Paleo Cinnamon Rolls

One of my favorite childhood memories is when I would wake up on a Saturday morning to the smell of warm cinnamon rolls baking in the oven! My mom and I would always fight for "the middle" and I typically won :) I attempted to recreate this memory, and while these aren't exactly the same, they definitely hit the spot. I ended up finding this recipe on a new website (to me) vaughangela.com. You can't really go wrong with warm, gooey, pull apart cinnamon rolls, especially Paleo ones!!!

These take a little patience so make them during a lazy weekend. And trust me, they are worth the effort!

Ingredients:
The Dough:

• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 cup ghee
• 2 1/2 cups almond flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans

The Filling:

• 2 Tbsp ghee
• 2 Tbsp cinnamon
• 3 Tbsp maple syrup

The Icing:

• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 tsp arrowroot powder

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a food processor, mix eggs, maple syrup, and ghee for The Dough. Then combine the rest of the ingredients (except nuts) under The Dough section and process until mixed
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place dough on top. Place another sheet of parchment paper on top and spread dough out into a rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.
4. Pull the top sheet of parchment off and sprinkle dough with pecans. Press pecans into dough with hands
5. Combine all the ingredients for The Filling together in a bowl and spread on top of dough.
6. Slowly lift the dough off the bottom sheet of parchment paper and carefully roll into a tight tube. Start with the long end a roll away from you.
7. Use a sharp knife to cut individual rolls from the dough (about 1/2 inch thick). You can spray knife with cooking spray if it starts sticking to dough,
8. Place flat side down on the parchment paper and bake for 15-20 minutes
9. While baking, mix together all of the ingredients for The Icing.
10. When the rolls are done, drizzle some icing on top and serve.

 

*Disclaimer: Cinnamon rolls were probably not part of your regular diet pre-Paleo; Therefore, these should not be a regular part of your Paleo diet. These are for special occasions and absolutely worth it.

Creamy Purple Mashed Potatoes

Don't these look amazing?!?!?! And totally weird?!?! If you haven't tried purple sweet potatoes that have been missing out on something great. These sweet potatoes are a bit sweeter, IMO, and make amazing mashed potatoes!

Ingredients:

• 2 purple sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into rounds
• 1/2 can coconut milk
• Salt, pepper, and cinnamon

Instructions:

• Place sliced Purple Sweet Potatoes in a big microwave safe dish; cover with plastic wrap. Microwave for 8 minutes.
• With a potato masher, begin to mash the sweet potatoes. Once you have mashed them a bit, put the bowl back in the microwave for another 6 minutes.
• Add coconut milk to bowl and mash until coconut milk is combined and sweet potatoes are completely mashed. At this point taste and see if you want to add more coconut milk to make it creamier.
• Season with salt, pepper, and cinnamon. I garnished mine with a few walnuts, too.

Curried Beef Stew

I am attempting to pack more leafy greens into my meals. I think I eat a fairly healthy dose of veggies for the most part, but leafy greens are missing from my diet. My go to green for this week has been spinach! I like using spinach because it compliments any meal. It can be added to just about anything, and really, once it is cooked it has a very mild flavor. What it does add is a ton of amazing vitamins!!! Last night I made curried beef stew, and added spinach! YUM! Again, the most noticeable difference in the dish were the green leaves!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb beef stew meat
• 2 Tbsp curry powder
• 1/2 can coconut milk
• 1 12oz bag baby spinach
•  3 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions:

1. In a large pot on medium heat, brown the stew meat. As the meat is browning, add curry.
2. Once meat is browned add the coconut milk and spinach. Allow to cook until the spinach is reduced.
3. Add garlic and let simmer for approx 10 minutes or until ready to serve

Chicken And Cabbage Salad

As I mentioned in a post last week, I am really trying to be more conscience of my spending habits in the grocery store. I got really carried away for a few weeks making elaborate, albeit amazing, dinners and tons of treats. That gets expensive. Fast. I have been trying to save those elaborate meals that require lots of ingredients and time for the weekends and eat more low-key during the week. I hope you didn't read: Tasty meals on the weekend, boring/bland meals in the week. Just because my weekday meals are more 'simple' they still have lots of flavor, and are very satisfying and delicious. Below is the recipe for the Chicken and Cabbage Salad I had for lunch today.

Ingredients:

• EVOO
• 1/4 bag shredded cabbage
• 1 can chicken
• 8 grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp tarragon
• 1/4 tsp of each: basil, rosemary, minced onion
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

Instructions:

1. Heat EVOO in skillet over medium heat. Add cabbage to skillet, once hot.
2. Allow cabbage to wilt slightly, then add chicken, tomatoes, and spices
3. Heat throughout and drizzle with lemon juice before serving

This would also be a good side dish if you wanted to leave out the chicken. You can also sub the shredded cabbage for broccoli slaw.

Caramel Pecan Bars

Happy Friday and Memorial Day Weekend! It's is my hope that everyone will take a moment out of their weekend to remember all those that have fought, and died, for our freedom. There is a  lady who works out at ITF whose husband was killed while serving and she is one of the strongest women I know and I respect and admire her more than she knows. She has written a blog post on IronTribe's website regarding Memorial Day and I encourage you to read it. Here is the link.

I know that a lot of people will be spending this long weekend by the pool with friends, at the lake, going to cook outs, etc so I wanted to give you a recipe that is SO GOOD and that will carry well to a party. Of course it is a treat - I just couldn't resist. BUT I do think that parties are the perfect time to make treats because you are less likely to eat too many :) I would recommend making this treat the day before your party as, IMO, this is better the following day. I snagged this recipe from paleomg.com and my caramel didn't turn out nearly as 'caramel' is color, but I think if I had a better food processor, we'd be in business.

When I made these, I shared them with my coaches at ITF and I have confirmation that they really are as good as I say!

Ingredients:
For the crust:

• 1.5 cups pecans
• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 egg, whisked
• 1 Tbsp raw honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt

For the caramel:

• 12-14 medjool dates, pitted and soaked in water for an hour
• 6-8 Tbsp canned coconut milk
• 3 Tbsp water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Add pecans to food processor and blend until you get flour. Then add melted coconut oil, honey, and vanilla and blend until combined into pecan butter
3. Add pecan butter to a large bowl with flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Combine well, then add whisked egg and mix
4. Grease and 8x8 pan with coconut oil  and add pecan crust to the pan, spreading the crust out evenly
5. Bake crust for 25-30 minutes or until done. Use the toothpick method to test for doneness (is that a word?)
6. Meanwhile, lightly clean out your food processor and add your dates. Turn the food processor on and process until dates have broken down
7. Add canned coconut milk, Tbsp by Tbsp to the dates while the food processor is running. Then add your water, salt, and vanilla
8. Process until you get caramel! Watching this happen is a beautiful thing :)
9. Once crust is done baking let it cook for 15 minutes
10. Spoon caramel over crust and use a spoon to smooth it out
11. Put in fridge for 30 minutes to an hour. Cut into bars and then consume!

Crock Pot Pork Loin

Ready for another super easy meal??? I really can't call this a recipe because there was no measuring, no thought, and no specific ingredients. You can really use any spices and veggies you like.

I have recently declared a new rule when it comes to food. ANYTHING left over in the fridge that is perishable (and honestly we don't have much that isn't perishable) will be tossed out on Sunday - even if it has not perished. This ensures that items don't get shoved to the back of the fridge where they can rot and this new rule causes me to be extremely precise in what I buy. I tend to be an impulse buyer and it's nice to be gaining some "control" over it! All of that to say that this recipe is a by product of me making sure I make the most out of my food and money - and it was delicious!

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs pork loin (will have plenty left over for breakfast and lunch!)
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• left over bag of frozen okra (approx 1/2 lb) (feel free to use fresh!)
• Basil, Salt, and Pepper

Instructions:

1. Pull out your awesome crock pot and toss the chopped onion in
2. Season pork with basil, salt, and pepper and add to crock pot
3. Add chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, chopped zucchini and okra
4. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours

Now, this picture doesn't make the dish very appetizing, but trust me when I say it was wonderful! I even had it for lunch the next day, and breakfast the following day.

Cinnamon Muffins

Need a tasty breakfast that you can grab and go?? Try these Cinnamon Muffins!!!

Ingredients:
Muffin Mixture -

• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 Tbsp coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup raw honey
• 3 eggs
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Cinnamon Topping:

• 2 Tbsp raw honey
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil 

Instructions:
Muffins:

1. Combine flours, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl
2. In a large bowl blend oil, honey, eggs and vanilla
3. Blend dry ingredients into wet ingredients and scoop 1/4 cup at a time into lined muffin cups - they will rise!
4. Spoon cinnamon topping (below) onto muffins
5. Bake muffins for 8-12 minutes at 350 degrees

 Cinnamon topping:

1. Melt coconut oil
2. Combine honey, cinnamon and melted coconut oil in a small bowl. Set aside until muffins are ready to be topped

*Not sure where my picture of this one is....I'll keep looking.

Pecan Salmon

I think my favorite fish to cook at home is salmon. It tastes awesome, it's really hard to mess up, and it doesn't take much time to cook! I had some pecan crumbs in the bottom of my nut container so I decided to use them for a nice crunch on the salmon. I think it ended up being restaurant worthy! I served the salmon with roasted green beans and a side salad.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb salmon
• 2 tsp coconut oil
• crushed pecans
• rosemary
• sea salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Melt coconut oil and grease a clear baking pan with it
3. Lay salmon skin-side-down and sprinkle with pecans, sea salt and rosemary. Use as much or as little as you'd like!
4. Bake in oven for 15-18 minutes or until fish is flaky

See, wasn't that EASY?!?!

Beef Jerky

Here is the recipe that I used for the beef jerky that I made for Tribal Wars. The flavor was subtle, which I purposefully did because I didn't want to make it too spicy since I was sharing. The next time around I will definitely kick up the heat.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs beef (I used flank steak)
• 2/3 cup coconut aminos
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Instructions:

1. Place meat in freezer for a few minutes - this will help you slice it thin. Meanwhile combine remaining ingredients.
2. Slice meat thin and marinade the meat in fridge for about 6 hours
3. Rinse slices and place on dehydrator trays to cook over night or around 8 hours

Apple Chips

I can't remember if I have mentioned this or not - but I finally purchased a dehydrator!!! It took me a while to convince myself I needed one, but I am so glad that I went ahead and got it! I ordered it off Amazon and it was pretty cheap. It's not the nicest one they have but it gets the job done EVERY time. Since it arrived, I have been making lots of jerky and apple chips! This recipe for the apple chips produced the best apple chips that I have tried! I got the idea to boil them first from Marks Daily Apple - I loved that the cinnamon was cooked right in to the chip and not sprinkled on top.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups unsweetened apple juice
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 large apples

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, add apple juice and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil
2. Meanwhile, remove the top and bottom of the apples and thinly slice them. Remove the seeds from the individual slices
3. Place apple slices into boiling juice and let boil for approx 6 minutes, or until the become almost translucent. Remove with a spatula and pat dry
4. On a baking sheet lined with a cooling rack, bake the apple slices for about 40 minutes in a 250 degree oven
5. At this point they should still be a little wet and flimsy. If they are dried and crisp then stop here! You got lucky.
6. My chips were still soggy so I put them in the dehydrator for about 2 hours. You want to watch them so they don't get too brittle and burned

Pepita Clusters

Wow. It's been a while! I have not posted anything in a week! That seems so crazy to me - I can hardly believe it. I love posting on this blog. I know it's nothing fancy but it is surprisingly a nice little outlet for me, especially because I try not to post my food on facebook, anymore. I love food.
Last week was kind of crazy! It took me a few days to recover from Tribal Wars, which was the most amazing event I have ever participated in. If we are friends on facebook, I am sure you have seen all the pictures. I won't bore you with the crossfit details (since I know you are here for the food) BUT I did hit a few PR's (Personal Records) that day! The most exciting of them was my first Pistol!!!! A pistol is a one-legged squat. You have to squat below parallel on one leg, and your other foot/let can't touch the ground. This is extremely difficult to do! But it did it!
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I made a lot of treats for the big day. My favorites were the Pepita Clusters and Apple Chips. The Clusters were truly like a dessert! Here is the recipe for the Clusters:

Ingredients:

• 1 lime, juiced and zested
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 1/2 cups raw Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees
2. In a medium sauce pan, heat the lime juice, lime zest, coconut oil and maple syrup over medium high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and let the mixture cook for approx 6 minutes. Then remove from heat
3. Stir in pepitas and then spread seed mixture on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for approx 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. You will want to stir the mixture every few minutes to ensure they don't burn
4. Allow the seeds to cool until you can handle them. Form the seeds into small clusters, then roll them in the shredded coconut.
5. Consume and become addicted

I will update with a picture once I get on the computer that hold my pictures! Meanwhile, enjoy/laugh at me and my Pistol!

Fruit Roll Ups

Tomorrow there is an event hosted by IronTribe called TribalWars that I will be competing in. Each team consists of 4 people and there are THIRTY FOUR teams competing! That is 136 people!!!! All the teams are extremely competitive and there has been a lot of smack talk going around! Every one is really serious about it. I even had t-shirts made (a lot of teams are also!) that has our team name, Wall Ballers, on the front, our individual nick names on the back, and on the sleeve it says 'ITF Tribal Wars 2012'. We are bringing our A game and are pumped to compete! The event begins tomorrow morning at 8:00 and is scheduled to end at 12. Each team will compete in 3 different WODs that will really test our skills and push us to our limit! I will be taking tons of pictures and will update everyone with a post next week. This is the second annual TribalWars and it is going to be amazing.
I am so excited that I literally could not sleep last night, and I have a feeling I won't be able to sleep tonight either.
This week I have been busy making treats for my team (and Adam's team too!). On the menu: fruit roll-ups, apple chips, beef jerky, pepita clusters, and pumpkin donuts (I will post the other recipe's next week, too) I will also be stocked with dark chocolate espresso beans, trail mix, Lara Bars, raw veggies, hard boiled eggs, and beer for afterwards! Here is the recipe I used from dkgetsfit.com for the fruit roll ups. They turned out pretty good and they have a little spice to them which adds a nice dimension. Next time I am going to try a peach and mango combination! The options are endless for these delicious snacks!

Ingredients:

• 4 cups frozen strawberries
• Sea salt to taste
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2-3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Instructions:

1. Puree fruit in blender until liquefied. Add sea salt, honey, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. Blend until well combined
2. Line 2 cookie sheets with tin foil, then line the foil with plastic wrap. Using a few pieces of tape, tape down the sides of the plastic wrap to the foil. I know this sounds crazy but trust me on this step
3. Pour approx 2 cups of fruit mixture on to each cookie sheet and tilt/shake it until evenly distributed
4. On the lowest setting possible for your oven, dehydrate the fruit for approx 10-12 hours. My oven was set to about 140 degrees. I left my oven unattended for a few hours and everything was fine, so don't worry. 
5. Once the fruit is no longer sticky to the touch remove from oven and (after removing the tape) roll the leather and then cut into individual servings. I then used some butcher's twine to tie each piece.

Maple Walnut Chicken

This is a recipe I got off paleoplan.com. The walnuts were amazing and was practically a dessert on the chicken!

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 cup water

Instructions:

1. Combine olive oil, thyme, sea salt, and pepper. Rub chicken with mixture and let stand
2. In a large non stick skillet over medium low heat, toast walnuts for approx 6 minutes. Be careful not to burn them.
3. Transfer walnuts to a dish, and turn heat up to medium under the hot skillet
4. Add chicken to skillet and cook until done and no longer pink, approx 12 minutes
5. Transfer chicken to clean plate and add vinegar to hot skillet and cook for approx 1 minute
6. Add maple syrup and water to skillet. Let simmer for 6-7 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in walnuts and let the remaining liquid cook out. Top chicken with sticky walnuts.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake Bites

Last weekend was Adam's birthday and we had a lot of our friends get together at Avondale Brewery to celebrate. It was a day spent with good friends, drinking good beer, eating crawfish......and BABY BITES! If you haven't had a Baby Bite before, well you are missing out. There is a bakery in Homewood, Pastry Arts, that makes bite sized cakes and they are delicious! I bought a few dozen of them to have as treats for everyone that came to party with us and I am pretty sure I ate more than my share. I wish I was joking and I wish that I had been strong enough to say no to them. But I wasn't and I am not ashamed to admit that I enjoyed every single one.! The only good thing the Baby Bites might have done for me is it got me thinking that I should make a Paleo version-ish! I've made plenty of Paleo cookies, cakes, and brownies so I knew that making bite sized cakes was possible! I decided to make a banana chocolate chip version because I have made banana chocolate chip bread before...and well, I had bananas that were really ripe and chocolate chips. Do yourself a favor and make these. They would be yummy for brunch, too! Next week I'm going to make a double chocolate chip cake bite to take to a dinner party!

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe bananas, mashed. Think brown spots.
• 2 Tbsp almond butter
• 1 Tbsp apple butter. Ingredient check!
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups almond flour (will make approx 12)



Happy Birthday!

• 1/4 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. In a large mixing bowl add mashed bananas, almond butter, apple butter, vanilla, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Combine well.
3. Once combined, add in almond flour and combine. Then add chocolate chips and incorporate into batter
4. Using a medium ice cream scoop so they are all the same size, scoop batter onto a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper. 
5. Bake for approx 18 minutes or until the tops are golden. Let cool for a few minutes before you try to remove them from the baking sheet as they are soft.

*I used Kime's Cider Mill brand of apple butter that I found at Whole Foods. It is pretty cheap and is also really good on paleo pancakes and other paleo baked goods!

Chicken & Sausage Gumbo

The only soup that I have made a Paleo version of is chili. This chili is hands-down the best chili I have ever had, so naturally when I am in a 'soup mood' I go for the chili. However, I have been thinking of attempting to make a different soup. I thought a lot about a soup that I really liked and that was hearty enough (read lots of meat and veggies) in it's non-paleo form to be a main dish. I decided to give Gumbo a whirl. I had no idea where to begin as I had never actually made gumbo before so I searched through some different recipes and ultimately modified a recipe that was posted on threedietsonedinner.blogspot.com.  I had a little left over chicken from a meal earlier in the week (plus some in the freezer) and I paired that with sausage. It turned out wonderful and Adam even asked if there was plenty for him to have seconds AND take some to work for lunch! Success!

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
• 1 package chicken sausage
• 2 tsp paprika
• dash of cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tsp celery salt
• 1 poblano pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (12 oz) package frozen okra
• 8 cups clam stock - you can find this at publix
• 1 tsp coconut aminos
• 1/2 Tbsp hot sauce of choice - or more if you like it spicier
• 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
• sea salt and pepper to taste 

Instructions:

1. Stir together paprika, cayenne, sea salt and pepper (to taste). Sprinkle over chicken and rub it in!
2. Heat 1 Tbsp coconut oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and sausage and cook until almost done. Remove from heat
3. Heat the remaining 1 Tbsp coconut oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add the onions, poblano pepper, bell pepper, celery salt and an extra pinch of sea salt. Cook (stir often) until the veggies are tender. Add the garlic and continue to heat until garlic is fragrant
4. Add the clam stock, dried thyme, bay leaves and the chicken and sausage. Bring soup to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot and reduce to low heat and allow to simmer approx 30 minutes. Be sure at this point the chicken has finished cooking all the way through
5. Add coconut aminos, worcestershire, and hot sauce. Cover and allow to simmer a while longer. I let mine go for another 30 minutes or so or until the liquid reduced by a couple cups
6. At this point, add the okra - and simmer more until okra is heated through. 
7. Remove bay leaves and season with salt and pepper.
8. Eat up.

Pizza (with an Almond Flour Crust!)

Adam has been craving pizza lately. I am pretty sure it is directly related to the amount of baseball he is watching. We have made crust-less pizza before but I really wanted to create a pizza with an actual crust. And of course, the beauty of pizza is you can change the toppings and make it exactly how you like.

Ingredients:
For the crust:

• 2 cups almond flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp EVOO
• 1 tsp salt
• Coconut oil, for greasing pan

Toppings:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 8 oz pizza sauce 
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into rings
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into rings
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• I also think mushrooms would be awesome, but Adam doesn't like them

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a large mixing bowl combine the crust ingredients, minus the coconut oil. Mix well until dough forms. 
3. Flatten the dough to form a 1/4 inch thick crust. I would suggest doing this between 2 sheets of parchment paper so the dough doesn't get every where.
4. Grease pizza pan with coconut oil and lay crust on pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges begin to brown
5. In a large skillet over medium high heat, brown turkey
6. Meanwhile in a skillet over medium high heat, melt 1 Tbsp coconut oil and saute the onion until translucent. (I would add mushrooms at this point, if I were allowed :) )
7. Remove onions and sear the bell peppers on both sides until tender
8. In a small saucepan heat pizza sauce
9. Spread pizza sauce over crust and add toppings. Broil the pizza for 5 minutes.

I served the pizza with broccoli and it turned out AWESOME!

Sweet Potato Salad

There is this amazing sweet potato salad they is in the deli section of Whole Foods. Problem is, it's not Paleo. They add sugar, canola oil, and other questionable ingredients. I have decided to recreate this recipe so I can enjoy it as often as I'd like :)

Ingredients:

• 3 sweet potatoes, cubed
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• EVOO
• 8 pieces of bacon (read ingredient list!!)
• Juice of 2 limes
• 2 TBSP EVOO
• 1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• Fresh basil, roughly chopped
• Cayenne pepper
• Sea salt and pepper
• handful of raw pumpkin seeds
• handful of dried cranberries

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Cook bacon in a skillet until crispy. Once done, remove bacon and set aside to cool. Once cool, chop.
3. Peel and chop the sweet potatoes and garlic into chunks. Toss in some EVOO and spread on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in oven for approx 30 minutes or until potatoes are beginning to brown. Remove from oven and set aside
4. Meanwhile, chop the green onions and basil, then combine those with the remaining ingredients (except pumpkin seeds and cranberries) to create your dressing
5. In a serving bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, garlic, and bacon. Mix in the dressing and combine well. Garnish with pumpkin seeds and cranberries.
6. Serve. 

BBQ Crock Pot Chicken

This is yet another awesome recipe that I adapted from George over at Civilized Caveman Cooking. I am having another LONG week with work and need some fast meals. I was excited when I saw the George recently put up a crock pot recipe and I knew I had to try it. Another reason I wanted to do this is because I knew I would have lots of left over chicken that I could use in a dish later on in the week. Like I said - I need quick and easy this week! This recipe called for a whole chicken, but because of my work schedule, I decided I would go even simpler. At Publix I found a great deal on a whole chicken, already cut in pieces!!! I don't suppose it was an actual 'deal' as it was not on sale, but it was 4 lbs of chicken for less than $10!! In my book, that is a deal and you can't beat it! Plus, the chicken livers were packaged separately and I was able to throw them in the freezer for a later time. I couldn't resist trying a small bite this morning when I got it out of the crock pot and man, was it delicious! The dry rub was a perfect combination and will be awesome with the-best-paleo-bbq-sauce-ever.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken - or about 4 lbs of pieces
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Line the bottom of your crock pot with onions
2. Place the chicken in the crock pot, on top of onions
3. Combine all remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix well
4. Using your hands, rub spice mixture all over chicken. Take your time and make sure you get all sides of chicken and don't miss a spot
5. Place lid on crock pot and cook on low for 7 hours or until done.
6. Remove the chicken and serve. It will fall off the bone!

I served this with Sweet Potato Salad! 

Ginger Lime Chicken Bites

This recipe came from the Paleo Magazine that I subscribe to. Paleo Magazine has been a great resource for me as it has interesting articles, useful products, and awesome recipes. The following recipe had a great, bold flavor and I served it with a simple salad with some blackberries and walnuts.

Ingredients:

• 3 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 TBSP coconut oil
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 TBSP Coconut Aminos
• 1 TBSP EVOO
• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 TBSP raw honey
• 1 tsp onion powder
• chopped green onions, for garnish
• sesame seeds, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Mix the following ingredients in a small bowl and set aside for the sauce: lime juice, coconut aminos, EVOO, ginger, garlic, honey, onion powder
2. Heat coconut oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until it is beginning to brown
3. Add sauce to skillet, reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for approx 5 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked and no longer pink
4. Top chicken bites with green onions and sesame seeds