01.16.12
What’s a girl to do without her almonds or even more her almond butter….well she resorts to coconut butter. Have you had coconut butter? It’s a little scoop of heaven in my opinion. If you buy coconut butter from the store the little jar is a little pricey so every scoop you take is very valuable. These days I like to take several scoops so when stumbling across Nom Nom Paleo’s recipe for coconut butter it wasn’t hard to twist my arm into making it. After all, the list of ingredients are small and the cost of all these ingredients is a whole lot less then the jarred treat. I changed things up slightly and added cinnamon to the coconut butter, but if you aren’t a cinnamon fan just don’t include. If you are a huge cinnamon fan like me you can add more if you so desire. Either way you will have your own little jar of coconut butter that you won’t feel too guilty about taking all the scoops you want. But fair warning…..this stuff is addicting!!
I’m going to scoot now because I’m one tired girl. I was away for work since last Thursday and just got back home yesterday afternoon and I spent today with my little munchkins who were out of school for MLK Day. That all equals to me being very tired and very behind on lots, ok everything! Amazing how being away for a short period can really set you back. Don’t worry I have some yummy recipes on tap this week. Now to figure out which to post next.
Now excuse me while I run and take a scoop of my coconut butter and head to bed…..by the way they claim a scoop of coconut butter helps you to sleep swimmingly. I’ll use that for my excuse to take a dip into my coconut butter jar every night.
Enjoy!!
Cinnamon Coconut Butter
8 ounce package of unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (can add more if desired)
1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
Instructions:
In a bowl of a food processor or blender, place all of the ingredients. Turn food processor on and let it work it’s magic. This process will take a while to blend down to a coconut butter consistency. Stop halfway through processing to scrape down the sides of the processor or blender. Continue processing….yes a lot of processing in the food processor. Your food processor will be nice and hot after making your coconut butter but it’s worth it!
Makes about 1 cup of coconut butter
Enjoy!
01.10.12
Yesterday I gave you a little hint that I would be posting something very special today. However I didn’t tell you why I thought about it. Well, Monday morning while at my 6am Crossfit WOD I was talking to a fellow crossfitter and MVT challenger and she said her biggest obstacle was coming up with her weekly menu. And because I was curious when I first started down the Paleo lifestyle route I wanted to share a sample week menu with links to some of my recipes and some from other Paleo Foodies out there. And for another sample, check out the latest post by Elana from Elana’s Pantry where she is also sharing a Paleo Weekly Menu. As I mentioned to all of you yesterday, I’m not a Paleo expert by any means and every person may need more or less in their diet. What I worked on below is only my suggestions and I only hope this helps someone out there as they start down the road towards a Paleo Lifestyle….which I happen to think ROCKS!
Sunday
Breakfast:
Skillet Sweet Potato, Sausage, and Spinach Hash
Fresh Berries
Lunch:
Chicken Salad with Roasted Bell Peppers in Avocado Cup
Green Salad with Veggies
Dinner:
Sundried Tomato Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf Rounds
Monday
Breakfast:
Mixed Berries
Lunch:
Dinner:
Garlic Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin
Roasted Asparagus
Tuesday
Breakfast:
2 scrambled eggs
Turkey or Pork Bacon
½ avocado
Lunch:
Chicken Vegetable Lettuce Cups
Guacomole
Dinner:
Salmon with Sweet and Spicy Rub
Roasted Broccoli
Wednesday
Breakfast:
2 fried eggs
Fresh Raspberries
Lunch:
Dinner:
Thursday
Breakfast:
Bacon
Lunch:
Dinner:
Side Salad
Friday
Breakfast:
Apple, Butternut Squash, Bacon Hash
Mixed Berries
Lunch:
Dinner:
Crispy Chicken Thigh, Sauteed Spinach, Califlower Garlic Mash
Saturday
Breakfast:
Turkey or Pork Bacon
Lunch:
Sundried Tomato Herb Chicken Sliders
Side Salad
Dinner:
Cinnamon Chili Rubber Pork Tenderloin with Apple Salsa
Snack Ideas: Carrots, Deli Turkey/Meat, Paleo Stixs (Steve’s Original), Almonds, Fresh Fruit, Coconut Butter, and fresh veggies.
Remember, this is for people that want to incorporate more nutrient dense foods into their diet by eliminating the grains that are toxic to a large percentage of us. So, bottom line…eat your veggies for your “carbs” because they’re far more nutrient dense than grains. And if you are totally scared and worried about time during the week fix a few things over the weekend to heat up during the week. You don’t have to follow this by any means, these are just suggestions. Many times I find myself making a lot in order to have left-over’s for the week.
You can find other great menu suggestions in Robb Wolf’s book The Paleo Solution, Sarah Fragoso’s book Everyday Paleo, and from the awesome Whole30 plan. And if you are not familiar with the blog Nom Nom Paleoyou better get familiar soon! She pretty much rocks. I’m always looking forward to reading her blog to see what she ate and cooked in her day. She posts everyday on what she ate….I seriously don’t know how she does it but I’m so glad she does! Looking for other Paleo bloggers to follow? Here are some of my everyday reads:
Hopefully this helps some of you that have just jumped on the Paleo wagon and even for those Paleo followers who are looking for some new recipes to try. And for those newbies, I welcome you to a new lifestyle that will amaze you in more ways than one.
Happy Paleo Eating!!
Happy Monday everyone! This recipe has moved to the front of my posting line-up for the week because it’s a new favorite. Yesterday morning I got in the kitchen and threw this together for my Sunday morning breakfast and after taking one bite I was so excited to not only keep on eating it but to also share with all you out there. It’s my new food crush. The recipe started after my first assessment and discussions with my trainer for my MVT Challenge at Crossfit Delray Beach. We talked a lot but most of the focus was about what I currently ate and some things I needed to change. I’m a routine type of girl. I have been since I was kid. I’m ok with having the same thing day after day. However, AJ (my trainer) told me I need to start learning to switch it up more often. Try different proteins and get more into my daily diet than I was currently taking in! So thanks to him I did and this recipe was created. Thanks AJ! Some other things AJ told me to do was to eliminate nuts….gasp! Nuts? Really? Yes, folks I’ve removed nuts. So no more baking with almond flour for awhile! I have to say in the three short days I have removed them from my diet I have already started to see a difference. However, not having a scoop of almond butter every now and then will be heartbreaking! Another weakness of mine is fruit, so AJ said only one serving a day and only in the morning. Another gasp! I guess a challenge wouldn’t be a challenge with some MAJOR personal challenges, right? I have a few more things on my list that AJ gave me; like eat more protein, carb intake should come from veggies, and more sleep. And many of these you will see in my post for my 2012 goals over on the random page.
Before jumping to the recipe I wanted to let you know tomorrow I will be sharing something for my Paleo readers and for my fellow MVT CrossFit challengers. I’m working on a suggested Paleo Weekly Menu!! Yay! When I started down the Paleo road I was desperate for a direction in terms of how to plan my meals and what to eat! So stay tune for tomorrow post. I’m busy compiling recipes from my recipe index and from some of my favorite Paleo foodies. And I’m super excited to share with you. Remember, I’m not a Paleo expert by any means and every person may need more or less in their diet. What I’m working on is only a suggestion and my goal is to hopefully help someone out there as they start down the road of a Paleo Lifestyle….which I happen to think ROCKS!
Now for the recipe….
Skillet Sweet Potato, Sausage, and Spinach Hash
2 small to medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (or one large)
1 apple, peeled cored and diced
2 tablespoon coconut oil, divided
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
2 Mild Italian chicken sausages, removed from casing
2 to 3 large cups of baby spinach
1/3 cup sweet yellow onion, diced
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
In a large nonstick skillet heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil over medium-high heat. Once heated, add diced sweet potatoes and apples. Add a pinch or two of sea salt and cinnamon to the pan. Cook sweet potatoes and apples until cooked and softened. I prefer my sweet potatoes to be slightly browned.
While the sweet potatoes are cooking, heat a large skillet with 1 tablespoon coconut oil over medium heat. Add to skillet the chicken (or pork) sausage and onion making sure to break the sausage up in small pieces while it cooks. Once the chicken is no longer pink in color and completely cooked add spinach to the skillet. Don’t worry the spinach will wilt down when cooked. The spinach should wilt down within 1 to 2 minutes. Once spinach is cooked add the sweet potato apple mixture to pan and stir to combine all.
Serve warm and with a side of choice. I served with a side of fresh raspberries.
Makes about 3 to 4 servings depending on if you are serving as a side or main course.
Enjoy!
Looking for another great Paleo Breakfast Hash recipe? Check out Urban Posers new recipe for Apple, Butternut Squash, Bacon Hash. It’s on my list to try very soon!
Happy 2012 everyone! I hope everyone had a wonderful new years. Mine unfortunately was spent with a little brush with food poisoning. Ok, not a little brush….a big brush! And let me tell you, it was not fun! I pretty much felt like doing nothing at all so while the hubby ran around with the munchkins I stayed close to the bathroom and close to bed. Booo! Not what I envisioned the end of my vacation being like. Luckily by new years day I was feeling a little closer to my normal self and actually got back into the kitchen to cook a new years dinner. New years also marked the start of my MVT Challenge at my Crossfit Delray Beach. Two plus months of a clean Paleo diet filled mostly with meats, veggies, and some training. You know with all those Paleo rules, which you can find a great post by Fitbomb on “What the Paleo Diet is”. I’ve been Paleo since July so it’s nothing really new to me, but it is a challenge I need after the holiday season where I had a few treats. So I’m packing up the almond flour and coconut flour for a little bit on the blog and hope to bring you some of my MVT meals while I taking on the Crossfit challenge. Are ready? Are you excited? Boy, I sure am!
First up a garlic herb tenderloin that is super easy to prep and even more to cook. There is nothing better about using fresh herbs too. Makes this tenderloin pretty darn delicious. I partnered our tenderloin with roasted asparagus tossed with a little olive oil and a dash of balsamic vinegar and some sauteed diced sweet potato (sauteed in coconut oil). It was a great meal to get back to normal after my brush with food poisoning. And I can’t even begin to tell you how great it is to feel normal….don’t ever get food poisoning! Ha! Easier said than done, but I seriously don’t wish it on anyone.
Enjoy the tenderloin everyone! And HAPPY 2012!
Garlic Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 pork tenderloin
Instructions:
Stir together garlic, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small bowl. Rub mixture all over pork. Let marinate 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat a large, heavy, and oven proof saute pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil. Add pork, and brown on each side, about 4 minutes on each side.
Transfer pan to oven. Roast pork turning occasionally until an thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 145 degrees to 150 degrees, about 20 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board; tent with foil, and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.
Serve along side your favorite sides and enjoy!
12.30.11
I’m very excited about today’s post and partnering with some very talented bloggers and Paleo mom’s, Stacy at Paleo Parents and Jenni at Urban Poser.
Stacy reached out to Jenni and I and we all tossed around some ideas and decided to each feature a “course” to give you a full New Years Eve menu. I’m featuring an appetizer with these Sundried Tomato Herb Chicken Sliders surrounded by a Paleo Herb Bun. Jenni took on the main course of a chicken pot pie – which sounds amazing! I haven’t had chicken pot pie since cutting gluten out last January so I’m excited to try her recipe. And the wonderful Stacy did a dessert – a take on Jenni’s marshmallows, a S’more Marshmallow! Yum!
Here is a glimpse at these fabulous ladies recipes.
Jenni at Urban Poser used leftovers to make an amazing looking main course, Chicken Pot Pie. Can’t wait to try this!
Warm, savory and the perfect match to a cold winters day…Try this grain free rendition of the classic ‘Pot Pie’. These personal sized pies are chock full of hearty chicken, seasoned vegetables, and thick (grain free) gravy. Then they’re topped off with a flaky almond flour crust, just like my Grandma used to make…only better for you!
Now for Stacy’s fabulous dessert of Marshmallow S’mores….can you say YUM! A great end of the year treat for your New Year’s Eve!
These marshmallows won’t have you missing anything. Especially the sticky burning goo on your fingers. Or the smoke in your eye. But, if you’re into that sort of thing, by all means – eat them beside a bonfire and let the chocolate melt in your hand instead of your mouth! But first, you have to make them…
Click the links and head to their sites for the full recipes! You won’t be disappointed, I promise!
Now to skip to the front of menu to the appetizer. Here is the recipe for my Sundried Tomato Herb Chicken Sliders with Paleo Herb Bun with a Garlic Herb Aioli.
Sundried Tomato Herb Chicken Sliders
1 pound ground chicken
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes (packed in olive oil), chopped
2 slices bacon, just cooked and crumbled
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Fresh Baby Spinach
Garlic Herb Aioli (optional), recipe below
To make burgers:
Heat a nonstick grill pan over medium high heat.
In a large bowl, add chicken, sundried tomatoes, bacon, thyme, basil, garlic, salt and pepper. With a fork combine the ingredients make sure not to completely over work the slider mixture.
Form mixture into small sliders and place on the preheated grill pan and grill sliders for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until slider is cooked through.
Garlic Herb Aioli
1 egg
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard powder
1/2 cup avocado oil
1/2 cup light olive oil
1/2 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon rosemary, minced
1/2 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
To make aioli:
In a food processor, process egg, lemon juice, and mustard powder.
Slowly add the avocado oil and olive oil while processing to fully emulsify. When the oil has all emulsified and you have a creamy mayonnaise, add salt and pepper, and continue to blend
Add garlic, rosemary, and basil and process until smooth.
So there you have it folks, a “Trifecta” post with some very special ladies for a NYE Menu. Now go and check out these recipes! And most importantly HAPPY NEW YEAR!! See you back here in 2012 for another fun filled year of recipes.
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