Double Chocolate Waffles

Sometimes you just gotta have some chocolate waffles. I am here to assist you in that endeavor. I grabbed a delish-looking recipe from PaleOMG.com and tweaked it just a bit, then added fresh strawberries because duh.

Ingredients

• 1 c. almond meal
• 1/3 c. canned coconut milk
• 1/4 c. dark chocolate chips
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
• 2 heaping tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp. maple syrup, honey, or agave nectar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• pinch of cinnamon
• pinch of salt

Directions

1. Thoroughly mix all waffle ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
2. Heat waffle iron to medium setting – my waffle iron goes up to 5 and I use 3 1/2. (I’ve had it for five years, still works like a charm!)
3. When the iron is ready, spray with olive or coconut oil.
4. Scoop about 1/3 c. batter onto waffle iron and sprinkle with chocolate chips.
5. Close and cook until done.
6. Serve hot! Top with fresh strawberries, strawberry syrup*, whipped cream, or whatever else sounds like it will just make your day.
7. MAKE SURE to spray the waffle iron again before every waffle! This recipe isn’t as heavy on oil as a lot of standard waffle recipes so they need a little extra help not sticking.

Serves 2-3. I ended up tripling the recipe to serve 6 which conveniently used most of my can of coconut milk.

*Strawberry syrup you say?! I had a big bag of sliced strawberries in the freezer, so tossed them in the blender with a bit of water and natural sweetener (honey or agave nectar), then simmered on the stove for about 30 minutes. It was perfection served warm over crispy chocolate waffles with gooey chocolate chips inside.

Recipe Credit: PaleOMG.com

Zucchini Pasta with Sundried Tomato & Mushroom Cream Sauce

I am obesessed with my new spiralizer. OBSESSED.  The combo of TJ’s organic zucchini at a great price, my general love of sauces, and my fancy new sub-twenty-dollars gadget is just too good to be true. One of my favorite people came over to cook dinner with me the other night and I was craving sundried tomatoes (weird, I know) so we threw a bunch of yummy things in a skillet and ended up with a recipe that is going to be a staple in my kitchen.

BONUS: This dish comes three ways! What?! I’m out of control.

1. MEATLY: The first time around I roasted a chicken, carved it (ok, Sam carved it cause it still freaks me out), and added the chopped meat to the sauce. We also used chicken broth from the roast.
2. VEGGIE: The second time I used veggie broth and no meat. It was still incredibly savory, and Sam actually preferred it this way. Or maybe he just wanted to eat the chicken on its own 🙂
3. VEGAN: I haven’t vetted this version yet, but when I do I’ll update. In general I’ve had amazing success with cashew cream in lieu of heavy cream, and I think this would be another great recipe to use it. I’d substitute nutritional yeast for the parm, but would probably just sprinkle some over the top of each serving for that extra flavor in lieu of mixing it in to the sauce. The parm isn’t necessary for thickening – the tapioca flour is pretty effective in that department!

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. butter or olive oil, divided
• 1 large shallot, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 oz. crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 c. sundried tomatoes, chopped
• 2 c. chicken or veggie broth
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 2 Tsbp. fresh chopped basil
• 1/2 c. fresh grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp. tapicoa flour
• fresh ground salt & pepper
• 3 to 4 organic zucchini, spiralized

Directions

1. Spiralize your zucchini! So fun!!
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then add and heat 1 Tbsp. oil/butter.
3. Sauté shallots until soft, then add garlic and mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms begin to release their juices.
4. Stir in the sundried tomatoes, cook for 1 min.
5. Add the broth and bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
6. Whisk in the cream, basil, salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer.
7. Whisk in the grated parmesan. Keep whisking until it is completely melted into the sauce.
8. Don’t toss that whisk in the sink yet! Add 1 tsp. of the tapioca flour and whisk until it is mixed in so that it doesn’t clump. If you’d like the sauce to be thicker, add more. Two teaspoons was perfect for me. If you find that you are an overzealous thickener-er, stir in some milk or water 🙂 This may or may not have happened the first time.
9. Heat another large skillet or pot, add and heat 1 Tbsp. oil, and throw in the zucchini pasta. I cooked it until it was just warmed through so it had an al dente quality – didn’t want it to get too mushy!
10. Plate a serving of noodles and smother with creamy, savory perfection. Grate a little fresh parm over the top if you’re feeling fancy. Serves 4!

Additional Spiralizer Hints

• After spiralizing zucchini, put it in a colander and sprinkle with a generous amount of salt. This will sweat the zucchini, pulling out a lot of the juice so the final “pasta” isn’t as watery. Let it sit and drain for about 30 minutes, then pat dry between clean kitchen towels.
• Don’t cook the zucchini and the sauce together – the zucchini releases a lot of water and your perfectly thickened sauce is all of a sudden a sad watery puddle 😦
• Here’s a link to the spiralizer I bought off of Amazon. A lot of the negative reviews for various models were from customers who attempted to spiralize really hard foods like carrots. Sounds like it is safest to stick with the softer stuff like zucchini and summer squash as the blades are not super heavy duty.
• Use a mix of zucchini pasta with spaghetti squash or summer squash for some variety in texture and “noodle” size.

Banana Pecan Muffins

These muffins have unseated the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins as far and away the best paleo baked good I’ve ever had. Which is really saying a lot, cause those pumpkin muffins are pretty stellar. I can honestly say I don’t think anyone would be able to guess that these are free of refined sugar and flour. With an egg substitute these would even be vegan – I’m betting that applesauce would work well! I was simutaneously so happy and so sad eating the last one of the batch today…what an emotional rollercoaster for a Monday morning.

Ingredients

• 3 very ripe bananas (thaw if frozen)
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 1/2 cup almond flour, almond meal, or cashew meal (or a combination!)
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flour, sifted
• 1/2 cup unsweetened finely shredded coconut
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup raisins or pitted dates, chopped
• (optional) 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
• For topping: unsweetened finely shredded coconut, chopped pecans or walnuts, chopped dates

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375° and line a muffin pan with 12 cups. I highly recommend the foil-lined muffin cups!
2. In a large bowl, mash bananas and then whisk in eggs and coconut oil until slightly frothy.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients until fully mixed: almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut flour, shredded coconut, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
4. Mix in raisins/dates and pecans. I chopped the raisins in my food processor, worked great. I left the nuts out of the muffins since Sam isn’t a big fan.
5. Pour banana mixture into dry mixture and fold together until JUST combined. Don’t overmix!
6. Divide between muffin cups. My cups were very full, the batter was even mounded above the top of the cups and they turned out great.
7. Sprinkle shredded coconut, chopped pecans, and/or chopped dates over the muffins. I used just coconut for Sam’s muffins, and pecans/coconut for the rest. Yumm.
8. Bake for 22-25 minutes, until you can push on the center of a muffin and it springs back up.
9. Allow to cool for at least ten minutes – this helps the muffins not stick to the liners. They’re great warm or cold, with butter or just plain. Enjoy!

Source: thehealthyfoodie.com

Asian Peanut Dressing

My homemade version of peanut dressing! It is free of corn starch, corn syrup, and refined oils. Delicious on Lolo’s Kale Salad or other salads and a great apple or carrot dip. This would be really good with a cabbage & apple slaw – on my short list of recipes to try!

Ingredients

• 6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 6 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 5 Tbsp natural peanut butter (I strongly recommend Krema or fresh ground PB!)
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce <– spelled correctly on the first try, YEAH! (Disclaimer: Worcestershire is NOT vegetarian as it does have anchovies in it. I don’t know that there is a great alternative since it is pretty complex, so maybe just omit it if you don’t eat fish.)
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar (or 1 1/2 Tbsp agave nectar)
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a blender or into an immersion blender-safe container.
2. Blend until thoroughly mixed.
3. Chill in refrigerator in an airtight container.

Cashew Cream

A versatile and handy cream substitute – great for vegans, lactose allergies, and just for switching things up once in a while! I love that I can scale this recipe to make exactly enough cream for a recipe. It’s a great way to avoid opening a can of coconut milk, using a couple tablespoons of it, and letting the rest go to waste.

I always use cashew cream in my Chocolate Chili Macaroons, and I’ve also used it in quinoa risotto in lieu of heavy cream. Store in a sealed container and it will keep in the fridge for a few days!

Ingredients

• 3/4 cups raw unsalted cashews
• 1/2 cup cold water
• juice from 1/2 of a lemon (about 2 Tbsp)

Directions

1. Add cashews, water, and lemon juice to a food processor or blender.
2. Blend until a thick puree forms. Scrape down the sides of the bowl one time to catch any small cashew pieces trying to jump out of the way!
3. Store in the fridge in a sealed container.

Chocolate Chili Macaroons

This vegan macaroon recipe has been a huge hit with our friends and family! I found this recipe while my parents were visiting us in Phoenix. I wanted to make a natural vegan dessert for my dad and these turned out good enough that we had to make them again the next day! The original recipe called for just a pinch of chili powder and Sam thought that was sub-par, so when I asked him to make a second batch he loaded up on the spice. The rich chocolately honey flavor combined with the perfect spicy afterburn makes for a decadent dessert that can be thrown together in under ten minutes. Certainly doesn’t hurt that they are so perfectly bite-sized! Mmm.

Ingredients

• 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp of chili powder (if sweet and spicy isn’t your thing, just throw in a pinch!)
• Pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp full fat coconut milk or Cashew Cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until JUST mixed. If you are using finely shredded coconut then you can just mix by hand, too.
3. Grease a rounded tablespoon with a little coconut oil, then scoop up some of the mixture and press flat against the side of the bowl to pack it tightly.
4. Tap the spoon on the pan, letting the cookie fall on to the cookie sheet. If necessary, use your fingers to fix the shape so that it is a nicely formed mound that holds together. Repeat with the rest of the mixture. You might need to clean off the tablespoon a couple times and re-grease.
5. Bake for 10-11 minutes.
6. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before moving from the pan so they don’t break apart. I slide the parchment paper off the hot pan onto the counter for expedited cooling/eating.

Source: againstallgrain.com

Sriracha Goat Cheese Frittata

One of those magical winning combinations that emerges on “clean out the fridge” day. I love making frittatas – they are basically omelettes for dummies. Seriously, you can’t mess this up. Just saute some veggies, any veggies, pour the eggs over, and smother with cheese. This recipe gets a bit more specific than that, but experimenting is encouraged!

Ingredients

• 2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 onion, diced
• Handful of cherry tomatoes, diced
• Goat cheese
• 6 eggs (I used an 10-inch pan. Scale egg amount up or down based on pan size!)
• Splash of milk (or water)
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• Onion powder to taste (about 1/4 tsp)
• Sprinkle of smoked paprika
• Sliced avocado
• Sriracha (we tested Franks and Cholula too, but Sriracha came out the winner, hands down!)
• 1 Tbsp butter

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 375° and preheat an oven-safe pan over med-low heat. Stainless steel and cast iron are great!
2. Melt butter in pan, then sauté onion and jalapeño for about five minutes or until onion is semi-translucent.
3. While veggies are cooking, whisk up eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and onion powder in a bowl.
4. Shake the pan a bit to make sure onion and jalapeño cover the bottom of the pan evenly, then slowly pour the egg mixture over the veggies. Cover the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes.
5. When the frittata has solid cooked edges and is still runny on the top, add your diced tomatoes and crumbled goat cheese. Grind a little more fresh pepper over the top and sprinkle on some smoked paprika.
6. Cover with an oven-safe lid (I have to switch to aluminum foil at this point since my pan lids are only rated to 350°) and bake for 5-10 minutes, until you can shake the pan and not see any runny egg jigglin’ on the top.
7. Remove from oven. Slice in wedges and serve with fresh avocado slices and a generous drizzle of sriracha!
   

Pork Lettuce Wraps with Sriracha Mayo & Heirloom Tomatoes

An original creation by Sam! I gotta say, one of the best things about eating meat again is that Sam is super motivated to cook all the time, it’s amazing. He came up with these just by rooting around the fridge and throwing some things together with the leftovers from our Fresh Ham Roast. We’ve had them several times since and I haven’t changed a thing, which is rare!

Directions

1. Thaw some frozen leftovers from the Fresh Ham Roast (or any pork roast) in the fridge overnight.
2. Cut into small pieces and put in a microwave-safe bowl. If you have saved juices from the roast, pour some of the juice over the pork. Microwave for 30 sec to 1 min, until warmed through but not hot.
3. Use a piece of romaine, butter lettuce, iceberg, etc. Wash and pat dry, then lay on a plate.
4. Fill with however much pork you want! Make sure to get plenty of the amazing marinade.
5. Top with sliced red onion and wedges of baby heirloom tomato. Any tomatoes would work fine, but we love the extra flavor of the heirloom tomatoes from Trader Joes.
6. In a small bowl, mix 1 part Sriracha with 1 part mayo. We go a little heavy on the Sriracha.
7. Drizzle the sauce over the wrap and enjoy!

Fresh Ham Roast

This was so good that it will be hard to venture out and try a different marinade for the next roast. This was the kind of roast where you walk in the house and your knees buckle a little just from the amazing smell. After the incredible first meal, Sam carved it and we froze it in a few different serving sizes. Between the leftover meat, the juice, and the fat, I think we used this one roast for probably five more recipes! I’m kind of salivating just thinking about it. Might be time to get another one of these going…

Ingredients

• 7-8 lb fresh ham
• 4 Tbsp dried rubbed sage
• 1 head garlic, peeled
• 2 Tbsp fennel seed
• 2 Tbsp asise seed
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1/3 cup maple syrup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Combine sage, garlic, fennel, anise, thyme, salt and maple syrup in a blender or mini food processor. Blend until a thick puree forms.
3. Place ham on a roasting pan and smother all sides with the puree.
4. Insert a meat thermometer in the deepest part of the meat, but not against the bone.
5. Place in the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes.  When the timer goes off, turn the oven down to 300F.  Continue cooking for about 2 more hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°.
6. Remove from oven and let it rest 5-10 minutes before you cut into it.  Enjoy!

Recipe credit: thepaleomom.com

Banana Pancakes

This recipe is the result of a couple years of tweaking. I didn’t like how almond meal pancakes always turned out so dense and I wanted these to be as “normal” as possible. I’ve finally reached a consistent result that I’m really happy with! The batter consistency is exactly what I’m used to in homemade wheat pancakes and they cook up beautifully on a griddle. Of course the main draw is that you get a delicious pancake breakfast that is full of healthy protein-y goodness! They’ll never be as fluffy as buttermilk pancakes, but apples and oranges, right? Or apples and bananas, I suppose 🙂

Ingredients 

• 2 ripe bananas
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup almond butter
• 3/4 cup almond meal
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt

Directions

1. Mash bananas in a mixing bowl. If you are using frozen ripe bananas, thaw completely and mash.
2. Mix in the eggs, vanilla, and almond butter.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients: almond meal, cinnamon, cloves, baking powder, and salt. Sometimes I use a sifter for the spices and baking powder to make sure there are no clumps.
4. Mix dry ingredients in to the wet ingredients.
5. Heat a pan over medium heat, or heat a griddle to 325°. You want to be able to cook the pancakes for a few minutes on both sides so they get done all the way through. The natural sugars in banana cause these pancakes to get darker than usual, and they can burn easily if the heat is too high.
6. Grease pan with a little butter, olive oil, or coconut oil, and pancake away!
7. Serve hot. I highly recommend a little grass-fed butter, some Grade B maple syrup, and a sprinkle of sea salt over the top.