Paleo Tortillas

Continuing on with my Cinco de Mayo theme here are some amazing paleo tortillas. They are super thin but surprising sturdy and hold the contents of your Mexican fiesta with ease!

Paleo Tortillas
Recipe from Stupid Easy Paleo
Makes 8-10 tortillas

4 eggs
2 tsp melted coconut oil or ghee
2 TBS water
1/2 cup of tapioca starch
2 tsp coconut flour
1/2 tsp salt

In a medium mixing bowl whisk eggs and add oil and water, mix well.
Slowly add in tapioca starch while whisking to cut down on lumps.
Add in coconut oil and salt, mix well

Heat an 8" frying pan over medium heat (medium heat is a little vague...you want it to be hot enough to cook the tortillas quickly but not hot enough scorch them on contact!)
Using either a 1/3 of a cup measuring cup or a mini measuring cup filled up, pour batter into the hot pan and swirl it around until the bottom of the pan is covered.
Cook for 30 - 45 seconds, the edges will start to peel away from the pan.
Flip and cook for another 30-45 seconds. Remove from pan and cool.
Fill with your favorite foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

Crockpot Paleo Carnitas

In honor of Cinco de Mayo (my favorite non- American holiday if the year!) I'm going to be posting a few of my favorite Mexican inspired recipes. This carnitas tops the list!

Carnitas, or Mexican pulled pork, is a super delicious way to enjoy some southern flavor without any guilt! The best thing about this super flavor filled meat is that your throw it in the crock pot and when you come back it is fall off the bone tender and juicy!

Crockpot Paleo Carnitas 

7 - 10 pounds of pork shoulder (I like to get the most bang for my buck so if it fits in my crockpot I'll make it!)

5 -7 cloves of garlic, peeled but whole

about 1/4 cup of my Taco Seasoning

the juice of 2 limes (I cheated and used 4 TBS of RealLime)

the juice of an orange (in a pinch I have used the juice of a grapefruit and it tasted just fine!)

Trim as much fat as possible off of the pork shoulder, don't go crazy but the more work you do now will save you a ton of tedious work later* - I promise!

Using a sharp knife, make a few large cuts in the pork.

Rub the spice blend all over the meat, being careful not to contaminate anything with your meat covered hands like I did today...Oops!

Place the spice rubbed pork shoulder in your crockpot and add the whole garlic cloves. I like to shoved them in the cuts I made, not sure if it adds more to the flavor but it makes me feel like a did a good job!

Pour citrus juices over meat and cover.

Cook on low for 8 - 10 hours depending on size and time constraints. You know its done when you can easy push the meat off the bone with a fork. MMM tasty!

You can literally just eat the meat by itself, its that good! We usually eat it over some cilantro- lime 'rice' or you can throw it on top of a salad, in scrambled eggs, in homemade tortillas, alongside some guacamole... However you eat it, enjoy it with some friends and family after all there is plenty!!

*When you are finished cooking and ready to store leftovers take the meat out of the crockpot and store it in an airtight container. If you leave it in its juices it will congeal and you will then have to separate it by hand, the dirty and tedious job I referred to earlier. 

Homemade Guacamole

You can't have good Mexican food without good guacamole and there are many different ways to make the refreshing and creamy spread. This is my take on it...

Homemade Guacamole

2 avocados, diced*
1/4 - 1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
2 TBS lime juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Optional - jalapeno, diced for a kick!

Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl and serve. It's that easy! Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

I like my guacamole to be chunky so I do more chopping than dicing but thats a personal preference!

*Hold onto the pits of the avocados and store them with the guacamole to keep it from oxidizing and turning brown.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

As I explained in my last cookie bar post, my husband, Matt LOVES cookie bars! This recipe includes eggs and honey and the bars are fluffy and delicious, I made them both and had Matt taste test them and this is his favorite recipe out of the two. I like them both but thats only because they both have chocolate in them! Try them both and let me know which ones you like best!

Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars (or cookies)
Made into bars from Civilized Caveman's recipe

2 cups almond flour
3 TBS coconut flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg, whisked
1 TBS vanilla extract
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup of chocolate chips
1/2 cup of chocolate chunks

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9x9 baking pan (if making cookies, grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper)
Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Add in egg, vanilla, coconut oil and honey and mix well. Dough should be pretty sticky at this point.
Fold in chocolate pieces, put dough into pan and press down with your hand or a spatula.
If making cookies, use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon and spoon onto cookie sheet.
Bake cookie bars for 25 minutes or until center feels stiff, edges should be slightly brown. Allow to cool completly before cutting and serving.
These probably won't last long enough but they can be frozen and heated up in the oven later.

Bake cookies for 13 - 15 minutes.
Allow to cool before eating. Don't be like Matt and burn your mouth...every time :)

Batter, ready to go in the pan.

Pressed down and ready for the oven.

Stiff center and brown edges - can't wait to eat them!

Cooled and ready to eat!

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Hello all!

For about two years now I have been making my own taco seasoning. Making your own seasonings cuts out those mysterious 'natural seasonings' and any added junk that is added to keep flavors shelf stable. I also don't want the yeast and sugar that is added to almost all taco seasoning packets. Oh and the cost! Anyway it is cheaper and more delicious (because you can tailor it to your taste buds!) and oh so simple!

Homemade Taco Seasoning

3 TBS chili powder
1 1/2 TBS cumin powder
1 TBS garlic powder
1 TBS salt
1 TBS pepper
1 TBS onion powder
1 1/2 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
3/4 tsp dried oregano

Mix all the spices together and add to anything you want to taste Mexican.
I usually use 1 TBS per pound of meat. Play with flavors and feel free to adjust ratios to your taste!
I always double the recipe and store in a Tupperware container with the rest of my spices.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Hello out there! It has been quite a while. Life gets in the way of fun sometimes...

Anyway, everyone needs a sweet treat now and again (I need them at least once a week!) and since cookie bars are my husband's all time favorite dessert it has been my paleo mission to make the best, most delicious tasting bars I can. Here is one that I have made from a mixture of a few different recipes, these are chewy and the edges get crispy - super tasty! I posted another recipe that is a more soft and fluffy bar if crunchy cookie bars aren't your thing... Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars (or cookies)

2 cups of almond flour*
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup of coconut sugar (or any granulated sugar, xylitol works well too)
3 TBS coconut oil (or your favorite flavorless oil)
2 TBS milk (any kind)
1 TBS vanilla extract
1 cup of chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life brand because of their limited ingredients)

Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease baking pan or sheet. I used a 9x9 pan for the cookies bars.
Mix dry ingredients together. Add in wet ingredients whisking thoroughly.
Fold in chocolate chips and either pour into pan or spoon onto cookie sheet. Batter will be fairly loose, that's ok!
Bake cookie bars for about 25 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch.
Bake cookies for about 16 minutes.
For the cookie bars, cool completely before trying to remove them from the pan, they do not have any binding agent and they will fall apart and you will be left with chocolate chip granola (still tasty!!). I was in a rush yesterday and popped mine into the freezer for about 10 minutes before removing them from the pan.

If you make cookies, comment below and let me know how they turn out since I haven't made them yet. We are strictly cookie bar people in my house!

* NOTE - I buy almonds in bulk from BJ's and grind my own almond flour. It is WAY more cost effective and super easy. Doing that I can pick how course I want my flour, usually a little on the chunky side to give whatever I'm making some added texture.

Chunky batter ready for the pan

Pressing the dough down

Ready for the oven.

Out of the oven

Ready to eat!