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Paleo Chocolate Chia Nut Cereal

9 Oct

Our gym is starting a paleo challenge tomorrow and I know there are members who love cereal!  I may or may not be related to a member who is very upset anytime he can’t have cereal.  Decided with the challenge starting that this would be the perfect time to create a new paleo cereal recipe for those who don’t want to change their morning eating habits too much.  I’m thrilled with how this recipe came out!  It rivals Wegman’s chocolate chia granola, but mine is grain free!

Paleo chocolate chia nut cereal

Paleo chocolate chia nut cereal

Ingredients:

2 cups sliced almonds

1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds

1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds

1 cup chia seeds

2 cups unsweetened flaked coconut

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup organic blue agave

1/4 cup honey

1/3 cup melted coconut oil

3 tbl. cocoa powder

1 tbl. cinnamon

1 tbl. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. Himalayan sea salt

Method:

In case you’re wonder, yes all the nuts/seeds I use are raw.

Preheat oven to 250°F.  In a small bowl whisk together agave, honey, coconut oil, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and salt.  Toss remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl, pour sweet oil/seasoning over, and toss well to combine.  Spread mixture across two baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 250°F for 1.5 hours, mixing every 30 minutes.  Then turn off the oven, leave the oven door ajar, and allow the mixture to completely cool.  Break up and move to a container/zip top bag for storage.  Enjoy ~1/4 cup with almond/cashew/coconut milk!

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Paleo Chicken Pad Thai with Sweet Potato Noodles

6 Oct

Was looking to try something different tonight and decided to give a healthier version of pad thai a whirl.

Paleo chicken pad thai with sweet potato noodles

Paleo chicken pad thai with sweet potato noodles

Ingredients:

1/4 cup + 2 tbl. coconut aminos

2 tbl. tamarind chutney (couldn’t find tamarind paste)

1 tbl. lime juice

2 tbl. rice wine vinegar

2 tbl. coconut sugar

2 tsp. chili powder

1/8 tsp. cayenne

4 large eggs

1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 tbl. avocado oil

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced into thin strips

1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced (white and light green only)

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 pounds sweet potato noodles (spiralized sweet potatoes)

1 cup raw cashews, toasted and crushed

Kosher salt

Pepper

Fresh lime wedges (optional, for garnish)

Method:

Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 350°F and toast cashews on a baking sheet for 5 minutes.  Cool, then crush with a mallet or pulse in a coffee grinder/food processor.  Set nuts aside.  Whisk eggs until frothy, season with olive oil, salt, and pepper and add to a non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Scramble eggs and then set aside.  Heat avocado oil in a large pot over medium high heat.  Season chicken strips with salt and pepper and add to hot oil in pot.  Cook until chicken is no longer pink.  Now add scallions and garlic to chicken and sauté 1 minute.  Whisk together coconut aminos, tamarind, lime juice, vinegar, coconut sugar, chili powder, and cayenne.  Add sweet potato noodles, scrambled egg, and sauce to chicken and sauté until noodles are crisp tender.  Top mixture with crushed toasted cashew and sprinkle with the juice of a fresh lime wedge (optional).

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Whole 30 and Paleo Buffalo Turkey Stuffed Peppers

29 Sep

If this recipe sounds familiar it is probably because I created a recipe for buffalo chicken stuffed peppers and posted it here almost 9 months ago.  Why the change?  Simple, sometimes you can’t pick up what you want at the grocery store!

Whole 30 buffalo turkey stuffed peppers Whole 30 buffalo turkey stuffed peppers

Ingredients:

12 red bell peppers, tops, seeds, and membranes removed (you don’t have to use red, but the sweetness of the red bell pepper compliments the buffalo spice)

1/2 tbl extra virgin olive oil or ghee

3 pounds ground turkey breast

2 cups mirepoix mix, diced (or dice 2/3 cup each onion, celery, carrot)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 red and 1 orange bell pepper, diced

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced

1 cup cooked spaghetti squash (one tiny spaghetti squash)

15oz can butternut squash or pumpkin

1 cup Frank’s red hot sauce

1/3 cup avocado oil mayonnaise or canola or olive oil mayonnaise

Kosher salt

Pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Method:

Preheat oven to 425°F.  Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, season the flesh with olive oil, salt, and pepper and bake cut side down on a baking sheet lined with foil until fork tender ~40 minutes (depending on the size of your squash) .  Remove and discard seeds and membranes from cooked squash.  Reduce oven heat to 350°F.  Brush the inside of the red pepper cups with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.  Heat EVOO or ghee in a large pot over medium heat.  When hot add the diced mirepoix mix and sauté 5 minutes.  Add the diced bell pepper, jalapeno, and turkey, season with salt and pepper, and break up as you sauté another 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and sauté until turkey is no longer pink.  Add the spaghetti squash and butternut squash/pumpkin.  Whisk together hot sauce and mayonnaise and stir into pot with turkey and vegetables.  Season filling with salt and pepper.  Stuff the bell pepper cups with the buffalo turkey mixture and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes.  Additional mixture that does not fit in the pepper cups can be baked in a casserole/baking dish.

Macros per stuffed pepper cup:

Fat: 7g

Carbs: 17g

Protein 30g

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Paleo Chocolate Nut Butter Mug Cake

27 Sep

Hey you know what’s better than a healthier version of chocolate cake to indulge in?  A single serving of chocolate cake you can make in just minutes!!  You get an amazing chocolate cake, and there aren’t 23 more servings tempting you in the kitchen.

Paleo chocolate nut butter mug cake

Paleo chocolate nut butter mug cake

Ingredients:

2 tbl. cocoa powder

2 tbl. coconut flour

1/8 tsp. Himalayan sea salt

2 tbl. grape seed oil

2 tbl. organic blue agave

3/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 tbl. nut butter (almond, cashew, pecan, etc)

Method:

To a large, microwave safe mug add cocoa powder, coconut flour, salt, oil, agave, vanilla, and egg.  Whisk with a fork until well combined.  Add 1 tbl. nut butter on top.  Microwave 1 minute 45 seconds.  Be careful this will be extremely hot!

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Whole 30 and Paleo Pumpkin Alfredo Beet Noodles

25 Sep

’tis the season for pumpkin!  This recipes uses pumpkin to give a creamy alfredo type sauce – without any of the cream or cheese!

Whole 30 pumpkin alfredo with andouille and beet noodles

Whole 30 pumpkin alfredo with andouille and beet noodles

Ingredients:

12oz package of andouille sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (I use Wegman’s brand which has no sugar or nitrates)

15oz can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

2 cups unsweetened cashew milk

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

10 fresh sage leaves, chiffonade

1 tbl. Olive oil

2 tbl. ghee

1 pound beet noodles (spiralized beets)

Method:

In a deep large skillet add the sausage over medium heat and cook until the sausage has nice caramelized color.  Set sausage aside. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to skillet and heat over medium heat.  Add garlic and sauté 2 minutes.  Add pumpkin, cashew milk, nutmeg, and sage.  Simmer for 15 minutes to thicken the sauce.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

 

For the noodles, use a spiralizer to make noodles of raw peeled beets, or purchase them already spiralized if you’re lucky enough to have a grocery store that offers spiralized vegetables.  Heat ghee in a large pot over medium high heat.  Add the beets and sauté until crisp tender, about 5 minutes.  Season with kosher salt to taste.

Toss cooked beet noodles, sauce, and sausage together.  As you can see my cooked beet noodles turned everything pink/purple.

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Whole 30 & Paleo Tomato Salad

25 Sep

My neighbors brought over two huge, ripe heirloom tomatoes from their garden the other day.  Since we were headed to visit with friends and have an evening dinner on the grill, I decided to make a salad out of these tomatoes to enjoy as a side dish.  This is a simple way to highlight the wonderful flavor of garden fresh tomatoes!  Enjoy it while the season is still upon us!

Whole 30 tomato salad

Whole 30 tomato salad

Ingredients:

2 large heirloom tomatoes, chopped

2 green bell peppers, diced

1 english cucumber, peeled and sliced

3 tbl. extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tbl. balsamic vinegar

Kosher salt

Pepper

Method:

Whisk olive oil and balsamic vinegar together with a pinch of salt and about 10 grinds of fresh pepper.  Hand toss with tomatoes, peppers, and cucumber.  Add more seasoning to taste.

Macro breakdown:

Approximate macros in the entire dish…

Calories:  162

Fat:           2.6g

Carb:         35g

Protein:    5.8g

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Paleo Pumpkin Spice Muffins

23 Sep

New England has a little obsession with pumpkin spice.  Make that a large obsession.  Now that autumn has arrived I whipped up a batch of obligatory “WELCOME TO FALL IN NEW ENGLAND” muffins last night.  Dense, but extremely moist and minimal ingredients.  I decided to add chocolate chips, because…the only thing better than pumpkin spice muffins are chocolate chip pumpkin spice muffins.

Paleo chocolate chip pumpkin spice muffins

Paleo chocolate chip pumpkin spice muffins

Ingredients:

(makes ~27 muffins)

5 large eggs

3 cups canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

3/4 cup organic blue agave

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 1/2 tsp. allspice

3/4 tsp kosher salt

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1 scoop Jay Robb vanilla egg white protein powder

3/4 cup coconut flour

10oz Enjoy Life dairy-, soy-, nut-, gluten-free semisweet chocolate chips (optional)

Method:

In your stand mixer with paddle attachment beat the eggs on medium for one minute.  Now mix in the remaining ingredients, except chocolate, in order until smooth and combined.  Then add the chocolate chips until mixed through.  Evenly distribute into muffin tins lined with wrappers (I prefer the parchment cupcake wrappers) and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.  Cool and enjoy.

Macro breakdown:

Per muffin without chocolate chips

Calories:  60

Fat:           2g

Carb:        12g

Protein:   3g

Per muffin with chocolate chips

Calories:  116

Fat:           5g

Carb:        18g

Protein:   4g

 

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Paleo Key Lime Pie Chia Pudding

22 Sep

I love key lime greek yogurt, but key lime greek yogurt doesn’t love me.  Since the greek yogurt wasn’t an option for me, I decided to create a fun flavor for summer (yes, summer is over, so sorry forgot to post this…well, months ago).  This is amazing with the topping or just on its own!

Paleo key lime pie chia pudding

Paleo key lime pie chia pudding

Ingredients:

(4 servings)

Chia Pudding

2 cups ‘milk’ (coconut, almond, cashew, etc)

2 tbl. pure maple syrup

5 tsp. vanilla extract

6 tbl. key lime juice (I use Nellie & Joe’s key west lime juice)

1/2 cup chia seeds

Topping

1 cup almond flour

1 1/2 tsp. maple sugar

1 1/2 tsp. pure maple syrup

1 tbl. ghee

1/8 tsp.himalayan salt

Method:

Chia Pudding

Whisk all ingredients together and pour into 4 mason jars.  Refrigerate until set (I just wait overnight).

Topping

Pulse ingredients in food processor until crumbly.  Sprinkle on set chia pudding.

Paleo key lime pie chia pudding

Paleo key lime pie chia pudding

Paleo key lime pie chia pudding

Paleo key lime pie chia pudding

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Paleo Chicken Tikka Masala

22 Apr

Chicken tikka masala is my absolute favorite south Indian entree!!  I finally got around to trying my hand at making it, and I’m very pleased with how it came out!  I have one asterisk for this recipe and that is the dish normally contains cilantro; however, I hate cilantro so you will notice it is absent from my recipe.  Yes, I even pick it out of the dish at restaurants  For those who enjoy cilantro, I would say add about 1/2 cup of fresh chopped cilantro at the very end.

Paleo Chicken Tikka Masala

Paleo Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients:

Approximately 10 servings (because this is great left over)

5-6 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bite size cubes

4 cups plain coconut milk yogurt

12 small cloves garlic, minced

8 tsp. fresh ginger, minced

10 tsp. ground turmeric

5 tsp. ground garam masala

5 tsp. ground coriander

5 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. ground ginger powder

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tbl. + 1 tsp. kosher salt

4 tbl. ghee

2 sweet onions, diced

1/2 cup tomato paste

1/8 tsp. ground cardamom

4 dried árbol chiles (make sure these chiles break if you want a spicy dish)

Two 28-oz cans whole peeled tomatoes

4 cups full fat coconut milk

Method:

Whisk together yogurt, 6 cloves minced garlic, 4 tsp. minced ginger, 5 tsp. turmeric, 2.5 tsp. garam masala, 2.5 tsp. coriander, 2.5 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. ground ginger, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 2 tbl. + 1 tsp. kosher salt.  Add chicken, stir to mix and fully coat, cover and marinate at room temperature for 3 hours.

Spread chicken across two foil lined baking sheets.  Broil one sheet at a time on high for 7 minutes, set aside.

In a large pot (I used my 9.5 quart dutch oven) melt ghee over medium heat.  Add onion, tomato paste, cardamom, chiles, and a dash of kosher salt and sauté for 5 minutes.  Add 6 cloves minced garlic, 4 tsp. minced ginger, 5 tsp. turmeric, 2.5 tsp. garam masala, 2.5 tsp. coriander, 2.5 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. ground ginger, 1 tsp. garlic powder and cook for 5 minutes.  Add tomatoes and crush with a potato masher.  Simmer the mixture for approximately 10 minutes.  Add coconut milk and broiled chicken.  Bring mixture to a simmer for 40 minutes.

I served mine over sautéed cauliflower rice.

 

 

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Paleo Garlic Honey Mustard Chicken

29 Mar

I made this as a chicken drumstick dish, but this tasty sauce will work just as well for wings, thighs, breasts, you name it.  When baking in the oven I always recommend bone in, skin on for the most flavor.

Paleo garlic honey mustard chicken drumsticks

Paleo garlic honey mustard chicken drumsticks

Ingredients:

5 pounds chicken drumsticks

3 tbl. ghee

4 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup dijon mustard

1/3 cup honey

1 tbl. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. coconut aminos

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Kosher salt

Pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 425°F.  Lay the drumsticks across two baking sheets lined with non-stick foil.  Yes, Reynolds now makes non-stick aluminum foil and it is AMAZING!  Bake the chicken until cooked through and skin has crisped a bit, approximately 40 minutes.  Can also broil each baking sheet for about 2 minutes on high after baking to crisp the skin.  While the chicken is cooking, melt the ghee in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Once melted add the garlic and cook for 2-4 minutes, being careful not to brown.  Remove from heat and whisk in remaining ingredients seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.  Toss the cooked chicken in the sauce and serve.

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