Birthday Brownies

Today is Nolan Ryan's birthday, which in my book is a good enough reason to bake paleo brownies and celebrate. If you don't know who he is, look him up. You probably won't be that impressed and, truth be told, if it weren't for Adam, I would have no idea who he was, either. And I probably would have never heard of him....ever.
Nevertheless, HAPPY BIRTHDAY NOLAN!!

Paleo Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients
-Brownies
• 2 cups almond flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup raw honey
• 1 egg
-Icing
• 2 heaping TBSP raw honey
• 1.5 TBSP cocoa powder
• Handful of crushed pecans, or nut of choice

Preparation
• Preheat oven to 350
• Grease round cake pan. Or any other pan you have on hand
• In medium mixing bowl, combine flour and cocoa. Add raw honey and egg. Mix until blended
• Lightly press into pan*
• Bake approx 15 minutes until done. Cool completely
• For icing, combine honey and cocoa in small saucepan on medium heat. Let simmer until combined and STIR CONTINUOUSLY
• Add pecans
• Immediately drizzle over brownies


* the batter is really sticky because of the honey. I had to put a piece of wax paper over the batter in order to press it into the pan

Apple and Onion Porkchops

I know, I know. You read the title of this post and thought "That is disgusting. Apples, Onions, Pork?!?!? She has really lost me on this one". Oh how I hope to change your mind. I first made this dish months and months ago and I just recently decided to revisit it. And boy am I glad I did - it was even better than I remembered. The sweetness of the apples, mixed with the tartness of the onions really compliment the pork exceptionally well. This is also a meal that is really quick to whip up. Please, do it for me and make this soon. You will be glad you did.

Ingredients:

• 4 bone-in pork chops
• 3 apples, cored and sliced
• 1 small yellow onion, sliced thin
• 1 TBSP coconut oil
• Salt and Pepper

Preparation:

1. Heat non stick skillet on medium high heat. Add coconut oil
2. Season pork with salt and pepper
3. Cook pork on each side for approx 7 minutes. Remove from heat
4. Add apples and onions to same skillet and cook until apples are tender.
5. Top pork with apple and onion mixture and serve!

I served this dish with broccoli and turkey pepperoni

Home Made Tortilla's and Flank Steak Tacos

I got this recipe from the Paleo Comfort Foods cookbook and it turned out great!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup coconut flour (I think almond flour would be good, too)
• 8 large egg whites
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup water
• coconut oil

Preparation:

1. Whisk all ingredients in bowl. Make sure no lumps remain
2. Preheat small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tsp of coconut oil to pan. Swirl around to coat bottom to get a thin tortilla. (The thinner, the better, I think)
3. Pour about 3 TBSP batter into skillet. Tilt pan back and forth to spread batter. Do not attempt to flip tortilla until you are pretty confident that side is golden brown (bc otherwise it will rip)
4. Once golden brown, flip tortilla and brown that side. Remove from skillet and repeat with remaining batter.

This gave me about 8 tortillas that I refrigerated in a ziplock bag and reheated as needed. I used them mainly for tacos and I dipped it in some chili, as well. 

Flank Steak Tacos

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Flank Steak
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tsp garlic, minced
• juice of 1 lime
• lettuce, chopped
• cucumber, chopped
• avocado, sliced

Preparation

1. Season meat with salt and pepper. Put in a gallon sized ziplock bag and add in garlic and lime juice
2. Marinate in fridge for a few hours
3. Heat oven to 400 degrees
4. heat non stick skillet over medium heat and sear both sides of meat for about 3 minutes
5. Remove from heat and place on cookie sheet
6. cook in oven for approx 12 minutes, or until done 
7. Slice meat and place on tortilla shell with lettuce, cucumber, and avocado

Pizza! Pizza!

Pizza is one of my very favorite meals and I have been CRAVING it for a while. I knew that my craving would not go away, unless I satisfied it, and that is exactly what I did. I am pleased to introduce.....Chicken Pizza!

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breast, pounded thin *
• EVOO
• 1 6oz can tomato paste
• 1 8oz can tomato sauce
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 Tbsp chopped onion
• Pizza toppings of choice
• Turkey pepperoni
• green bell pepper

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to Broil 
2. Line cookie sheet with foil (easy clean-up)
3. Brush both sides of chicken with EVOO
4. Put chicken on pan and broil for 1.5 minutes
5. Flip chicken and broil for another 1.5 minutes
6. Remove chicken from oven and reduce temp to 350
7. In a medium skillet, saute onion and garlic until onion is translucent
8. Add tomato paste and sauce, along with spices. Simmer until well combined
9. Spoon the tomato mixture over each individual chicken breast
10. Top with desired toppings
11. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until done

*Publix sells thinly sliced chicken and that is what I use.

I served this with carrots and leftover bell pepper sauteed in coconut oil. Next time I make this, which will probably be soon as this is one of Adam's favorites :) , I am going to top it with canadian bacon and pineapple!

London Broil

Tonight I tackled a cut of meat, that was a first for me. And if I can say so myself, it turned out beautifully. I cooked London Broil for Adam and I on the stove, but it would have been just as good on the grill. I'm pretty sure this summer we will be grilling this a good bit. I served it with sautéed mixed veggies and we split a sweet potato sprinkled with cinnamon. ***Update: for weeks now, Adam has continuously mentioned how awesome the London Broil was. He kept raving and raving about the wonderful flavor and tenderness...and so I'm fairly certain I will be cooking this again...way before summertime.***

Ingredients
• 1 lb London Broil
• 1/4 cup EVOO
• 1/8 cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 4 gloves garlic, smashed
• 1 TBSP gluten free Dijon mustard*
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

Preparation
• Combine EVOO, balsamic vinegar, garlic and Dijon mustard in small mixing bowl
• Season meat with salt and pepper
• Place meat in container and pour in oil mix (I used a gallon sized ziplock bag)
• Marinate in fridge for 24 hours
• Heat nonstick skillet over medium-high heat
• Cook meat for 7 minutes, flip meat and cook for another 7 minutes, or until it is done as you prefer

* I like Annie's brand

Banana Pancakes

This past weekend, Adam mentioned eating banana pancakes for breakfast a couple times. We used to get them from The Original Pancake House, but they are not Paleo in the least. So, i made my own!! Adam and I both really liked them. We also had some bacon, but I ate all of mine before I remembered to take a picture :-)

Ingredients
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 large banana, chopped
• drizzle of pure maple syrup

Preparation
1) heat nonstick skillet over medium heat
2) combine first 4 ingredients
3) fold in bananas
4) pour batter in skillet, pancake size
5) once done, drizzle with pure maple syrup

This made 8 pancakes for us. You could make them a bit bigger though and not have as many.

Bacon wrapped, pecan stuffed dates

This weekend we celebrated my sister-in-laws birthday with a fun lunch at my parents house. We were having steak and veggies for lunch and I thought I would contribute some by bringing some snacks. And I must say, most people really liked them!!! I, loved them.
One of the treats I brought were Bacon wrapped, pecan stuffed dates. They actually taste somewhat like pecan pie. Just try them :-)

Ingredients
• pitted dates (I pitted mine myself)
• pecan halves
• bacon

Preparation
• preheat oven to 400 degrees
• stuff date with pecan
• wrap piece of bacon around date
• secure with toothpick
• bake in oven for approx 15 minutes or until bacon is crispy


They are even good warmed up for a quick snack the following day.

Pecan Crusted Trout

This recipe came from my newest cookbook, Paleo Comfort Foods. It was delicious and I used the leftovers for fish taco's the next day. YUM! I will make something similar to this again, although I doubt I will use Trout. While the Trout was very good and had great flavor, it was a little expensive....or maybe I just bought too much?!?

Ingredients:

•  2 6-8oz trout
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 2 eggs
• salt and pepper
• crushed pecans

Preparation

• Mix almond flour and salt and pepper. Put in a shallow dish
• Whisk eggs until combined. Put in shallow dish
• Put crushed pecans in shallow dish
• Dredge fish in almond flour, then egg, then crushed pecans
• Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat
• Cook fish, skin side down, for approx 5 minutes. Flip fish and cook another 5 minutes, or until done

I served this with a side of roasted okra. Success! 

Yummy Yummy Guacamole.

I recently stumbled upon some amazing guacamole from.....yep, Whole Foods. It happened at the perfect time as I was getting somewhat bored with eating my plain, raw, veggies. I thought I would pick some up and give it a try. Now, it's on my weekly grocery list. This stuff is SO good on everything; veggies, eggs, plantain chips, fish tacos, salad, I've even used it as a condiment for my grilled steak and chicken. The ingredients are 100% paleo. I've been known to add a few spices of my own, like some garlic, to put a different twist on it. Do yourself a favor and swing by Whole Foods to pick some up.

Best Broccoli Ever

This seriously is the best broccoli ever. I make it All. The. Time.

Ingredients:
• a bunch of broccoli
• coconut oil, melted (or EVOO is fine, too)
• a few cloves of minced garlic
• a few slices of turkey bacon, cut into chunks
• juice of 1 lemon

Process:
• preheat oven to 375 degrees
• rinse broccoli and toss with oil
• line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup
• place broccoli on cookie sheet with garlic and turkey bacon
• roast in oven for 25-30 mins, stirring halfway through
• broccoli will begin to brown on top
• remove from oven and squeeze lemon juice over broccoli
• enjoy!

German Apple Pancakes

These German Apple Pancakes are so good! I cannot take a lick of credit for them, although I did cut the recipe down tremendously and cooked them in ramekins so I could eat them all week long :) HERE is the original recipe.

Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup Almond Milk
• 1.5 Tbsp Coconut Oil, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp pure maple syrup
• 1/8 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• pinch of Nutmeg
• 1 apple, cored and diced
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp Raw honey
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• Juice of 1/4 lemon

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees
• In a large bowl, whisk eggs, almond milk, coconut oil, vanilla, and syrup
• In a small bowl, stir coconut flour, nutmeg, and baking soda
• Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients and beat well to combine, set aside while preparing the apples
• In a small frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp coconut oil and honey
• Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice
• Add apples and coat with mixture
• Divide apple mixture between 4 ramekins greased with coconut oil
• Divide egg mixture on top of apple mixture in the 4 ramekins
• Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes until done

Fried Plantains

Lately I have really been craving chips or something crunchy. Gone are the days of "healthy" Baked BBQ Lays and tortillas with salsa, so I had to make something that would satisfy my craving. I have made Kale Chips in the past and they are really good (I will post recipe soon) but I was really wanting something different. Plantains! Adam LOVES plantains so I thought I would give it a shot and fry some up. I have always been a little scared of plantains mainly because they look really old and nasty with all the bruises and dark color on them. BUT they turned out really good and totally satisfied by desire.

Ingredients

• 3 plantains (the more bruised and black, the better)
• Coconut Oil
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

• Slice Plantains into chip-sized pieces *
• Heat coconut oil to medium-high heat in saute pan. Use enough to cover the bottom of the pan
• Add plantains to oil and cook until it begins to brown (approx 2-3 mins)
• Flip plantains and cook for an additional 2-3 mins
• Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels
• Season with salt and pepper

*Here is a helpful hint that I discovered while slicing the Plantains that I wish I had known before I started :)

Cut the tips off the Plantain. Then slice the plantain with the skin on. This will help keep the plantain from squishing out everywhere. Once sliced, you can easily remove the skin.

Drew's Salad Dressing

Since going Paleo, I have tried to find a store-bought salad dressing that can meet my needs. Of course, its super easy to make your own salad dressing, but with my few chef skills, it is hard to make many varieties. Nevertheless, I have found an AMAZING brand of salad dressing. The name is Drew's and every single one I have tried has been so good. Drew's dressing consist of all natural foods and many of them are dairy, gluten, and soy free!! You should really try this stuff out. Whole Food's as a large variety of flavors, and I have just recently seen a flavor or two sold at Publix. I have no idea how the prices compare, though. Even if you don't eat Paleo now, it is still worth trying out!

Fall off the bone chicken

Do you want an easy and delicious meal? This is exactly what I wanted this week since I am having to work late and I didn't want to spend an hour cooking when I got home from work, and therefore, eat dinner at 8:30....so I made my crock pot do all the work for me.

Here is how easy it actually was.

1 pastured chicken (I got mine at Whole Foods, gross innards already removed!)
1 lemon

(I can't figure out how to rotate pic :) )

1 fist of garlic*
Sea salt and pepper
1 Tbsp fresh sage, minced
1/4 Tbsp cumin**
1/4 Tbsp paprika**
1/4 Tbsp garlic**
1/4 Tbsp onion powder**

* a fist of garlic is the entire bulb that you would buy at the grocery store
** I just used a combination of spices that I had on hand to equal approx 1 Tbsp. Any spice mixture would do. OR just use salt and pepper for a Lemon Pepper chicken

Preparation:
1) Season the entire chicken, including cavity, with sea salt, pepper, and spices
2) Place the entire fist of garlic in cavity
3) Pierce lemon all over with fork and place in cavity
4) Place chicken in crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours

When it is finished, it will be fall-off-the-bone tender. The hardest part was getting it out of the crock pot. I tried to do this gracefully so I could get a pretty 'after' picture, but that didn't happen. I also let mine cook over night, as I would be gone for more than 8 hours during the day. The next morning, I put it in Tupperware and stuck it in the fridge. It was so nice to just warm it up that night and not have to cook much. I served it with a side of fresh green beans with some sliced almonds. Now, I have lots of leftovers for breakfast and lunch. It's so important to have protein with your meals, especially breakfast!

Left overs for lunch the next day.

Chicken with Dijon Sauce

Since this is my first recipe post, I figured I should start out with a bang. This recipe was so good! I am pretty sure this exact recipe will show up on my "normal" rotation. I used chicken thighs because dark meat is my favorite, although any piece of chicken would work perfect! There is SO much more flavor in dark meat. Yummy! If using chicken breasts (depending on size and quantity), you will probably need to increase the Dijon Sauce ingredients, as I did not have any leftover.

Ingredients:

6 bone-in, skin-on, chicken thighs

2 Tbsp grass-fed butter, melted

2 Tbsp (heaping) gluten free Dijon mustard (I like Annie's brand)
2 tsp Garam Masala*

Sea salt
*Garam Masala is an Indian spice, and can be found in your local grocery store in the spice section

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Combine melted butter, Dijon mustard, Garam Masala, and sea salt in bowl
3. Coat each chicken thigh with Dijon sauce. It's easiest to just dip all sides in bowl
4. Heat skillet and brown chicken, skin side down for about 3 minutes.
5. Flip chicken and brown for approx. 2 more minutes
6. Transfer chicken to foil lined cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes

I let the chicken cool for about 5 minutes before eating. This allowed the Dijon Sauce to glaze a little bit. These little guys have SO much flavor...Adam actually ate 4 of them! 

I served the chicken with a side of sauteed red bell-pepper, asparagus, and squash (I happened to have these on hand).

These were also good warmed up the next day for my lunch. And I apologize for not snapping a picture. I will do better :)

Some terminology

I thought it would be helpful for me to review some terminology that may appear in some of my blog posts:

• Paleo: a lifestyle diet that consists of eating lots of meat and veggies, nuts and seeds, little fruit and NO grains, dairy or soy. 
• Primal: very similar to the Paleo lifestyle, except you are able to consume dairy. Dairy does have its limits which includes full fat milks, grass fed butter, and a little bit of cheese, for example. 
• The purpose of both Paleo and Primal is to not eat any (or very little) processed food.
• My ultimate goal is to be 100% Paleo; however, I am having a hard time eliminating cheese. I can do without it on my salads, burgers, etc, but put a block of cheese in front of me and I cannot resist taking a slice or two. Send me into Whole Foods and I AM going to sample the cheese they have around the store. I am also not quite willing to give up my wine :)

• IronTribe: the Crossfit gym that I am a member of. Crossfit combines high intensity, functional movements that will make you a better, all-around, athlete. Crossfit trains you to be a general, albeit amazing, athlete. You will not be the BEST marathoner or the World's Strongest Man, but you will excel at everyday life. You will be able to run long distances, lift heavy weights and bear crawl with your 4 year old nephew. We train for life. 
• WOD: Workout of the Day. 

I've been told I should do this...

Starting a blog is something I have NEVER been interested in. First, I'm a terrible writer - I barely survived Language Arts in middle school. Secondly, I am not the least bit creative. I am not funny. I am not witty (are those the same?). I don't talk in metaphors or any other artsy lingo. Also, blogs are always supposed to include something encouraging or thoughtful, both of which are hard for me to put down on paper.
However, I thought this might be the best avenue for me to post some of my Paleo/Primal recipes and pictures. I am pretty sure the vast majority of my 1,113 friends on Facebook could care less what I am eating for dinner. And I also know I have lost some "friends" over my continuous food postings. I'm sure it is because they felt guilty seeing my Whole, Clean food after scarfing down an over-sized pasta dish.

Adam has lovingly teased me about starting a recipe blog, and has even told some of our friends at IronTribe that I was. Little did I know that I would actually do it.

My attempt in this blog is to share recipes, some of which are successful and some that didn't turn out so great. I hope to also keep myself accountable with my fairly recent switch to this lifestyle. I might even attempt to educate others on this lifestyle...but I am no teacher.

Nevertheless, cheers to taking on this new challenge in 2012.