Cilantro Steak Marinade

This has been our go to marinade for the last month and it is amazing every time! 

Cilantro Steak Marinade

Adapted from Against All Grain

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup grapeseed oil (or oil of choice)

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

3 cloves garlic

2 TBS coconut aminos

1 TBS fish sauce

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 TBS hot sauce (optional)

3 pounds flank steak (or cut of choice)

Prep a bowl for the marinade, my go to is a trash bag lined mixing bowl.

Blend first 10 ingredients in blender or food processor and pour over steak

Marinate for 6 - 12 hours and cook as desired. We grilled ours and it was DE-lish!

Waffles. Delicious, Amazing Waffles!

I was never a big waffle or pancake person until I starting eating Paleo then I fell in love with them because they are real, whole ingredients not a bunch of junk! I will never go back to 'normal' waffles and pancakes!

Waffles
Adapted from Brittany Angell's Extra Crispy Waffles

1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup of tapioca starch
2 tsp baking powder
2 TBS xylitol or coconut sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1/4 cup of coconut oil, melted*
1/2 cup of yogurt** OR 1/2 cup milk + 1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Heat up your waffle maker.
Mix all of the ingredients except coconut oil. When everything is combined, while continuously string, to keep it from seizing up, slowly pour in the coconut oil.
Using 1/4 cup measuring cup pour batter into waffle iron. Every waffle iron is different but it should be about 5-7 minutes to cook. They are done when they easily pull off of the iron.
They can be frozen in a baggie with some parchment paper in between and toasted to heat up!

*If (and when) you double this recipe, do not double the oil, use 1/3 cup of oil instead. The rest of the ingredients double fine.

**Previously the recipe read 1/2 cup of milk and 1 tsp of lemon juice BUT I was making breakfast this morning and of course I'm out of everything...I had to quick make some almond flour and I was completely out of milk. I usually keep some in the pantry just in case but I already used that the other day to make Chia Seed Pudding. Anyway I googled 'can i substitute yogurt for milk' (did you know that you can do that for everything??) because that was the closest thing I had to milk. Turns out you can in a 1 for 1 sub and they were better than the original!! That my friends is called serendipity and I love it!

Side note - these waffles double as bread for sandwiches, burgers, mini pizzas...your imagination is the limit! YUM!!

Sweet Potato Crust Pizza

The thing I miss most while eating this way is Pizza (and dessert of course!) When I read about sweet potato crust pizza I was totally on board! After 3 tries Matt and I finally succeed in being able to eat our pizza without a fork! Surprisingly the sweet potato isn't overpowering and really blends into the background while letting your pizza toppings shine! It make sounds like a lot of work but it really isn't AND it is totally worth all of the time you put into it!

Sweet Potato Crust Pizza
Adapted from Carrots 'n Cake

Makes 1 12" pizza (trust me, you'll want to double it!)
1.5 cups of mashed sweet potato
1.5 cups of Almond flour
2 large eggs, whisked
1 cup of shredded, raw parmesan cheese
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp italian seasoning blend
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
toppings of choice

Preheat your over to 400 degrees.
Mix all of your crust ingredients in a large bowl.
Grease a cookie sheet and using a spatula, spread your dough into a 1/2 inch thick circle. Make sure the edges don't become thinner than the middle or they will burn.
Bake for 30 minutes, or more until the center is firm to the (careful) touch.
Remove from oven and add sauce and toppings. Return to oven and bake for another 5-7 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Remove from oven and slice. Getting it off the pan is sometimes difficult - we use a thin metal spatula and patience.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

Don't freak out but this is NOT a strict Paleo recipe! Like I said I follow Phase 1 so I can have limited amounts of organic, unpasteurized dairy. If you are strict Paleo, don't make the icing and you'll be fine!

These are SO good, like no one knows they are, dare I say it...Healthy! Well about as healthy as a cupcake can be. I mean they have carrots in them so that counts for something right?

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing
adapted from Doug Kaufman's Phase 1 cookbook

Makes 16-20 cupcakes
For the cupcakes:
2 1/2 cups of almond flour*
1/4 cup of coconut flour
1/4 cup of buckwheat flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup plus 2 TBS of xylitol
2 packets of stevia
6 TBS avocado oil (or another flavorless oil of choice)
5 large eggs
3 cups of grated carrots (I grated mine in the food processor)

For the icing:
4 TBS of butter, softened
1/2 cup of xylitol (put it in the food processor on high, with a towel over the top to contain the 'dust' until it is the consistency of powdered sugar, or close)
2 packets of stevia
8oz of cream cheese, softened
1 tsp of vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.
Line or grease muffin tins.

For the cupcakes:
In a mixing bowl, whisk together flours, cinnamon, baking soda, xylitol and stevia.
In a smaller bowl, whisk together eggs and oil.
Add egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a spoon or spatula (no whisk - you'll regret it!)
Add carrots and mix until combined.
Spoon batter into muffin tins, they only rise a bit so fill 'em up!
Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center come out clean.
Cool Completely.

For the icing:
Mix all of the ingredients in the food processor until smooth, scraping the sides as needed.
Refrigerate until ready to use.


*I make my own. Almond flour is super expensive and is easy to make. I buy almonds in bulk from BJ's and grind them until fine in the food processor, then store it in freezer baggies in the freezer. I'm not sure how long it lasts in the freezer because I go through it so fast.

Meat Sauce with Buternut Squash

I really love simple. I also really love comfort food. This recipe qualifies for both and I honestly don't think I could love it anymore! I usually make meat sauce and serve it over spaghetti squash (or just eat it out of the pan - who am I kidding?) and that is always delicious but last week I was making a chili recipe that called for butternut squash and I had a little leftover, I decided to throw it in with my leftover meat sauce. MAGIC! The added sweetness of the butternut squash makes the flavor so different. Rich, but not heavy, just purely delicious...I'm going to stop now before I start drooling.

Meat Sauce with Butternut Squash

Makes dinner for 2 and leftovers for the next days lunch

1 butternut squash
2 pounds of ground meat
1 jar of sugar free pasta sauce*

First things first - Get your oven nice and hot - 450.
Cut the squash in half and scoop out seeds.
Place both halves of the squash cut side down on a cookie sheet covered in foil with the edges folded up as sides OR put it in a baking dish with sides. The squash will leak some water and make a mess if you don't so make sure you do something to hold the water in!
Place in the oven for 30 - 45 minutes. It is done when you can easily squish the squash (that's fun to say! squish the squash...) or poke it with a fork.
While the squash is baking heat a frying pan over medium low heat and brown the meat (feel free to add onions and garlic if you like but remember this is my lazy meal so I'm not getting fancy).
Once meat is cooked, add pasta sauce and simmer over low to heat up the sauce.
When squash is done (you have squished it), with an oven mitt covered hand hold 1 half and with a spoon in the other hand, spoon out the squash into bowls.
Add meat and sauce and stir it up, to break up the chunks of squash.
Garnish with some grated, unpasteurized cheese and some basil (IF you're feeling fancy)
Enjoy!

 *Hard to find unless you want to drop serious cash, like $8 a jar! I was able to find a jar of sugar free sauce at BJ's that I really like and isn't expensive! I tried to make my own - haven't been happy with that just yet. but I make so many things from scratch I would like to just be able to open a can every once in a while!

High Protein Pancakes

For Valentine's Day this morning I made my Valentine these delicious AND nutritious pancakes!

High Protein Pancakes
Adapted from Doug Kaufman's Phase 1 cookbook

1 cup of Coconut Milk
2 eggs
2 TBS melted and cooled coconut oil*
2 TBS of maple syrup OR 3 packets of stevia OR 2 droppers full of liquid stevia (thats what I used)**
3/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
2 TBS of tapioca starch OR arrowroot powder
1 TBS buckwheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
fresh fruit (optional)
chocolate chips (optional)

In a large bowl whisk together the wet ingredients.
Add the dry ingredients and mix well.
Heat up a skillet over medium heat and pour 1/4 cup of batter into pan.
If you are adding fruit or chocolate chips do it now
Flip after 2 - 3 minutes or when edges start to brown.
Cook for another 2-3 minutes and serve!


*Note - If doubling, do 1 and 1/2 instead of 2 times of coconut or pancakes will be too greasy.
**Note - Sweetness of stevia can change dramatically depending on the brand used, start with a little and taste as you go!

How -To - Cauliflower Rice

When I first heard about cauliflower rice I was very skeptical, cauliflower in my naïve head had a very potent flavor that I didn't think could be masked. Turns out it is one of my favorite vegetables because of its ability to mimic so many non paleo foods! When I discovered its versatility it became a lot easier to live paleo.

Cauliflower 'Rice'

1 head of cauliflower
1 food processor with a shredding blade.

There are 2 different schools of thought on how to make 'rice'. Method 1 is cook its first and shred it later and method 2 is shred it first and cook it later. I have tried both but I go back to method 1 every time. I think it is WAY less messy but maybe that's just me...

Method 1:

Cut your head of cauliflower into manageable pieces (I cut it into pieces I know will fit into the mouth of my food processor without force, the less force the less mess!
Using a steaming basket in a pot, steam cauliflower until you can poke a fork into it without much resistance. Remove lid form pan and remove pan from heat. Do not over cook or you will have mash instead of rice.
Let it cool or you will burn yourself, I burn myself a lot!
Set up your food processor with the shredding attachment and turn on
Add cauliflower piece by piece through the mouth until all of it has been 'riced' you may need to empty the food processor halfway through. Hold your hand near the mouth as it will shoot small pieces back out at you.

That's it! After that you can use it as you would normally use rice. I usually fry mine in some coconut oil with onions and garlic. I also add chopped 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro and 4 TBS of lime juice if we are using the rice as a bed for carnitas or fajitas! SO delicious!!

Method 2:

Cut your head of cauliflower into manageable pieces (I cut it into pieces I know will fit into the mouth of my food processor without force, the less force the less mess!
Set up your food processor with the shredding attachment and turn on
Add cauliflower piece by piece through the mouth until all of it has been 'riced' you may need to empty the food processor halfway through. Hold your hand near the mouth as it will shoot small pieces back out at you.
Add 'rice' to a frying pan or pot and add 1 cup of chicken broth (for added flavor), cover and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes until 'rice' is softened.
Use as you would normally use rice.

Steamed and ready for the food processor

In the pan, getting crispy!

My cilantro lime 'rice'

Potsticker Burgers

This burger combines all of the best things about pot stickers without the wrapper!

Pot Sticker Burgers
Adapted from CupcakesOMG!

Makes 8 - 10 full size burgers or twice that for sliders
(I like to see more on my plate so I chose to make the burgers smaller)

For the burger:
2 lbs. of ground chicken (I also used meatloaf mix and was not happy with the results at all! The chicken however was moist, flavorful and delicious!)
2 cloves of minced garlic
2 TBS minced ginger (I buy bigger pieces, peel and freeze so I always have ginger!)
4 TBS coconut aminos
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
3-4 scallions, chopped finely
1.5 cups of cole slaw mix
1 egg

Coconut oil for frying. I also tried Olive Oil, not a good choice!

For the Asian slaw:
3 cups of cole slaw mix
3-4 cloves of grated garlic
1.5 TBS grated ginger
3 TBS oil (I used avocado but olive, coconut, grapeseed, etc. will all work)
3 TBS coconut aminos
5 TBS apple cider vinegar
2 tsp fish sauce (I use Red Boat purchased at Whole Foods. If you don't have it, it can be omitted without too much of a difference in flavor)
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
4-5 scallions chopped
3 TBS sunflower seeds (without the shell)


Whisk together ginger, garlic, oil, coconut aminos, vinegar, fish sauce and sesame oil in a mixing bowl.
Add cole slaw mix, scallions, and sunflower seeds and mix well until dressing covers everything.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (seems unnecessary BUT the flavors get so much better with time. well worth it!)

In the meantime... In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, garlic, ginger, coconut aminos, oil and scallions.
Add cole slaw mix and chicken and mix well with your hands and shape into burgers.
Heat a frying pan with coconut oil (trust me on this!)
Add burgers and cook until done. About 5 minutes each side depending on size.
Serve hot with the cold slaw and thank me for blowing your mind!

Amazing Garlic and Cumin Marinade

This is the second marinade I made this week; hands down my new favorite marinade for chicken! It has smoky undertones and flavors that wake up your taste buds, you will not be disappointed!

Garlic and Cumin Marinade
Adapted from Doug Kaufman's Phase 1 cookbook

1.5 pounds of chicken, beef, lamb...any kind of meat!
1/2 cup of coconut aminos (gluten free soy sauce)
1/2 cup of coconut oil
1 TBS apple cider vinegar
1 TBS pressed or finely minced garlic
1 TBS tomato paste
1 TBS chili powder
1 tsp cumin

Prep your marinade container, I used a mixing bowl lined with a garbage bag.
Add meat of choice to container.
Mix the rest of the ingredients together and pour over top of meat.
Allow to marinate for at least 4 hours up to 12
Cook as desired. We baked chicken breasts.
Serve with roasted veggies and a side of quinoa or cauliflower rice. Mmm!

Hot Sauce and Lime Chicken Marinade

My husband, Matt, and I have been pre-making food for the week on the weekends. We both have full time jobs, we attend a few Bible studies and workout as much as we can - at the end of the day we don't feel like cooking! It also saves us time, money and helps us eat the way we want to instead of eating garbage just because we are out and 'have no choice' - lets be honest, most of the time there is a healthy choice even when eating out BUT it isn't easy!

Anyway, this week we made 3 kinds of marinated meats. This is the first and easiest one I made...

Hot Sauce and Lime Chicken
Adapted from The Preppy Paleo

2 organic chicken breasts (or your cut of choice)

3 tbs. Frank's Hot Sauce

1 lime, juiced (I cheated and used Real Lime, 2 tbs. for every lime needed)

Salt & Pepper to taste

 

Prepare a dish for the marinade, any baking dish or bowl will do as long as it will hold it all (I used a mixing bowl lined with a trash bag, kind of ghetto but it makes for less clean up!)

Clean off skin and any fatty bits from chicken and place in prepared dish.

Mix Frank's, lime juice, salt and pepper in a bowl and pour over the chicken.

Throw in the fridge for at least 6 hours up to 1 day.

Cook chicken as desired. We baked ours but grilling would be equally delicious!

 

Enjoy!