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Paleo & Whole30 Cauliflower Salad

23 Nov

Cauliflower salad, aka not potato salad. For when you want a lighter side dish for those warm weather BBQs.

2 pounds cauliflower florets, cooked until tender

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tbl Dijon mustard

2 tbl yellow mustard

1 tbl white wine vinegar

1/2 pound cooked bacon, crisp and diced (uncured and nitrate free for Whole30)

3 hard boiled eggs, chopped

2stalks celery, thinly sliced

2 tbl chives, minced

1 tbl dill, minced

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

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Paleo & Whole30 Green Thai Curry Chicken

19 Mar

Green Thai curry chicken

(~10 servings)

Ingredients
1 tbl ghee
2 sweet onions, chopped
3.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
2 tbl minced garlic
2 tbl minced ginger
1 tbl ground coriander 
2 jars Thai green curry paste (4oz each)
1 pound asparagus, woody ends trimmed and cut to 0.5-1” pieces
10oz bag matchstick carrots
2 cans full fat coconut milk
1 tbl lime juice
10 Thai basil leaves, chiffonade 
Kosher salt
Pepper
Method
In a large pot over medium high heat sauté onion in ghee until it begins to soften. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to pot, sauté 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and coriander, sauté 1-2 minutes. Add curry paste, asparagus, carrot, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, simmer 5 minutes. Add basil and lime juice, season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Eat as is, serve over cauliflower rice, etc.

Paleo Hostess Cupcakes

5 Jan

I created this delicious recipe for a party, so it yields approximately 65 cupcakes. While the point of paleo is NOT to eat dessert, it is fun to have options for parties that are slightly better for you than normal.

Chocolate cupcakes
2 cups coconut flour
2 cups cocoa powder
2 tsp kosher salt
4 tsp baking soda
24 large eggs
2 cups grape seed or canola oil
4 cups organic blue agave
5 tbl + 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Combine dry. Combine wet. Mix dry into wet, distribute into lined muffin tins, and bake 375F for 22 minutes. When cool poke hole with wooden spoon handle and fill with marshmallow creme (below)
Marshmallow creme filling
2.7oz water
3/4 cup honey
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 large egg whites, room temp
1/3 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract 
Stir together water, sugar, and honey in a small saucepan with candy thermometer.  Heat over medium high and DO NOT TOUCH (no further mixing). When the mixture reaches 220F start whisking egg whites and cream of tartar in stand mixer on high. When sugar mixture reaches 240F, remove from heat and pour a thin, steady stream into whisking egg whites. Add vanilla and continue whisking until mixture is glossy and thick. Add to piping bag and fill cooled cupcakes. 
Ganache
1 cup Ripple (plant based dairy-, soy-, and nut-FREE) half and half
24oz Enjoy Life chocolate chips
1 tsp instant espresso powder
Melt ingredients together in a double boiler, spread over cooled and filled cupcakes. 
White icing for decorating
1 cup Swerve confectioners sugar substitute 
1/4 cup Nutiva shortening (blend of coconut oil and red palm shortening)
1/3 cup Ripple (plant based dairy-, soy-, and nut-FREE) half and half
1/8 tsp vanilla
Blend ingredients in stand mixer, add to piping bag and decorate with classic Hostess squiggles. 

Whole 30 and Paleo Chicken Red Curry Carrot Ginger Soup

15 Dec
Chicken red curry carrot ginger soup
2 tbl ghee
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 small bunch celery (5 stalks) celery, sliced
1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced 
1 quart chicken bone broth
1 can full fat coconut milk
1 tbl grated ginger
1 tbl Thai red curry paste
1/2 tsp red pepper flake
1/2 tsp turmeric 
Kosher salt
Pepper
2 pound cooked Rotisserie chicken, meat only, chopped or shredded
Sauté onion and celery in ghee with some salt  over medium heat. After 4 minutes add carrot and potato. After 5 minutes add garlic and ginger. After 1 minute add curry paste.mix past in then add broth, coconut milk, pepper flakes, turmeric and simmer 15 minutes. Transfer soup to Vitamix (blender) and purée until smooth and velvety. Return soup to pot,  add chicken to warm through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Whole 30 and Paleo Cashew-cream of Asparagus Soup

15 Dec
(Cashew) Cream of asparagus soup
 
1-2 tbl Ghee
1 cup raw cashews soaked in water for 2-24 hours, drained
3 small leeks, white and light green, sliced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 bunches asparagus, woody ends trimmed off, then cut into 1.5” pieces
4 cups chicken bone broth
1/2 bunch chives (plus more for garnish), sliced
Juice from 1 lemon
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
4oz diced prosciutto, cooked to desired crispiness
Heat ghee in pot over medium heat.  Add leeks and sauté until soft. Add garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes before adding asparagus.  Saute 1-2 minutes and add  broth. Simmer 8 minutes. Add cashews, chives, and transfer to blender. Purée until smooth. Top with crispy prosciutto and extra chives. 
5 servings, each serving =
299 calories 
16g fat
20g carbohydrates 
22g protein

Whole 30 and Paleo Coconut Red Thai Curry Mussels

15 Dec

Coconut red Thai curry mussels

2 pounds fresh mussels, cleaned and debearded

1 tbl ghee

3 leeks, quartered and sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound riced butternut squash

3 cups chicken broth

2.5 tbl red Thai curry paste

2/3 cup full fat coconut milk

Kosher salt and pepper

Sauté leeks, garlic, and squash in ghee over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and curry paste and mix well. Add coconut milk and mussels. Cover and cook for 6 minutes. DISCARD any mussels that haven’t opened and enjoy the rest.

Paleo Mini Chocolate Churro Pancakes

15 Dec

Mini chocolate/dark chocolate churro pancakes!

1 overripe banana, mashed

2 large eggs

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tbl cacao powder for dark chocolate, milk tbl cocoa powder for chocolate

3 tbl SFH pure whey churro flavor protein powder

Whisk together 1 mashed overripe banana, 2 large eggs, 1/8 tsp sea or kosher salt, 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tbl cacao powder (substitute cocoa powder for less “dark” chocolate flavor), 3 tbl churro pure whey protein powder. Cook 1 tbl batter per pancake in nonstick skillet over medium heat, 2 min on side one, 1 min side two. Makes 14 miniature pancakes.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT regarding Paleo Made Easy

11 Jul

To everyone out there who loves my recipes as much as I do, thank you!  A lot of people have purchased their own copy of my cookbook, Paleo Made Easy (see right), and love it!  Again, thank you!  As you can see beneath the “buy now” button (see right) is a paragraph containing specific instructions.  I included this paragraph because a handful of people forgot to actually download the cookbook after purchasing it! Once you close the browser window your chances of download are ZERO, so please be careful and follow the instructions!  IF you do follow my instructions and still encounter a problem, as I stated, PLEASE CONTACT ME SO I CAN PERSONALLY EMAIL YOU A COPY IMMEDIATELY!  There is no need to wait around for a month or two thinking something is going to show up in the mail.  Nothing is going to show up in the mail.  This is a downloadable PDF, an e-cookbook!  I made it this way for the ease of all parties involved.

If you love my recipes and are interested in my cookbook (146 pages in length) click “buy now”.  Submit your payment through PayPal.  Do not close your browser window, do not navigate away from the page.  PayPal will automatically redirect you to a new page.  When your new page loads find the button that reads “Download 1.88MB”.  Click this button to download your personal PDF copy of Paleo Made Easy 2011.

Enjoy your new cookbook and all of its paleo goodness 🙂

Again, any problem contact me immediately.  Leave a comment here (or on any post).  Message me through the Facebook link (see right).  Just let me know and I will fix it.  If you purchase a cookbook I want to make sure you get to enjoy it right away!

Thanks ~ Deanna 🙂

Quinoa salad

7 Dec

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is one of those questionable foods when it comes to classifying something as paleo or not.  Some people (not me) call grass fed butter paleo.  I call quinoa paleo.  Whether or not you want to consider quinoa paleo the fact remains that it is a gluten free seed that is high in protein.  This is a great source of protein for those who do not eat meat, or have only recently started to eat meat and cannot eat it every day.  The original quinoa salad recipe comes from my friend Cameron who makes it as a great side for barbecues!  This is my modified version that has replaced the ingredients that are absolutely not paleo.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups quinoa
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 yellow bell peppers, chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced
1 1/2 tbl. red wine vinegar
2 tbl. ground coriander
Dressing:
5 tbl. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. kosher or sea salt
2 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/3 cup olive oil
Method:
Place quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and wash thoroughly with cool water.  In a sauce pan of salted boiling water, cook the quinoa for 10 minutes.  Drain the quinoa and place in a mesh strainer over a pot with boiling water (the strainer and quinoa should not make contact with the water), cover quinoa with a tea towel, and steam quinoa for 10 minutes.  Mix the peppers with the red wine vinegar.  Transfer quinoa to a large bowl, when cool mix with peppers and coriander.  Whisk together lime juice, salt, and cumin.  While whisking drizzle in a constant stream of olive oil.  Pour dressing over quinoa and mix well.  Serve cold or room temperature.

Paleo for athletes: Chicken and sweet potato gnocchi soup

12 Jun

If I do say so myself, this is a pretty spot on representation of the chicken and gnocchi soup you’ll find at any Olive Garden.  Just paleo (mostly, see explanation in gnocchi recipe link below), and way healthier 🙂  The next time you’re in the mood for a good soup give this recipe a try.

Ingredients:

1 batch of Dee’s paleo for athletes sweet potato gnocchi (https://deliciousprimalcooking.com/2012/06/10/paleo-for-athletes-gnocchi/#) or some of my paleo sweet potato gnocchi (https://deliciousprimalcooking.com/2013/05/29/paleo-sweet-potato-gnocchi-version-2-0/)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced.

2 tbl. extra virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

2 carrots, shredded

4 celery stalks, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

6 cups organic low sodium chicken broth

2 cups unsweetened coconut milk beverage (today I used So Delicious brand)

2oz. baby spinach, washed

4 sprig fresh thyme

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Method:

Cook gnocchi as described in recipe.

It was gorgeous out today so the chicken breasts were brushed with extra virgin olive oil, seasoned with kosher salt and pepper and grilled.  After the chicken rested the breasts were diced.

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium to medium high heat.  When hot add the onion and 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and saute 3 minutes.  Add carrot and celery and saute an additional 3 minutes.  Add garlic and saute an additional 1 minute.  Add cooked chicken, chicken broth, coconut milk beverage, 1 tsp. salt, pepper, and thyme.  Bring to a boil and cook for 4 minutes.  Reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes.  Remove sprigs of thyme and add spinach and gnocchi.  Cook until spinach has wilted and gnocchi are warmed through.  Enjoy!