More posts to come soon!

Joyeux Noël! Feliz Navidad! Frohe Weihnachten! Merry Christmas! It’s that time of the year! The sounds of Christmas can be found everywhere. Christmas lights are glowing on houses, Christmas music has made its way onto the radio and Pinterest is full of Christmas crafts and ideas. While writing this, I find myself sitting on my living room floor with a Starbucks in hand surrounded by boxes reflecting on the events of the past year. I have been busy these past few weeks moving and getting ready for Christmas! I will be posting more recipes (holiday favorites) soon! 

Thanks again for all your support!

Chicken Cacciatore

Cacciatore means "hunter" in Italian. In cuisine, alla cacciatora refers to a meal prepared "hunter-style" with tomatoes, onions, herbs, often bell pepper, and sometimes wine. Cacciatore is popularly made with braised chicken (pollo alla cacciatora). I have been on an Italian kick lately so may as well keep them coming!

3 tbsp olive or coconut oil
1 (3 lb) chicken breasts, cut up
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (16 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 tsp dried oregano
1 large bell pepper, cut into 1" pieces

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Season chicken with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. When pan is hot, add chicken and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Add onions and mushrooms to the hot pan and sauté until onions are slightly translucent, about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Stir well. Return chicken to pan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes, until chicken is tender.

Recipe from The Paleo Plan

Homemade Italian Style Meatballs

I was watching Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives the other day and they were at this place that was making the most decadent meatball subs. This gave me the biggest craving for an awesome meatball. So I typed into google "large baked meatballs" and this was the recipe (with modifications) that popped up. I decided that I may as well try it and see how they would turn out. You know what? They were damn good! 

Meatballs
2 lbs ground beef and pork (50/50 mix)
1/2 onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 - 1/2 almond flour
1 egg 
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (leave out for strict Paleo)
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Sauce
1 can crushed tomatos
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp Italian seasoning (basil, parsley, oregano)

Preheat oven to 400° F. In a large bowl combine meat, onion, garlic, almond flour, egg, cheese (optional) and seasonings. Combine together with your hands. If the mixture is too wet add more almond flour. Roll the meatballs into 2-inch diameters and place on a foil lined baking sheet with about 1 inch spacing between them. Continue making meatballs until ingredients are all used up. You should end up with about 12 - 16 large meatballs.Bake until they are cooked through, about 25 minutes.

For the sauce combine all ingredients in a small pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 2 minutes. The longer it simmers the more the flavours with develop.

Top the meatballs with sauce and enjoy!

Banana Cookies

These cookies are light and fluffy and are essentially like muffin tops.

1½ cups almond flour
2 tbsp flaxseed meal
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 tbsp agave nector
½ to ¾ cup bananas
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg, room temperature
¼ cup pecans, chopped

In a large bowl, mix together the almond flour, flaxseed meal, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Add the bananas, agave nector, coconut oil, vanilla and egg to a food processor (or blender i.e. magic bullet) and process until the bananas are pureed and all ingredients are combined. Add mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients and gently mix to form a batter.


Stir in the chopped pecans and using a medium cookie scoop, scoop the batter onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Flatten each cookie slightly with the palm of your hand. If the batter sticks to your hands, wet your hands with water. Bake cookies at 350°F for about 10-15 minutes or until the edges and bottom start to brown. You can also insert a toothpick into the center and if the toothpick comes out clean, the cookies are done. Let cookies cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted Living Healthy

Beef Keema

Keema is a traditional South Asian meat dish. According to very reliable source (wikipedia), keema originally meant minced meat. It is typically minced mutton curry with peas or potatoes. Keema can be made from almost any meat, can be cooked by stewing or frying, and can be formed into kababs. Keema is also sometimes used as a filling for samosas or naan.

This keema recipe I served over cauliflower rice!

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 lb ground beef
1/2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander 
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp chili powder
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes
1 cup stock (I used beef)
salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch of spinach, washed and chopped or a bag of frozen spinach

Begin by browning the ground beef. Add onion and saute along with the beef. Add garlic, ginger and spices, fry for 2 – 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and beef stock, turn heat down and allow to simmer for 30 – 40 minutes or until flavors are well melded. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir spinach through. Turn heat off and wilt the spinach.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Northwest Cavegirls

Cauliflower Rice

Rice was one of the foods that I missed the most when I started eating Paleo and will often be part of a "cheat meal" for me. So, as a substitute this recipe is pretty darn good!

Head of cauliflower
1 small onion, chopped finely
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp coconut oil
salt and pepper

To start you can, throw the cauliflower into a food processor and pulse until the contents were the size of rice grains. Conversely, and the method I use, I just grate the head of cauliflower on my box grater. This does make a slight mess but it gets the job done.

Heat coconut oil and butter in a skillet, then sauteed the onions over medium heat until they are translucent. When the onions are softened, add in the cauliflower and stirred everything around to evenly distribute the fat and onions.  Season the “rice” with salt and pepper. Then, cover the skillet and cook for 5-10 minutes or until softened. 

Enjoy! Serve with numerous options!

Recipe adapted from NomNomPaleo

Chicken Strips with Honey Mustard

1 lb boneless and skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 cup almond flour
1 egg
3/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper

Honey Mustard Sauce
5 tbsp raw honey
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with the other sheet of parchment paper, and set aside.

Combine paprika, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Lay out the chicken strips and season both sides. In a small bowl, whisk the egg. In another place place the almond flour. Take each piece of seasoned chicken, dip it in the egg, and then flour with the almond flour. Make sure all the pieces are well coated. Lay each piece on your parchment lined cookie sheet. Once they are all coated, bake for 15-20 min
Note: these will not brown up like fried chicken strips. 

While the chicken is cooking, make the honey mustard sauce. In a small bowl whisk together the honey, mustard and apple cider vinegar – it’s that easy!

Sweet Potato Casserole

I made it home for Thanksgiving this year. As part of Thanksgiving dinner I was requested to make a sweet potato casserole as such I decided that I would slip in a wonderful Paleo option. I made this dish and it was very well received. My cousin even took home the left-overs! 

3 cups baked sweet potatoes (can bake them in the oven or cook them in the microwave)
1/4 cup honey

2 large eggs, beaten

1/2 cup unsalted butter or ghee, melted

1/2 cup coconut milk (or heavy cream)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt

Topping
1 cup almond flour
2 tbsp coconut flour
2 tbsp honey

1/8 tsp Celtic sea salt
4 tbsp butter or ghee, melted

1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350º F and adjust rack to middle position. Place sweet potatoes, honey, eggs, butter, coconut milk, vanilla and salt in a mixing bowl. Mash potatoes and stir until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Pour into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish.

Place almond flour, coconut flour, honey, salt and butter in a medium mixing bowl. Stir until combined. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle pecan mixture in an even layer over the sweet potatoes. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Recipe from Deliciously Organic 

Roasted Curried Cauliflower

I'm always looking for a new side dish option. I was rummaging through my fridge one night looking for something to eat. I found a head of cauliflower and this is what I decided to make. Full of earthy and robust flavors.

8 cups cauliflower florets 
1 large onion, peeled, quartered
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3 1/2 tsp curry powder
1 tbsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 450°F. Place cauliflower florets in large roasting pan. Pull apart onion quarters into separate layers; add to cauliflower. Stir coriander seeds and cumin seeds in small skillet over medium heat until slightly darkened, about 5 minutes. Crush coarsely in mortar with pestle. Place seeds in medium bowl. Whisk in oil, vinegar, curry powder, paprika, and salt. Pour dressing over vegetables; toss to coat. Spread vegetables in single layer. Sprinkle with salt.

Roast vegetables until tender, stirring occasionally, about 35 minutes. Mound vegetables in large bowl. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enchilada Chicken Stew

You know me and my love for Mexican food. Here is another good one!

2 lbs chicken breasts

1 yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 (4oz) can of chopped jalapenos
1 (4oz) can of chopped green chiles
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 (14oz) can of diced tomatoes
1 (7 oz) can tomato sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
salt and pepper, to taste
bundle of cilantro, to garnish
avocado, to garnish

Pull out your crockpot. Add your chicken breasts. Then add the rest of the ingredients on top, in any order. Put on low for 8-10 hours or high for 6-8. After it’s done cooking, use tongs to pick at the chicken to shred it in with all the ingredients. Top with cilantro and some avocado. Simple as that.

Enjoy!

Recipe from PaleOMG

Farmhouse Baked Eggs

A baked egg dish can be an easy and time efficient means to get a healthy and hot breakfast to the table. All of the components can be prepared the evening before and while the eggs bake you can take care of the other things you need to do in the morning.

4 slices bacon, chopped
1 medium sweet potato, finely diced
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
Salt and pepper
6 eggs
2 tbsp Italian parsley, chopped


Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and place 2 individual baking dishes (large ramekins or oval shallow dishes) onto a baking tray.

In a large skillet, cooked the chopped bacon, once the fat has been rendered from the bacon add the sweet potato and mushrooms. Continue to cook until bacon is cooked and the sweet potato is soft. Season with salt and pepper. Divide between the 2 dishes. Break 2 - 3 eggs into each dish (depending on how hungry you are).

Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes (depending on desired doneness).  For more of a “sunny side up” effect, cover the dishes for the first 15 minutes of baking. Lift each dish onto a napkin-lined plate and sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Anyone that knows me, knows that I love me my Starbucks! I go there at least once a week. I have two favorite times at Starbucks. First, when the Christmas cups come out and second... PSL! For those of you not familiar with this acronym it stands for Pumpkin Spice Latte (also know as heaven in a cup). This is one of my favorite drinks. So... I figure that maybe I would try a create something similar at home. This was pretty good not the same thing as Starbucks but close! So grab a PSL and enjoy this beautiful fall weather!

1 cup almond milk
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp pumpkin puree
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
1/4 cup or so of espresso

Combine almond milk, honey and pumpkin in a pot and stir over medium heat until steamed.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and pumpkin spice.Transfer mixture to a blender and process for 10 seconds or until foamy. 

Pour into mug and add espresso. Enjoy!

Deconstructed Chicken Fajita

It's time to spice things up. My favorite food is Mexican so any time I can make something Mexican inspired I jump at the opportunity. I hope you enjoy this one!

2 lbs chicken breast, cut in thin strips
1 tbsp olive or coconut oil
2 bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange)
2 onions sliced
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp coriander
3 garlic cloves, chopped
Juice of 2 limes
Butter Lettuce to serve

Combine the chicken, bell peppers, onions, spices garlic and lime juice in a bowl and mix well. Heat a large skillet on medium heat and cook everything with the oil until the chicken is cooked through and the onion and bell pepper are soft. Put the hot chicken, peppers and onions in a large bowl. Serve on top of lettuce leaves with your favorite toppings (salsa, guacamole, etc.)

Recipe from Fast Paleo

Beef and Cabbage Soup

What can I say? I really like soup. So here's another one for you to try for the potentially cold fall months ahead. I must admit now that I have a freezer full of soup that should last me a couple of months.

1 lb lean ground beef
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 pinch ground cloves
3 cups cabbage, chopped
2 carrots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
3 cups beef stock
3 cups water
1/4 cup tomato paste
4 lemon wedges

In large saucepan, brown beef over medium-high heat, breaking up with back of spoon. With slotted spoon, transfer to bowl. Drain fat from pan and wipe out pan.

Heat oil in pan over medium heat; cook onion, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, marjoram, salt, pepper and cloves, stirring often, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. 

Stir in cabbage, carrots and celery; cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add stock, 3 cups water and tomato paste. Return beef to pan and bring to boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer until cabbage is tender, about 15 minutes.

Discard bay leaves. Serve with lemon.

Recipe from Canadian Living

Paleo Pumpkin Pie

When you think about Thanksgiving dinner, what do you picture?  I see a lovely roasted turkey, big bowl of mashed potatoes with gravy (of course) and a beautiful pumpkin pie. So here is a pumpkin pie for you to try!

Pie Crust
1 ¼ cups raw walnut halves (you could also substitute pecans)
1 cup blanched almond flour
1 egg white
Generous pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grind walnuts in a food processor or magic bullet until finely ground and almost starting to turn into walnut butter (i.e., just starting to clump together). Mix walnuts, almond flour, egg white, and salt together (you can pulse in your food processor or do this by hand).

Press/pinch into a 9” pie plate (an 8” deep dish pie plate will work too). Pierce the crust with a fork every ¼” or so to stop the shell from bubbling up while it bakes. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until starting to turn golden brown. Let cool at least 10 minutes before pouring the custard in.

Pumpkin Pie Filling

1 ¾ cups pumpkin puree (use fresh or this is the equivalent of a 15oz can)
2/3 cup raw walnut halves
1/3 cup raw or roasted unsalted cashews
3 eggs + 1 egg yolk
¼ cup honey
¼ cup maple syrup
1 cup water
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cloves
½ tsp cardamom
¼ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 F (if you’re making your pie right after making the crust, just reduce the temperature). Place cashews and walnuts in your food processor or blender and pulse until finely ground.  Add eggs, honey and maple syrup and blend for 2-3 minutes until completely smooth (you could also add some of the water if it’s too thick for your food processor or blender to puree well).  It is very important to blend until completely smooth, otherwise your custard will be watery. 

Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until combined. Pour into cooled pie shell (doesn’t need to be room temperature, just cool enough to touch). Spread the top out evenly with a spatula. 

Bake for 40 minutes.  Allow pie to cool completely before serving.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Gingerbread Muffins

These muffins are full of warm earthy fall spices like nutmeg, gloves, ginger and cardamom and when mixed with pumpkin they are a delightful fall treat!

1¾ cup pumpkin puree 
4 eggs
¼ cup flaxseed meal
¼ cup extra virgin coconut oil
1/3 cup blackstrap molasses
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup tapioca flour (I found this at Bulk Barn)
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp coconut flour
¾ tsp salt
1 tsp ground nutmeg 
1 tsp ground allspice
1½ tbsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp baking soda

Grease a muffin pan generously with coconut oil or line with paper liners or reusable Silicone Muffin Cups. Preheat oven to 350F. Melt coconut oil in the microwave or in a small saucepan over low heat on the stovetop. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, eggs, flax meal, molasses, vanilla and coconut oil. Sift coconut flour and combine with tapioca starch, spices and baking soda.  Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.  Stir to combine.  Spoon batter into prepared muffin pan. I used a mini muffin pan and baked them for 15 - 18 minutes. If using full size bake for 30 - 35 minutes.  Remove from pan to cool. 

Enjoy! 

Recipe from The Paleo Mom

Paleo Stuffing

The other day at the gym we were asked what was our favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner. Most people in the group including myself said turkey however a few people said stuffing. And as most of us are aware stuffing is not typically paleo however one of the gym owners had this recipe and I thought that I should give it a try. I can honestly say that I ate it for supper on it's own but it would be darn good stuffed into a turkey. I think I may make this for my family this year for Thanksgiving.

1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed

5 slices of bacon, diced

5 stalks of celery, diced

1 medium onion, diced

2 granny smith apples, peeled and diced

1 lb ground pork

2 cups of mushrooms, diced

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

2 eggs

1/2 cup dried cranberries 

1/2 cup raisins (I don't like raisins so I used dried apricots)

1 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat the oven to 375F. Place the sweet potato cubes on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then bake for 15-20 min.

While that's baking, fry the bacon pieces in a large skillet. When they begin to brown, add in the diced celery, onion, and apples. When the onions become soft, add the ground pork, mushrooms, and white wine vinegar. Stir and cook until the pork is cooked through (no visible pink). Transfer the mixture to a bowl to cool. In a small bowl, beat the eggs, then pour over the cooled pork mixture. Toss in the cranberries, raisins, pecans, and yams and mix well. Bake the mixture at 375F on a foil lined baking sheet or in a large pyrex dish for about 15-20 min until it begins to brown.

Recipe courtesy of Cavegirl in the Kitchen

Marinated Flank Steak with Mushrooms

2 pounds grass-fed flank steak
1/2 cup red wine (sometimes you just need wine)
1/2 cup coconut aminos
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp black pepper
1 pound crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp butter or ghee
chopped green onion

Combine the wine, coconut aminos, garlic and pepper in a dish large enough to fit the steak. Add the steak and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 1 and up to 4 hours. Remove the steak from the marinade, reserving the marinade, and grill or broil the steak on high heat about 4 minutes per side for medium rare.

Allow to rest for 10 minutes, then slice thinly against the grain. Transfer to a serving platter and keep warm.
While the steak is resting, prepare the mushrooms: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the mushrooms and brown on both sides. (you may have to do this in 2 batches so they can brown)
Add the reserved marinade and reduce until it is reduced to roughly 1/2 cup. Pour the mushrooms and sauce over the steak, top with green onion and serve.

Beet and Sweet Potato Pancakes

When I think about fall in the Canadian prairies I think of sweaters, hearty dishes and an array of beautiful colors. To me, the quintessential fall vegetable is the beet. I love beets! They are such a versatile vegetable but messy as heck! I mean after you have peeled, chopped or grated the beets your kitchen looks like something out of a horror movie. Red stained hands and counters and if you're like me there is a nice splatter pattern of red beet juice on the wall or back splash. I may be a good cook but a messy one! Anyways, I hit up the farmers market this past weekend and purchased a huge bag of beets for five dollars. So, now I have seen searching for some new beet recipes and this one made the cut!

1 1/ cups coarsely shredded peeled beets (about 2 medium)

1 cup coarsely shredded sweet potato

1 medium onion, shredded

1 large egg

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp cumin

olive oil or coconut oil

Preheat oven to 300°F. Place baking sheet in oven. Combine beets, sweet potato and onion in large bowl. Mix in egg, salt, pepper and cumin; stir to blend well.

Heat  oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Using 1/3 cup beet mixture for each pancake, drop 4 pancakes into skillet. Flatten each into 3-inch round. Cook until brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer pancakes to baking sheet in oven; keep warm. Repeat with remaining beet mixture.

Enjoy!

Russian Cutlets with Mushroom Sauce

I make no claim that this is actually a dish in Russian culture! I was searching the net for something different to try and stumbled across this recipe. I decided to give it a try. Knowing me, I obviously made some changes to the recipe. To me these cutlets are more like a hamburger steak but hey maybe in Russia this is what they call a cutlet?

Cutlets

2 lbs ground beef

1/2 med onion, blended

3 cloves garlic, blended

1/2 tsp each salt, white pepper, ground mustard

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp butter or ghee

Mushroom Sauce

1 cup mushrooms, chopped

1/4 cup onion, chopped

2 tbsp butter or ghee

1/2 cup beef stock

fresh ground pepper

For the cutlets, blend your onion and garlic together into a paste (as always I use my magic bullet), then get your other ingredients ready. In a saucepan, melt the butter/ghee on medium heat, then add the onion/garlic paste.  Simmer on medium heat for about two minutes, to sweat the liquid out of the onions and to lessen the oniony taste.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Combine the other ingredients for the cutlets and gently mix together with your hands. Be careful not to over-mix the meat. Form the ground beef into six oval-shaped patties and place them on a baking sheet.  Place the cutlets in the middle rack of the oven and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, then broil them for another two minutes.

Meanwhile, using the same pan you sauteed the onions and garlic in add the butter, mushrooms and onions on medium heat. Fry the mushrooms and onions until the mushrooms release moisture and start to cook down. Add the stock and season with pepper. Let simmer for 10ish minutes. 

Once the cutlets are ready remove from the oven and top with the sauce. I served my cutlets with a poached egg and wilted spinach. The egg added some extra creaminess with the soft yolk.

Enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of The Domesticated Man!

Crockpot Minestrone Soup

I would like to thank everyone for their patience while I took some time to collect my thoughts and get back into the kitchen. My plan for the fall will be to post new delicious recipes every Sunday and Wednesday. This will allow me some more time to perfect and bring you new delectable recipes. 

Minestrone Soup is not one of my family recipes but I personally love soup. Soup helps to warm you from the inside out and when fall starts to become cooler nothing is more enjoyable. This recipe is courtesy of Our Paleo Life and I was inspired to make this when a friend post the delectable picture of a steamy bowl of this soup on instagram!

2 tbsp Olive oil

1 sweet potato, diced

1 cup carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

2 zucchini squash, diced

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

28 oz chicken stock

28 oz can diced tomatoes with juice

½ cup frozen spinach

2 bay leaves

2 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

1 tsp parsley

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

¼ tsp sea salt

1-1/2 lb ground pork sausage

Place the olive oil in the bottom of the crock pot. Add the prepared sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, zucchini, onions, and garlic to the crock pot. Pour in the chicken broth. Add the entire can (including juice) of diced tomatoes. Add the frozen spinach (no need to thaw and drain, just add it frozen). Add in the oregano, basil, parsley, cayenne, and salt. Stir everything together, add the bay leaved, cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours. This just barely fit in my crockpot! About 2 hours before the soup is done, brown the ground pork sausage, breaking it up into small pieces with the back of a wooden spoon. Once the pork is cooked through (no pink), add it to the crock pot and mix it all together. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Enjoy!!

Beautiful Beet Borscht

Well I hate to admit it but autumn is drawing near. The endless summery days are fading into cooler evenings and a beautiful array of colors. Autumn isn't all bad, in fact it's probably my favorite season. The days are still warm and the evenings are cooler making more enjoyable to sleep, workout and of course bringing out a whole different set of clothes. Growing up autumn always meant lots of cooking, baking and canning in my household. My mother would harvest the vegetables from her garden and start the arduous task of making large batches of borscht, salsa, pickles, pies and whatever else you can think of. It was always a treat coming home to a fresh bowl of soup or other goodies that may have been created that day. So now it is my turn to share some of those family favorites as well as some new recipes with you. Prepare yourself over the next few weeks to find yourself reading some delicious recipes that truly come from the heart!

The first autumn recipe and possibly one of my favorite dishes is a traditional Polish/Ukrainian soup called Borscht. Borscht is a soup made from beets, onions, and carrots that is simmered with dill, vinegar and cream. Now I must warn you that this recipe is not 100% paleo but it could easily be modified. I personally couldn't do it, I mean you can ruin a good thing!

To start with we need to make the soup base or broth. Now, personally I think this is a must however if this seems too time consuming you can use the purchased beef or pork stock. 

Stock

3 or 4 beef or pork soup bones

A package of short beef/pork ribs

4 L water

Place beef or pork soup bones and the package of short beef/pork ribs in pot. Cover with water, bring to boil. You will notice this lovely layer of "black foam" appear on the top, we need to get rid of this. Drain the water reserving the bones. Add new hot water to pot and simmer for 1.5 – 2 hours. Let mixture cool, skim fat and remove bones and meat. Reserve meat for later.

3 cups of chopped beats (we always shred the beets in my household)

1 big onion chopped

3 carrots, chopped

1 tbsp salt

¼ cup vinegar

1 tbsp white sugar (omit for true paleo)

Dill to taste

Reserved meat

Add these ingredients to the broth and let boil together until the beets are soft. Then add:

 

1 – 2 diced potatoes (omit for the paleo purist)

¾ cup of frozen peas

Simmer until vegetable cooked. Add:

2 cans of tomato soup or stewed tomatoes

2 cans of pork and beans (I know this is weird but it really does the trick!)

Let simmer for a few minutes. Take some soup of the pot and add 1 small container of whipping cream to the removed soup. Pour back into the pot and heat.

Enjoy! This is truly a family favorite and I hope you can add this to your repertoire as well!

New Recipes on the Way!

Hey Everybody!

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days but life has been busy! I am going to be busy in the kitchen over the next few weeks and I will be back with some great new recipes in a week or so. If you have any suggestions or recommendations please let me know!

Thanks again for all your support!

Jesse

Chicken Satay with Almond Butter Sauce

Chicken Satay
Boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders (or chicken breasts cut into pieces) and a corresponding number of skewers
1/2 cup coconut cream (store your coconut milk can in the back of your fridge for a few hours and the cream will to rise to the top of the can)
2 tsp fresh ground ginger
2-3 minced garlic cloves
1 tbsp of curry powder
A squeeze of lime juice, plus a little bit of zest
Salt and pepper

Combine the coconut cream, ginger, garlic, curry, and lemon zest in a ziplock bag and squish it all around. If the coconut cream is too thick, loosen it up with a little lime juice and water. Add salt and pepper, then taste for seasoning. Add more curry powder, if you love the flavour.

Add the chicken to the bag and massage the bag to get the chicken coated. Marinate for a minimum of an hour, the longer the better. Once the chicken is done marinating, thread each piece onto a wooden skewer. Soak the skewers first if you choose to prevent them from burning. 

Place them on a heated grill and cook till no longer pink about 8 - 12 minutes. 

Almond Butter Sauce
1 tbsp almond butter
1/4 cup coconut aminos
1 tsp crushed red pepper
Juice of one lime
Some hot water

This sauce is the easiest thing in the world. Just mix all the ingredient together, adding the hot water last and add in just a little at a time until it loosens up the sauce to the consistency you want. 

Serve with chicken and enjoy! I made this for the first time this week and I love it! I will definitely be making this recipe again!

Berry Banana Parfait

This is a tasty quick treat!

1 frozen banana
1 tbsp almond butter
2 tbsp coconut milk
Sprinkle of cinnamon
Berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries etc)
A spoonful of protein powder (optional)

Blend the banana, almond butter, coconut milk, cinnamon and protein (if using) in the blender. Layer with berries in serving bowl.

Enjoy! It's as simple as that!

Pork Ribs

Here is another rib recipe, why another? Because ribs are awesome!

Pork side ribs
3 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1 lemon
water

BBQ Sauce
1/2 can tomato paste
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Dash of hot sauce

On the concave surface of all ribs is a thin, translucent membrane. This membrane is tough and will prevent any flavouring to get to the rib meat, and so should be removed. To remove the membrane: Insert a metal spoon handle under the membrane at one end of the rib rack and detach a corner. Then grab the detached flap and gently tear it away from the ribs. It should come off in one clean pull.

Sprinkle the ribs with chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. In a cookie sheet or shallow roasting pan, add about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) of water. Add a few slices of lemon to the pan. Place the ribs, meaty side up, on the pan in a single layer. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and place in oven at 325°F (160°C). Cook for between 1 and a half and 2 hours, or until meat is easily pierced with a metal skewer.

At this stage the ribs can be cooled and refrigerated for up to three days.

Ribs can be finished on the BBQ (grilled) or in the oven. To finish in the oven, remove foil and turn oven up to broil, brush ribs with your BBQ sauce and broil for about 3 minutes (if ribs are hot) or until sizzling and golden. Turn ribs over and repeat with BBQ sauce and broil again. For the ultimate ribs, repeat brushing sauce and broiling or BBQing on each side. Watch carefully when broiling, so that they do not burn.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

For the filling
2 cups rhubarb, diced
2 cups strawberries, diced
zest from one lemon
1 tsp lemon juice
3 tbsp honey
a pinch of salt
1½ tbsp arrowroot powder

For the crumbles
½ cup chopped pecans
¾ cup almond flour
2 tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp honey
4 tbsp coconut oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the strawberries and rhubarb in a large mixing bowl with the lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, salt, and arrowroot powder and mix well.

Mix the pecans, flours, cinnamon, salt and honey together in a medium mixing bowl. Cut in the coconut oil with your hands or a pastry cutter until the mixture begins to form crumbs.

Grease an oven proof casserole or skillet and spoon in the fruit filling. Crumble the topping evenly over the top. Bake for 25 minutes, checking occasionally. When the topping is browned and the fruit is bubbling, remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Recipe from Pinch of Yum