Sunday 26 January 2014

PALEO breakfast biscuits

These are great if you want to make an egg mcmuffin- a sandwich hour of your bacon and eggs :) but it would also go well with chilli's and soups for dipping!
 
You will need:
3 egg whites
1/3 cup blanched almond flour
A little less than 1/4 cup coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon coconut oil, chilled

Prep:
1. Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  
2. Mix almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder and salt together in a large mixing bowl.  Cut in cold coconut oil with a fork until the mixture is crumbly. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.  
3. In a medium bowl whisk egg whites until they are very frothy.  Fold the egg whites into the chilled flour mixture until well combined.  
4. Scoop about 1/4 cup of dough onto the baking sheet and smooth the top to form each biscuits, an ice cream scoop works well in this step.  Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.  Serve warm.


Should make about 4 or 5 small biscuits!




PALEO Stuffed Mushrooms

These could work as an appetizer, but I ate them as a meal with some grilled zucchini (and then saved the extra ones for snacks!). These are super yummy, and soothe any salty craving you may have :)

You will need:
Approx 16 medium-small mushrooms
1 cup of fresh or frozen shrimp
1/4 cup of cilantro
2 cooked bacon slices, sliced and diced
1 tsp of hot sauce (optional)
1 1/2 tsp of fish sauce
salt and pepper



Prep:
1. Preheat the oven to 450F
2. Clean, and de-stem your mushrooms. Place the mushrooms on a aluminum-foil lined baking sheet, and in the oven for 12 mins.
3. Remove from oven, and flip them. Roast for another 6-10 mins, or until all liquid has evaporated.

4. While the mushrooms are in the oven, remove tails from shrimp and place them in the food processor, along with your cilantro, bacon, hot and fish sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Blend these ingredients until a chunky, coarse paste develops.

5. When paste is done, scoop out small portions with a spoon and fill each cooked mushroom with shrimp paste.
6. Return the stuffed mushrooms into the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the shrimp is lightly browned. Then remove from oven and enjoy!




PALEO Pumpking Pancakes

I love pumpkin pie, and I love pancakes. This recipe is almost like the two combined! So yummy, and super filling.



You will need:
1/4 cup coconut flour
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup almond milk

Prep:
1.Whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.
2. Then whisk the wet ingredients in a separate bowl: eggs, coconut oil, almond milk and pumpkin puree.
3. Slowly add the dry mix to the wet mix until the ingredients are well combined.
4. Heat the pan with coconut oil medium low heat. Spoon the batter into the pan in whatever size you wish. Use a spoon to flatten and shape the batter to about 1/3 inch. They will not bubble like regular pancakes so keep your eyes on them until they are done. Flip them over to the other side when the bottom is golden brown. Also, you can check the edges to see if they are ready.
5. Serve with 100% pure maple syrup, or berries and nuts! 

Wednesday 22 January 2014

PALEO Lemon Squares

It was my sisters birthday this weekend, and she came to visit so I could throw her a little party. She also knows me for my baking, and was expecting a tasty treat! She thinks this whole pale thing is stupid, and generally refuses to try any paleo baking I make. So I tricked her with this yummy recipe; I told her it was none paleo so that she would eat it. She absolutely loved it, and was amazed when she found out there was NO dairy, NO processed sugar, and NO grains.
Try it out! Paleo or non-paleo lover, I think you'll like it. Zesty, and a little sweet :)



For the crust you will need:
2 cups of almond/coconut flour¼ cup of honey½ cup of coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon of vanilla pod extract
2 eggs



To make the crust:
1. Heat up the oven to 160 degrees.
2. Mix together the honey, melted coconut oil, vanilla and eggs and whip till well mixed.
3. Pour the flour in a bowl and mix the wet ingredients in till well blended.
4. Line a 8 x 12 baking dish with baking paper and dump your mixture evenly over the pan and press it down till the crust is uniformly distributed over the pan and tucked in all nice.
5. Pop in the oven to bake for 10-15 minutes, until the edges are lightly brown. Set it aside to cool.


For the lemon filling, you will need:
5 eggs
1 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice
zest of one lemon
3/4 cup of honey
A pinch of salt
1/2 cup of coconut oil, melted

To make the filling:
1. In a small sauce pan whisk together all the ingredients but the coconut oil over medium heat. While whisking, slowly pour in the melted coconut oil till well blended.
3. Keep whisking till the filling becomes a nice pudding like texture. Remove from the heat and let it cool, whisking occasionally.



4. Once cooled pour into the crust and place in the freezer to harden.
5. Take it out and cut into squares while frozen. Keep in the freezer as they are a bit gooey when they get warm!


Monday 20 January 2014

PALEO Egg Muffins


Paleo breakfast foods mostly involve eggs, and alot of them, so I'm always looking for new ways to make them! Do you miss your muffins? Here's a paleo substitute, that I really enjoyed!



You will need:
tbsp of olive oil
handful of chopped onion (either green or white onion works!)
handful of green and red pepper, finely chopped
handful of chopped cilantro
2-3 large eggs, whisked
Salt, pepper, paprika to taste

Prep:
1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Saute onions in olive oil over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes.  Add peppers and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes.


3. While onions/peppers are cooking, whisk eggs in large bowl.
4. Once onions/peppers are cooked, remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.  Dump peppers/onions in egg bowl (once cooled), and uncooked cilantro and combine well.  Sprinkle in salt & pepper.
5. Coat a large muffin pan with olive oil spray or coconut oil.  Using a 1/4 cup (60mL) measuring cup, fill each muffin cup. I opted out of using oil, and instead used muffin paper cups to put my eggs in- less grease, and it looks prettier! But up to you :)

6.  Place in oven for 15 minutes (or more).  Remove once the tops get high, fluffy and golden brown.  Pop them out with a butter knife or thin spatula.

Goes well with salsa, avocado, hot sauce, or fruit! Enjoy :)

Wednesday 15 January 2014

PALEO Zucchini-pasta stirfry

Yes my friends, we can eat pasta again, I discovered a way to recreate it in a paleo friendly manner :) Check this recipe out, you won't be disappointed. Even all my non-paleo friends love it!


You will need:
1 large zucchini
1/2 red bell pepper chopped
1/2 green bell pepper chopped
1 carrot peeled or shredded
2 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon of ginger powder
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 lime squeezed
1 and 1/2 cup of shrimp
Freshly chopped cilantro to taste
Olive oil for cooking
1 and 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
pepper to taste



Prep:
1. Heat oil in a large wok or sauce pan over medium heat.
2. Once pan is warmed add minced garlic and ginger, then add red bell pepper when softened and sautee until it begins to soften. Add the carrot and continue to saute for about a minute or two.
3. Add shrimp and let sit in pan until meat is warm, then turn the heat to medium high and add the curry powder and zucchini noodles. Continually stir to avoid burning.
4. Add the lime juice and toasted sesame oil, black pepper and a little bit of the cilantro.
5. Toss the pan and keep it moving fast over the heat until everything is thoroughly coated with spice.
Continue this until your zucchini noodles begin to turn slightly translucent, once they are translucent your dish is done.
6. Add cilantro as a garnish. Should serve two! Or one, if you're really hungry :)

 


PALEO Chocolate banana protein muffins


So I FINALLY had a successful Paleo baking recipe. After much trial and error- I'm talking grainy-textured cupcakes, lumpy cakes, and cardboard-tasting cookies- I finally made a Paleo recipe that tasted GOOD. Paleo baking is really hard without flour, milk, or butter- the usual ingredients that are involved when it comes to baking something yummy. So if you miss baking, or want a post-workout snack or breakfast, try this! So yummy, and it's a treat you can enjoy without guilt :)

You will need:
Muffins:
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
  • 4 eggs
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1/4 cup almond flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup chocolate protein powder
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 3 large ripe bananas
Frosting:
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil, at room temp (not melted)
  • 1/2 cup roasted and unsalted almond butter
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 tsp vanilla
Prep:
  1. Preheat oven to 350  and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners
  2. Place the coconut oil, eggs, honey, and vanilla in a bowl and beat with a mixer until smooth
  3. In a separate bowl stir together the coconut flour, almond flour, baking soda and salt, then pour in with the wet ingredients and beat again 
  4. In another bowl mash the bananas together with the protein powder and water until a mush is formed, combine with the other ingredients and beat on medium until well combined
  5. Bake for approx. 20-25 minutes. Insert a toothpick or fork into muffins- when it comes out clean, they are ready to remove from the oven.
  6. Prepare the frosting by combining all ingredients in a blender and blending until smooth. If the frosting is a little runny just place it in the fridge for a few minutes to harden up.
  7. Once the muffins have cooled completely you can frost them.
Enjoy with a glass of almond milk! Yummmmmy :)


Friday 10 January 2014

Paleo Sandwiches

So I really miss sandwiches.
No, not bread. Just sandwiches. My friend found this fantastic link that has fifteen, yes, FIFTEEN different sandwiches you can make, all Paleo. And they are so good too. You won't miss grains after you try these (I know, I've tried several of them!).
Here's the link, let me know what you think!
http://www.buzzfeed.com/ailbhemalone/15-mouthwatering-no-bread-sandwiches

Homemade Salsa


One problem with Paleo is that you tend to loose alot of "toppings" that make food taste "better." Salsa, fortunately, is a topping that you are not only allowed to keep, but is actually good for you!!!
And you can literally put it with anything- you can dip fresh veggies in it, or serve it with your morning eggs or omelette, or mix it with avocado to make a guac-salsa type spread. The possiblities are endless. You can buy the Tostitos one, it's safe! But if you want to make your own, here's the recipe I use :)
Here's my own yummy breakfast- fried eggs in bell peppers, with a side of salsa.



You will need:
3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 small cloves garlic, minced
3 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeds removed, chopped
2 hot chile peppers, finely chopped (if you don't like it tooooo spicy, I suggest using only one pepper)
2 to 3 tablespoons minced cilantro
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons lime juice
salt and pepper

Preparation:
1. Put chopped onion and garlic in a strainer; pour 2 cups boiling water over them then let drain throughly. Discard water. Cool.
2. Combine onions and garlic with chopped tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours to blend flavors.
Makes about 2 cups of salsa.

I find that the salsa tastes better the longer you let it sit and marinate in the flavors. So even wait a day if you can to eat it! So yummy.

PALEO Green Smoothie

Need a new breakfast? Need a pre or post workout snack? On the go, and need a meal to sustain you through the day? Look no further, I have the best smoothie EVER. Not exaggerating.

You will need:
1 large handful of kale
1 kiwi
1 small avocado
1 green apple3/4 cup of almond milk
1 banana
*optional: chia seeds

Steps:
1. Diced and slice all the above ingrediants and throw it into a blender or food processor!
2. Once as smooth to your liking, pour into a cup, mason jar, or thermos, and enjoy! Perfect for on the go, or breakfasts. Such a power food and so much protein :)