Happy 3 month Paleo-versary !!!!

Hey guys! Sorry it's been awhile since I had time to share some recipes.  I've been super busy but have a couple good recipes to share this week.  I've also been celebrating... 3 months since I've gone primal/paleo and I've lost a total of 21 pounds!!! CRAZY, I know! I've never felt better! Anyway, check back this week for a couple recipes: crockpot chuck roast, apple crisp, spaghetti squash and more!!!

In the meantime, check this out... LOVE IT!!! (and it's soooo true!)

Eggplant Lasagna

 The most important key to success while eating Paleo I have found, is taking foods and dishes you traditionally love and making them Paleo friendly.  I have been very surprised I prefer these meals over the "normal" version.  I was a little skeptical that eggplant lasagna would not meet my exceptions but it far exceeded them.  This a a must for anyone who is looking craving an Italian dish.   

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant

1/2  onion, diced

2 oz mushrooms, diced

1/2 zucchini, diced

1/1 lb ground beef (or turkey or sausage or whatever you like)

1/1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp italian seasoning

1 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes

1 1/2 cups of fresh baby spinach

Preheat oven to 500 degrees and prep baking sheet with tin foil.  Peel and thinly slice eggplant to resemble lasagna noodles.  

Lay eggplant slices out on baking sheet and drizzle in EVOO, salt and pepper.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.  

While eggplant is baking, in a large pot saute EVOO and onion on medium heat for 2 minutes.  Add zucchini and mushrooms and continue to saute for an additional 2-3 minutes.  Add beef, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and garlic to pot.

  

When beef is no longer pink add can of crushed tomatoes. Let simmer and thicken for 20 minutes.  

Once sauce is ready place a thin layer in the bottom of an 8x8 pan, followed by a layer of spinach leafs, and eggplant.  Repeat layering sauce, spinach, and eggplant.  

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Uncover and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes.  Remove and let cool for 5 minutes.  

This is now my #1 favorite Paleo dish.   Give it a try.  

Enjoy!  

Coconut Chocolate Chip Muffins

Last week my boss brought blueberry muffins to work.  This inspired me to cook up some tasty but PALEO muffins.  Now, blueberry muffins are my absolute favorite!!!!! Unfortunately, all I had on hand were some chocolate chips... (so unfortunate, I know!)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract (optional)

Process:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix all wet ingredients in large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl mix dry ingredients.  Slowly add dry ingredients to wet until well mixed.
4. Add in chocolate chips. (Add whatever mix-ins you'd like!)
5. Line muffin tin with paper liners.
6. Fill tin 2/3 of the way.
7. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Coconut Flour Pancakes

Saturday was the first time in about a month I didn't have to wake up to an alarm. Unfortunately, I woke up at 7:30am anyway! So, I decided to do a little experimenting with some coconut flour I had.  Don't these pancakes look DELICIOUS! Best part is, they taste just like regular pancakes!!!!!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons melted butter (preferably all natural butter or coconut oil)
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons coconut milk
• 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup water

Process:

1. Whisk together all ingredients (Except water).  
2. Add water slowly until you reach a consistency you like. I used the whole 1/2 cup, you may like a thinner or thicker pancake!  
3. Cook pancakes on a buttered griddle/skillet (each side takes about 2-3 minutes). 
4. Enjoy with fresh fruit, honey, or pure maple syrup.

***Note: These are fragile, smaller ones are easier to flip and will make a prettier pancake!

Roasted Lemon Chicken & Green Beans

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 lemons, 1/2 thinly sliced, 1/2 juiced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound trimmed green beans
2 chicken breasts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a 8x8 baking dish or cast-iron skillet with 3/4 tablespoon of the olive oil. Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer in the bottom of the dish or skillet.
2. In a large bowl, combine the remaining oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper; add the green beans and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the green beans and arrange them on top of the lemon slices. Add the potatoes to the same olive-oil mixture and toss to coat. Place the chicken in the same bowl with the olive-oil mixture and coat thoroughly. Place the chicken, skin-side up, in the dish or skillet. Pour any of the remaining olive-oil mixture over the chicken.
3. Roast for 40 minutes.
4. Serve warm.

I am always looking for different ways to cook chicken. I came across this recipe and did a little tweaking to make it Paleo friendly. I loved it so much I have made it twice this week. Green beans are in season and at the farmer's markets for only $1 per lbs. It is so quick, easy and makes for excellent left overs.

Enjoy! =)

Sausage Egg Muffins

Every weekend I spend some time preparing my meals for the week. Usually it's just putting together a big salad to take for lunch everyday.  Today I decided to make breakfast for the week as well.  It'll leave one less thing to do in the morning and I can sleep in a little later!  More importantly, I'll still get to enjoy a delicious, satisfying breakfast!!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 onion
• 1/2 zucchini
• 3/4 lb of Italian Sausage
• 8 eggs
• salt and pepper

Process:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add eggs to a large bowl and scramble.

2.  Chop the onion and zucchini, and add to egg mixture.

3.  Heat a small skillet over Medium-High heat.  Brown sausage.
4.  Allow sausage to cool and make sure it's crumbled into small pieces. Add sausage to egg mixture. Add salt and pepper.

5.  Use paper liners and fill muffin/cupcake tin 3/4 of the way full.
6.  Bake for 15-18 minutes.

Easy, on the go breakfast for the week!

Tacos with Fresh Salsa

Who doesn't love tacos? I do! However, these aren't traditional tacos with the corn shells, flour tortillas, or piles of cheese.  These are paleo tacos.  A delicious, fresh tasting, healthier version of one of my favorite childhood meals.  When Carly and I ventured out to the Dane County Farmer's Market we brought home fresh onions, tomatoes, a jalapeno and cilantro for our homemade salsa!

Salsa Ingredients:

• 1 White Onion 
• 3 Roma Tomatoes 
• 1 bunch of Cilantro
• 1 small Jalapeno
• Juice of 1 lime

Taco Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef (grass-fed is better!)
• 1 head of iceberg lettuce (or any lettuce that will work well as a taco shell)
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tbsp cumin
• 1/2 tbsp oregano

Process:

1. Remove center seeds of tomatoes and jalapeno. Dice both the onion and tomatoes to equal size. Finely chop as much jalaeno as you'd like to add. The more you add the hotter it'll be!

2. Pull a few cilantro leaves off the stems, roll and finely chop.

3. Mix ingredients together and squeeze the juice of 1 lime over top.

4. Salt and pepper to taste. 

5. Chop head of lettuce in half, removing the first couple of layers to use as your taco shells.
6. Heat a skillet over Medium-High heat.  Brown the beef.
7. Combine all seasoning ingredients in a small mixing bowl.  Sprinkle 1 to 1 and 1/2 tbsp over the 1 pound of beef when almost fully cooked.  Mix until seasoning is well distributed and beef is finished.

Enjoy these delicious tacos!

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Fall is by far my favorite season! It's that time of year where apples and pumpkins are in abundance everywhere you go!   Carly and I headed to the Dane County Farmer's Market early Saturday morning before we both had to work, just to get the good pick of produce!  I brought home delicious Honey Crisp Apples for this recipe!  Be on the look out... Carly and I plan to go apple and pumpkin picking soon and there will be plenty more delicious recipes to come!

Ingredients:

• 2 and 1/4 cup almond meal
• 4 eggs
• 1 apple
• 1 banana
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp cinnamon

Process:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Dice the apple and mash the banana. Put all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

3.  Add the eggs, coconut oil, banana, water and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients and mix.

 4. Fold in the diced apple.

5.  Use cupcake or muffin liners for easy clean up!
6.  Spoon the batter into the muffin or cupcake pan filling 3/4 of the way.

7. Bake for 15 minutes.

Enjoy warm with some pure maple syrup!

Coconut Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hey guys! Tons of recipes coming your way this week.  I had some extra time on my hands and decided to get creative.  One of the hardest parts of going Paleo is trying to satisfy the occasional sweet tooth.  Normally, I turn to fruit to take care of that.  This weekend I decided to experiment with my newly bought coconut flour!  I took a traditional chocolate chip cookie recipe and made some substitutions. No white/wheat flour, no processed sugars, just good all natural ingredients!  Check it out...

Ingredients:

• 1 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup organic honey
• 4 eggs
• 1 banana (or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; add both for more flavor!)
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life chips which are dairy, soy and nut free)

Process:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.  In a small mixing bowl add honey and coconut flour.  Microwave until liquid consistency.
3.  Add honey, coconut flour, eggs, mashed banana and salt into large mixing bowl.
4.  Slowly add coconut flour while mixing.
5.  Add chocolate chips and stir.

6.  Shape cookies on a aluminum foil lined baking sheet. THESE DO NOT RISE AND SPREAD LIKE TRADITIONAL COOKIES. You have to shape them like cookies and flatten them out. 

** I find it's easier and tastier to make these in a small brownie pan and cut them into squares like cookie bars/brownies.

7. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.

Enjoy! (Maybe with some almond or coconut milk?!)

Stuffed Zucchini Boats

It is that time of the year when there is an abundance of zucchini available. After going to the Madison Farmer's Market I found myself with three zucchini's for only one dollar! Traditionally, I would use them to make breads and desserts. After a little research and found a wonderful recipe for stuffed zucchini boats on one of my favorite websites. Pinterest. I did do a little tweaking to the original recipe to increase the amount of protein.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium to large Zucchini
• 1/4 cup (34g) Feta ( I used a less to decrease the amount of dairy)
• 4 tbsp (66g) Tomato Paste
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp (5g) Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Sprinkle of Parsley
• 1/2 pound of Ground Turkey
• 1/2 chopped white onion

Process:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cut the Zucchini in half longwise. Scoop out the inside using a melon baller or tablespoon.

Chop any large zucchini pieces that you scooped out and place into a mixing bowl with ground turkey, feta, tomato paste, garlic powder, and oregano. Mix well to coat everything. The tomato paste, feta, onion, and ground turkey.

Put the zucchini mixture back into the zucchini boats. Top with parmesan and parsley. Bake for 25 minutes. Longer if you like a softer zucchini.

I doubled the recipe because I had one large zucchini and two smaller ones. I also baked for 35 minutes and they were perfect.

yummo! =)