed. And even then it’s still frowned upon by some Paleo folks. I love cheese and don’t eat it as often as I want. Since we aren’t strict Paleo- we allow the occasional cheese intake. Looking for grass-fed (they will usually have “Grass-Fed” somewhere on the label) is the better option when you have that cheesy craving.   

We LOVED this meal. It was on the cheap, quick, easy, delicious and filling.

PREP: 10 -15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total: 25 - 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Shrimp

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 tsp garlic, minced

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 ounces baby fresh baby spinach

2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 

Cheese Grits

2 cups water

1/2 cup Quick Grits

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese – try for grass-fed!

salt and pepper to taste 

DIRECTIONS 

Shrimp

Heat olive oil over a medium-high heat in a large non-stick skillet

Add tomatoes and cook, stirring often until softened, about 2 to 3 minutes 

Add garlic and toss 

Add shrimp and cook until cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes 

Add spinach, basil, salt and pepper and stir until spinach has cooked down

Remove from heat and add lemon juice

You can't tell me this picture doesnt look delicious!

Grits

In a saucepan, bring water to a boil

Slowly stir grits into water, reduce heat to medium-low; cover

Let cook 5 to 7 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally

Add cheese, salt, and pepper and stir until cheese is melted

Voila!

Enjoy!!

- All the best

Oh! One more thing. I’ve recently stumbled upon a couple amazing websites: www.multiplydelicious.com and www.paleomg.com. Check them out- they are fantastic. Really. See for yourself. This shrimp recipe is from www.multiplydelicious.com.

Smokey Roast with Mashed Cauliflower

You'll Love the Aroma!

I love dinners in the crock pot! Not only are they easy but they are delicious! This recipe is slightly interesting.. it involves a coffee rub. Yes. A coffee rub for the meat. Its aroma filled the apartment and left me salivating a little bit. Most of the ingredients are staples in your pantry. Try it out!

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook time: on high for 5-6 hours or on low for 7-8 hours
Total: 5.10 - 8.10 hours
Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

Coffee Spice Rub

2 TBS coffee grounds

1/2 TSP ground chipotle- we grabbed a cajun seasoning instead

1 TSP unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 TSP cinnamon

1/2 TBS garlic powder

1 TBS dried oregano

1 TBS cumin

1 TSP sea salt

Mix all spice rub ingredients together and set aside

Roast

1/2 TBS coconut oil- use more, if needed
2.5 lbs beef chuck roast
1 red onion, halved and sliced
3/4 cup water- I filled just to the bottom of the meat

I had some baby carrots in the fridge so I tossed a handful or so in with the onions

DIRECTIONS

Heat your coconut oil in a skillet over medium to medium high heat, make sure your pan is nice and hot! 

Take the spice rub mixture and rub the entire amount into and all over the roast – really rub it in, do not just brush it on!  - we rubbed it on the roast the night before and kept it in the fridge overnight

Using tongs, place the roast into the hot skillet and sear for 3-4 minutes on each side.  If your pan is not hot enough you will lose your spices, but if it’s too hot, you will burn your roast.  You want it to make a nice crust on both sides of the meat - we did not sear the meat. It went straight from the fridge into the crock pot

Place your sliced onions in the bottom of a slow cooker

Once the roast has been seared, put the roast in the slow cooker on top of the onions

Add the water and cover

Recipe from: everydaypaleo.com

Mashed Cauliflower

Stove Top (ST)

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook time: 20 - 25 minutes

Total: 25 - 30 minutes

Microwave (M)

Prep: 5 minutes 

Cook time: 10 minutes

Total: 15 minutes 

INGREDIENTS

1 head of cauliflower, leaves removed, stem and florets chopped into smaller pieces

1 cup chick stock or broth

1/4 TSP black pepper

2 cloves garlic, mashed 

DIRECTIONS

(ST) Put all ingredients in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil 

(M) Put all ingredients in a medium sized microwave safe bowl

(ST) Reduce heat to medium and cover, allow to cook for 15-20 minutes until the cauliflower is tender and easy to mash with a fork

(M) After the cauliflower has cooked for about 10 minutes, check how tender it is by sticking a fork into the cauliflower- if your fork goes right in- it is done

You may need to add more stock if everything dries up and your cauliflower is not yet cooked through

Keep an eye on things as it cooks to see if you need to add some more stock/broth

Once cauliflower is tender and cooked through, pour off any excess stock that remains and set aside

Pour all contents into a food processor and mix. If the cauliflower seems too dry, add in some of the stock/broth that was set aside

Enjoy!


-- All the Best

Paleo Pancakes! Oh No- with Maple Syrup!

When you use sweeteners, try to use some a bit healthier for you!

The truth is, sugar is not inherently bad for you. Your body runs off of sugar. The problem is gluttony and the addiction to sugar. Sweetness has such a elated effect on the brain and makes you think you need to eat more and more of it. Few people overindulge in steak, many overindulge in chocolate. The evolutionary assumption is that sugar used to only mean fruit, which goes bad or gets eaten quickly.

We have heard it before- and I'm sure it won't be the last time- "You eat things with maple syrup [or insert any natural sugar here]? Isn't that too sugary for your "diet"??" Well folks. Sugar is everywhere. You really have no choice when it comes to avoiding sugar- unless of course- you live under a rock and/or hunt for your own food. Sugar will be in your diet so you might as well make the best of it. The most common foods people get their undies in a bunch about are dates, honey, maple syrup and (coconut) palm sugar. I want to explain each item to you- so hear me out. 

Dates

Now, dates are high in fructose sugar, but are also have an incredibly high fiber per gram content (one date has 1.6 grams of fiber, which is pretty crazy). The fiber helps you process your sugars, so the effect approaches neutral. This is similar to our use of ripe bananas, apples and applesauce. (We used dates in the Chocolate Snack Cakes recipe back in February- Check it out!)

Maple Syrup

Maple syrup is boiled maple tree sap and is about the most delicious thing ever discovered. The best part is that it is solely sucrose (which means it is equally balanced between fructose and glucose ).

Honey

The seemingly most obvious Paleo sweetener, raw honey is simply filtered from bee hives. A great thing about honey is it actually has the potential to help with seasonal allergies (I didn’t know that until I started using it more). Of course “regular” or pasteurized honey can be used as well. It has nutrients and a reasonably close profile of fructose to glucose. We find it’s about the same sweetness as table sugar, so we can use much less and gain nutrients in the process. (We used honey in our Pecan Crusted Chicken back in January! Check it out!)

(Coconut) Palm Sugar

This is a lower glycemic, vitamin and mineral rich, unprocessed granulated sweetener. 

Okay. I feel a little better! Now that there (hopefully) is a better understanding- Let's get to the recipe!

You are in for a treat! I have made these as late as 11:00 at night to nip a sweet craving in the butt. Instead of grabbing a pint of ice cream or sugary snack, I grabbed my ingredients and got to work! As with most Paleo recipes- they are quick, easy and delicious!

It took me a couple tries to get them to how we like them because of the thickness of the batter and how fast they turn brown- but it was worth it! I topped them with a sliced banana, sliced strawberries and blueberries. You can top and mix in what you would like! Try some walnuts in the batter or on top! Try them with cinnamon and grass fed butter instead of syrup. Any combination is doable. As long as you keep it natural and fresh!

PREP: 10 minutes

Cook time: 5 - 10 minutes, depending on how many you are making

Total: 10 - 20 minutes  

INGREDIENTS:

1 3/4 cup blanched almond flour

2 eggs, whisked

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

2/3 cup water

1 TBS grass fed butter or coconut oil [for frying]

Pure Maple Syrup- these pancakes will soak up your syrup. - try not to use too much! 

DIRECTIONS:

In a small mixing bowl, whisk both eggs

Pour almond flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a medium sized mixing bowl

Add vanilla and whisked eggs to the medium bowl and mix well

Add water, and continue to stir

Heat 1 tablespoon of grass fed butter or coconut oil in a large non stick skillet.

Scoop batter into a large skillet, leaving enough space in between pancakes to flip- try using a little bit of 

batter at first to get used to the consistency and how they cook

Cook 2 minutes on the first side, *flip, and cook for a remaining 1-2 minutes. Add more butter or oil as 

needed

*I found I needed to flip the pancakes more often to make sure both sides were cooked through – the batter is a bit thicker than regular pancake batter and cooks way faster

This is the syrup we have and love!

Enjoy!

--All the Best

Paleo Cupcakes!!

Amazingly Scumptious!

I really like to bake. Probably because I really like to eat whatever it is I bake :) Lately the Coconut Cocoa Cookies were our personal favorites- until now. Zach decided after trying my new found cupcakes that he may just like them better. Who wouldn't? These cupcakes are moist and tasty! My favorite combination - vanilla cake and chocolate frosting. YUM.

These cupcakes are delicious! Try them out!

PREP: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 - 25 minutes
Total: 30 - 35 minutes
Makes 12 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup coconut flour, sifted 
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
6 eggs
1/2 cup grapeseed oil - OR - virgin coconut oil
1/2 cup agave nectar (I used amber since it was in my pantry) - OR - raw honey
1 TBS vanilla

Chocolate Frosting:
1 cup dark chocolate - I used a 4 oz 70% Ghiradelli chocolate bar. Try to use 60% or higher
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
2 TBS agave nectar
1 TBS vanilla
pinch of sea salt

DIRECTIONS:

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees

In a medium bowl, combine coconut flour (yes, only a 1/2 cup is needed!), salt and baking soda

In a small bowl, blend together eggs, grapeseed oil, agave and vanilla

Mix wet ingredients into the medium sized bowl with the dry ingredients. Blend until smooth

Side note- These cupcakes dont rise very high so its best to fill them a bit more than 2/3 full when using the liners

Bake cupcakes for 20 -25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

While the cupcakes are baking- start on your frosting!

Break up your chocolate and put in a small saucepan

Pour in 1/2 cup grapeseed oil and mix with the chocolate in the saucepan

Heat over low heat until all is melted and blended

Stir in agave, vanilla and salt

Once the chocolate is metled, put in a mixing bowl to cool. I thought waiting for it to cool took too long- so after about 10 minutes - I put it in the fridge to speed up the process

After the chocolate is firm (not hard) get out your blender and mix on high until the frosting is rich, fluffy and creamy (it may lighten up in color- thats ok)

By the time you are done with your frosting- your cupcakes should be cooled enough to lather the frosting on (don't put the frosting on if the cupcakes are even slightly warm or it will melt)

Keep refridgerated

Enjoy!

-- All the best

No Bake Cookies!

Its Cocoa-Coconut Cookies! Cocoanut Cookies!

I was hesitant as I started to make these- they didn't give me much hope as far as consistency goes but as soon as I got a taste- I couldn't help but have a second one! This is now my favorite Paleo treat. We love the coconut texture with the sweetness of the honey, almond butter and cocoa. Definitely the sweetest treat we've had since going Paleo!

Seriously, a MUST try! Quick and easy!

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Refrigerate: 25 - 30 minutes or Freeze: 15 - 20 minutes
Total: 30 - 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup honey

1 1/2 TBS cocoa

1/3 cup coconut oil or grass fed butter (ghee)

1/3 cup almond butter

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups dried, unsweetened shredded coconut 

DIRECTIONS

Put honey, cocoa and coconut oil (or butter/ghee) in a medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat

Bring mixture to a boil. Boil for 1 minute and immediately remove from heat

Stir in the almond butter and vanilla until smooth and fully mixed

Drop in your coconut- you can dump it all or a little at  a time

Scoop spoonfuls of your cocoa coconut deliciousness on a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper

Put into the fridge until hardened and set. I put ours in the freezer for a faster hardening time- about 15-20 minutes

Keep them refrigerated and try not to keep them setting out. They will begin to melt/get soft!

Ready to put in the fridge!

Enjoy!

-- All the best

Zucchini Lasagna

Delicious- ✔         Filling- ✔        Healthy- ✔

Yum! That’s about all I can say about this one! 

You are probably thinking- this CAN'T be as good as pasta lasagna. You are incorrect, my friend! This is as good as it gets. As much as I loved pasta- this may be better! There is still a crunch from the soften zucchini and the Italian sausage we used has a bit of a kick to it- the black olives cool it down while the tomatoes give you that "ahhhh.." feeling. Very tasty. I give it a 10 on our 1-10 scale. 

Just try it! You’ll see!

PREP: 15-20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total: 55 – 60 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs grass fed ground beef

1lb mild Italian sausage (we used Italian sausage from Country Market)

5 - 6 zucchinis (I used a mandolin slicer and cut rounds- you can slice long ways if you want)

1 red onion diced

4 cloves crushed garlic

2 tbsp dried oregano

2 tbsp dried basil

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tbsp olive oil

1 can (28 oz) of diced tomatoes drained (I mistakenly bought canned plum tomatoes- I cut them up and they worked great!)

1 small can (6 oz) of tomato paste

1 can black olives sliced (the can size depends on how much you like black olives J)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat
 oven
 to 
350
 degrees 

In a large pan, sauté the onions and garlic in the extra‐virgin olive oil for about 3 minutes

Add the ground beef and sausage, and brown

Season the meat mixture with all of the dry ingredients, add the drained diced tomatoes and tomato paste, and mix well

Here’s where the fun begins! If you have kids- let them help!

In a 9 x 11 glass baking dish, place a layer ( #1) of sliced zucchini, making sure to overlap

# 1

Next, ladle on a thick layer of the meat mixture (# 2), and top with the sliced black olives (# 3)

# 2

# 3

Top meat and olive layer with another layer of sliced zucchini (# 4) and top with a final layer of the remaining meat mixture (# 5) 

# 4

# 5 - Final Layer!

Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes

Let the lasagna sit for 10 minutes before slicing and serving

 Enjoy!!

     -- All the Best