The Best Brownies Ever…(and they are paleo!)

Leave a comment

Remember how I told you that I found a new brownie recipe that I resisted posting for months because I didn’t want to taunt the girls in Lurong?  Well, I have made those brownies so many times now, it is ridiculous.  I have also made them for nutrition class and gotten rave reviews.  I have also made non-paleo peeps stuff them in their mouth without any disdain!  I have also had nutrition patients take them to Thanksgiving because they were that good!!! Yesterday, my hormones were outta control, so I decided I wanted to make some type of dessert with maca.  Maca is a plant known for its hormone balancing effects.  I thought it would go awesome in some brownies….and then I kept remembering how much I love the chocolate caramel coffee bars from PaleOMG because they have the salt chunks on top. Mmmm…salty sweet.  Baby was born.  I loved this version so much!!! However, you can omit the salt and maca and just have the best regular brownies, too. ;)…or just omit the maca and have salted brownies!!!

Salted Maca Brownies

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp tapioca flour
  • 3 Tbsp coconut flour
  • 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
  • 2 Tbsp maca (optional)
  • 1 stick grassfed butter (you could sub coconut oil)
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips (I’ve used chocolate bars, chocolate chips, and enjoy life chunks…all work)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/3-1/2 coconut sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • coarse ground salt to top (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease an 8×8 pan. Melt the butter, sugar, chocolate together on the stove top or in the microwave.  Once combined, add vanilla and eggs.  Add the rest of the dry ingredients.  Pour into pan and sprinkle salt on top.  Bake for around 20 minutes until the pan stops giggling on you. ;)

Holy Moly Goodness

Leave a comment

image (1)
I don’t even know what to call this dessert because the recipe is actually a variation on “Eating Clean with a Dirty Mind’s” Ice cream Sandwiches When I saw her pictures, heard her descriptions, and saw the ingredients, I knew I had to try it. However, I’m not a big complicated recipe kinda person, and there were a few steps to actually get the goodness. I always start with the original recipe as it’s called for so I know exactly how it’s intended to taste. Then, I put my spin on it to make it more convenient, or suite my palate, etc. The original recipe was amazing! This is my personal spin on it though….and you could easily halve the recipe to make a thinner layer. The photo is a half batch that was frozen in an 8×8 to give you an idea of thickness. The photo is also of a version with homemade sunflower/walnut butter and tahini mixture. The first time I made it, I did the original cashew butter. All are good! The one with sunbutter tastes a lot like peanut butter fudge, so if you are going for a classic chocolate chip cookie flavor, I would stick with almond butter or cashew butter.

Holy Moly Goodness

-Cookie Dough Layers-

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups nut butter of choice (almond, cashew, sunbutter)
  • 1/2 cup browned butter (don’t change this! Although I’m sure it’d be good regular, too)
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • dash of cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup Dark Chocolate Chips

Directions:

1. Brown the butter by putting it in a shallow sauce pot on medium-low heat until it becomes a dark golden brown. You will know it’s ready when it smells like toffee. Take the butter off the burner right after it reaches this point to prevent burning.

2. In a medium sized bowl add the nut butter, browned butter, coconut flour and stir together. Next add the maple syrup, sea salt, vanilla, cinnamon, and stir until combined.

3. Cover the bowl and place it in the freezer for about 20 minutes. You want the cookie dough to harden up a bit but you still want it to be somewhat pliable so you can work with it.

4. Remove from the freezer and fold in the 3/4 cup of chocolate chips. If you add them before going in the freezer they will sink and settle at the bottom.

5. Line an 8×8 glass or metal pan with parchment paper and pour in the batter.

6. Put in freezer for at least 20 minutes.

7. While it is freezing, make vanilla ice cream!

This is amazing all by itself, but feel free to top a piece with a scoop of coconut milk ice cream! This will give you all the same flavors, minus the steps of making it into a sandwich!

Are You Overspending on Food?

Leave a comment

grocery bill
I hear people say all the time that eating “like I do” is so expensive! I’m not even sure what that means, eating real food? I have been doing months worth of research to determine how much I actually spend every month on food to see if what I spend is really THAT much more than people buying packaged goods. Let’s face it, it costs less to buy Mac and cheese in a box than some grassfed beef. I thought to myself that since I had no idea how much I was spending, that maybe I was actually spending more than I expected!!

Some of you may be wondering how I could have no clue how much I was spending, so I will give you an idea of what my food spending looks like. EVERYTHING I buy is quality; this is because I can give up the cost of baked goods with almond flour if I need to in order to have healthy whole foods. I buy all my beef grassfed, all my chicken free range, all my pork pastured, most of my produce organic (unless I can’t find it or I am peeling it). I am not saying this is the standard everyone is at or should be at, but I wanted to give you an idea of what spending is like when you do it “all the way clean.” It has taken months to evaluate because when I buy a 1/4 of a cow, it takes more than a month to eat! So, that month I may spend a few hundred dollars on meat but then won’t have to buy meat for months to come. The same with produce. I pay for my CSA share in the beginning of the year but do not get any veggies until June-Oct, which means I don’t have them as an expense through the summer.

Drum roll. I would say that on average, I spend around 300/mo (per person) on food. Let me clarify….that means everything! Meat, veggies, items to bake, beverages, eating out, etc. I looked up what the average American spends on just a standard diet and it was way more than that! In eating out one night, someone can spend what my entire week of groceries cost!

I am going to give you some of the same tips that most quality-conscious people will give you, so they should not be a surprise.

1. Join a CSA. The CSA costs me $15/week from June-Oct and I have so many veggies that are local, organic, fresh that I can’t possibly keep up with eating them all! Therefore, I freeze some, ferment some, give some away and I hardly ever buy produce from the grocery store because I have so much already.
2. Start a garden. This is partly just fun to watch stuff grow, be able to harvest your own bounty, and feel good knowing that it came from your backyard! However, seeds cost next to nothing, and if you plant accordingly, you will have plants that keep giving you FREE food all summer long!
3. Buy in bulk! I buy my cows and pigs by the 1/4, I buy my chickens by the dozen, and I buy butter by the box. In the summer, I go to the local, organic orchards or farms and stock up on 30lbs of blueberries and 2 bushels of apples, etc. This fruit gets made into applesauce, crumbles, etc and frozen to be enjoyed all year at a fraction of the price.
4. Buy what’s on sale, not what you “want.” It’s easy to go to the store with an idea of what you want to eat that week and buy the ingredients. However, if what you want to eat is not in season, then you may pay double or triple the amount for your produce than if you bought produce that the farmers can’t get off their hands fast enough. There is no shelf life to produce, therefore, when it is in season, it is abundant and fresh and nutritious….and cheap!
5. Bake with coconut flour and tapioca flour. If you bake everything with almond flour, you could risk spending 10 dollars on the flour to make one coffee cake! Consider those items “treats” not because they are desserts but because they are budget-busters.
6. Eat eggs often. They are the cheapest protein source around and are full of nutrients. Have breakfast for dinner a few nights a month and it can go a long way.
7. Figure out what things you buy may be costing you a fortune. I found that buying coconut milk ice cream was running me $6 a pint! It costs me $3 to make more on my own! Therefore, if it’s something you consume frequently, you may find that making it at home is rewarding and cost-effective! That same thing goes for chicken stock. Save your $3 a quart and simply throw your left over bones in the crockpot with water and make your own.
8. Make your own laundry detergent. I was spending obscene amounts of money on “all natural” products and laundry detergent has been one of the best things ever! It costs me less than $10 to make a big barrel of it and it lasts months.
9. Have people over! Not only is hosting friends fun, but you can enjoy better food and drinks for much less! Having friends over for dinner will save your dining out budget from tipping the scales (and you will know that the food was quality!). Especially if you drink wine, $10 at the store equals $35 at the restaurant!
10. Pack you lunch. I feel like a broken record with this one because I say it ALL THE TIME. Eating leftovers for lunch means eating amazing food, AND not having to spend $15 everyday for a crappy hamburger sans the bun.
I would love for those with families to chime in and let us know how much they spend! It is definitely a do-able thing. Once you have your pantry stocked with “new” things like coconut oil, milk, flour, spices, etc., it’s really just maintenance from there. ;)

Don’t Cringe….Burgers With Beef Heart

Leave a comment

burger
Some of my previous posts have alluded to all the weird things I have eaten in the past few years in addition to the importance of organ meats in our diet. However, lets face it, liver tastes so gross! I have tried to like it, tried to sneak it, and tried to plug my nose and swallow! I just haven’t found any way to eat it that I actually like. To me, you need to like your food! So, there are no recipes that I have created with liver, although I have not given up. ;)

That leads me to my burgers! One thing I have been able to use successfully and not even notice is beef heart. I got a meat grinder for Christmas and have been thinking to myself ever since about what I am possibly going to use it for. I ordered some heart from my last meat pick up and decided ground heart it is. I told myself I was going to mix with ground beef and see what happens. Ummm…amazing happened!

Beef heart burgers

  • Combo of ground beef and ground beef heart
  • couple splashes of worcestershire sauce
  • a few hefty dashes of garlic powder
  • a few hefty dashes of red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper

You should try this…organ meat is full of nutrients! If you don’t, I won’t hold it against you. However, you may want to inquire what your burger is made of at the next backyard BBQ at my house!

Paleo Olive Oil Ice Cream: No Joke

Leave a comment

It’s been over 80 degrees everyday, and when it’s that hot out, I want something a little creamy and cold.  Ice cream always seems to do the trick.  I have tried several variations of coconut milk ice cream and I can honestly say that “you can’t go wrong!”  However, I am a huge foodie and will watch the Cooking Network for hours for flavor inspiration.  One day, I was watching a show where the couple went back to Tuscany to cook a traditional meal and olive oil ice cream was on the menu for dessert.  Really?  Wouldn’t that taste absolutely disgusting?  I started researching it and I found out that this is a super traditional concept where olives are grown.  When you have good quality olive oil, it tends to be on the fruity side.  Who knew?!

We have a store called the Olive Branch in Granger and I knew they had tons of infused olive oils.  I went out to check it out and I was completely torn between one of the citrus infusions like lime, meyer lemon, or blood orange, but I ended up going with roasted almond.  The reason I chose Roasted Almond infused olive oil was because I could not resist the thought of using their espresso balsamic vinegar as a reduction over the top!   Done.  Had to go home and make it….right after I did the Regional workout #6.

It turned out great and I am going to say that this is an awesome option to add healthy monosaturated fats to your diet without the heat!  It really took on the flavor of the olive oil.  Try it with basic EVOO or ANY of the infused olive oils at the Olive Branch!  I considered trying to infuse my own with vanilla but sometimes I just get impatient when I have an idea….

*Lurong folks use honey instead

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups full fat coconut milk
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup (or sweetener of choice)
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1/3 cup roasted almond olive oil (or regular EVOO, or any other flavor)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • pinch of salt

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and blend until smooth.  Put into the ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s instructions!

I put some of the espresso balsamic in a saucepan and reduced it gently while the ice cream was processing.  I drizzled it over the top to eat it….pure magic.

Paleo Sushi

Leave a comment

So, a couple months ago I was having the worst cravings ever for salmon.  I’m not sure why but I could not walk past it in the grocery store without buying it, stocking up on it, and ordering it off every menu at restaurants.  I must have had my craving satisfied; however, I never forgot about the amazing sushi roll that I came up with!  I had it again last night and thought that I had to share it with everyone.;)

Ingredients: (1 roll)

  • 1/2 an avocado, mashed
  • 1 nori sheet
  • a few strips smoked salmon
  • a few slices of mango
  • a green onion
  • a few sliced of fermented jalapeno, diced

Instructions:

Spread the mashed avocado on the nori sheet leaving about an inch at one end without any.  At the edge (the one with avocado) lay down the smoked salmon, then the green onion, mango, and sprinkles of jalapeno.  Begin to roll the sheet up into a cylinder and wet the edge without avocado on it in order to make it stick.  Done.  I eat it like a burrito but feel free to cut into bite size pieces like they do at the restaurant.  I tried that once and I just ended up smashing it and everything fell out. ;(  You can use any variation of ingredients!  Sashimi grade tuna, cooked shrimp, cucumber, bell pepper, jicama, etc.  I just love smoked salmon and avocado!

BTW-I thought I came up with this amazing idea….until you search it on the internet and everyone is doing it!  My roll is the best though….probably because of my homemade fermented jalapenos!

Paleo Almond Cookies

Leave a comment

This is a recipe that is so good that I almost wanted to keep it to myself.  It’s one of those recipes that’s just so perfect, people may think it’s a secret recipe from your grandma or something.  If I ever own a restaurant or make baked goods for money, or sell food at the farmer’s market, this would be the cookie everyone would be trying to copy to no avail!  I am starting to get mad at myself for telling you how good it is…for some reason when someone tells you how amazing something is, it never tastes THAT amazing!  So, I’ll stop.  This is not the thing to give your friends with pizza palates; this is a recipe for taste buds that have evolved to love flavors beyond peanut butter chocolate.  Eating this cookie is like having a present in every bite!  One minute I am loving the nutty flavor, then I catch a hint of salt…mmm….wait, what is that!?  Almond extract, lemon, omg.  Enough already.  Here’s the dang recipe.  I can’t take credit for this recipe; nor can I give one of my bazillion paleo cookbooks credit either.  This recipe came from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, with a couple switch-a-roos.

Paleo Almond Cookies (makes 18 cookies)

Ingedients:

  • 1 1/2 cups almonds processed into flour (a little less than 2 cups almond flour if you use preground)
  • 1 cup arrowroot powder
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup grassfed butter or coconut oil, softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • zest from one lemon
  • 18 almonds or chocolate chunks

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300F.

Mix the dry ingredients together and then add the butter and extracts.  Fold in the lemon zest.  You should have a pretty solid dough.  Drop tablespoon size balls onto a cookie sheet and place a whole almond in the middle of each cookie (or chocolate chunks if you wish).  Place in the oven for 5 minutes then use a fork to press the cookie down slightly.  Continue cooking for another 15 minutes. Let cool completely.  Try not to eat the entire batch in one sitting.

Paleo Lemon Pancakes: A Lesson in Chemistry

Leave a comment

I love making pancakes on the weekend and lemon pancakes in particular are one of my favorite.  I always tell people to switch up my other pancake recipes to try new flavors based on what’s in season, but I have a hunch that no one does. ;(    People get scared to switch the recipe ingredients! So, I am writing this to ensure that you try these lovely pillows of goodness. The chemical reaction that happens with the baking soda and lemon juice creates bubbles which result in that buttermilk pancake texture that everyone is so familiar with!  If you like lemon, you will not be disappointed.  It almost makes me think of Forest Gump and the shrimp thing….lemon larabars, lemon shortbread, lemon pancakes, lemonade….mmmmm!

Paleo Lemon Pancakes

makes 6 pancakes (double if you have kids or a heavy appetite!)

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup tapioca flour
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice (about juice from 2 lemons, top off with water if you need to in order to get 1/2 cup)
  • zest from 2 lemons
  • 1 dash vanilla
  • 1 pinch salt

Directions:

Whish dry ingredients together.  Then whisk in eggs (this forms a pasty dough). Add the lemon juice and whisk (this produces bubbly effervescence!  I don’t remember why from chemistry but my guess is that the baking soda and lemon juice are reacting.  This is what makes the light and fluffy texture.)  Add vanilla and salt.  Fold in the lemon zest.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add fat of choice so the pancakes don’t stick.  Cook until bubbles start forming on the outer ring.  Flip and cook for a couple minutes on the other side.  Drizzle with pure maple syrup or blueberry sauce!

Paleo Waldorf Tuna Salad

Leave a comment

Paleo Waldorf Tuna Salad (the clothes make the girl)

Ingredients:

  • 2 cans tuna
  • 2 green onion, chopped
  • 1 tart apple, chopped
  • handful pecans, chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • enough homemade mayo (or Greek yogurt if you do dairy) to coat to your liking

Mix it all together and enjoy!

I will say that I bring this as a side dish to events a lot of times because it is a quick, easy, tasty protein dish that doesn’t have real temperature needs.   You obviously wouldn’t want to leave it out in the sun for hours, but it doesn’t require a crockpot or any other fancy contraptions.  I don’t like tuna salad…at all; however, this tuna salad is one I eat by the spoonful.   You won’t be disappointed!  and it’s apple season….