The World’s Easiest Cookie

This recipe showed up in my news feed a few days ago, and I have been anxious to make them ever since I laid eyes on them.  TRULY the easiest cookies that I have ever made.  Paleo, GF, vegan, easy, …

Bacony Maple Carrots

You have the saltiness and bacony deliciousness that we all know and LOVE. You have the sweet maple goodness. You have the subtle carrot flavor coming through. Everything about these carrots is amazing

A Little Science & a Simple Salad Topper

My family has always had a passion for food.  Growing up, there was always something going on in the kitchen.  Every time we visited my grandparents, grandpa would make his famous enchiladas while grandma baked her homemade cinnamon bread.  My uncles are always …

BBQ Pork Omelette

For St. Patrick’s Day, I visited my uncles in Chicago.  I’m so glad that they have a love for food, good food, like I do.  While there, we ate brunch at a trendy little place called The LittleGoat. One of the specials that day was a BBQ pork omelette.  Duh.  Ever since I took that first bite, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this omelette.  You guys.  Unbelievably fantastic. You have your traditional 3 egg omelette.  Add a little cream cheese and BBQ pulled pork inside and top with BBQ sauce, French fried onions, and a sprinkle of cilantro.  I have never tasted anything like it.  I had already begun to create this dish for myself in my head.

This morning, I enjoyed my very own BBQ pork omelette.  Here it is.

Ingredients
3 eggs
Approx 1 cup cooked pork short ribs (recipe HERE)
BBQ sauce (I use TPFAK Primal BBQ Sauce from my friends in Maine)
S&P to taste
1 Tbsp unsalted butter (I use Kerrygold)

Instructions
1. Melt butter in a skillet on medium heat
2.  While butter is melting, crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk well
3. Pour the egg mixture into the hot pan, then let the eggs set a little along the edges (it will only take a few seconds)
4. Using a spatula, pull the eggs in from all four sides toward the center, allowing the liquid eggs to flow underneath the set ones (eggs will look lumpy and slightly scrambled).
5. When the eggs are set on the outside but still slightly soft on the inside, add the pork (and sauce if you’d like).  (Don’t worry about the runny eggs in the middle. The eggs will continue cooking once the omelet is rolled.)
6. Fold one side of the omelet in with your spatula. The other side will fold over as you tilt it onto the plate.
7. Tilt the skillet to fold the final third of the omelet over, then turn the skillet a little more so the omelet falls onto the plate fold-side down. Season to taste with salt and pepper and top with BBQ sauce.
8. Congratulations, you omelette-maker, you.

I had made my very favorite slow cooker ribs a few days ago.  From past experience, I know that the ribs and eggs pair perfectly.  Lightbulb moment.  It was perfect.  Eggs, pork, BBQ sauce.  For a little extra fun and flavor, I also added a little feta cheese inside the omelette as well as on the top.  I’m fresh out of cilantro, otherwise I would have thrown a little of that stuff on top as well.

Spot hit, man. This is for sure a must try.  The perfect way to enjoy those leftover short ribs.  Guaranteed I’ll be making this again.  Shoot, I may even have it for lunch and dinner as well.

Original omelette recipe HERE
Original ribs recipe HERE

Happy Eating, friends.

-Lindsay

Baked Spiced Sweet Potatoes

I recently saw this recipe on my Facebook news feed.  The Paleo Mom posted this winner.  Do you follow her yet?  She is a wealth of knowledge and information.  Sarah, who has her doctorate degree in medical biophysics, decided to become a stay at home mom after her first daughter was born.  Later on, Sarah discovered the Paleo way of eating.  Through Paleo, she has lost weight, as well as experienced healing from a plethora of other symptoms. Interesting stuff to read.   She posts all sorts of pretty great stuff from recipes to Paleo tips to autoimmunity.  She’s a smart one.  Every time she posts, I try to take the time to read it.  Good stuff.

Sweet potato recipes always catch my eye.  They’re delicious, and they’re good for you.  Sweet potatoes provide somewhere around 400% of your daily Vitamin A requirement.  Compared to white potatoes, they have more Vitamin C, fewer calories, more fiber, and fewer carbs. While they do have a bit more sugar, I believe the benefits outweigh the risks.

Ingredients
3-4 medium sweet potatoes (sometimes mislabeled as yams), peeled and cut into ½” thick circles (or semi-circles, if big around)  Optional: if using young tender sweet potatoes, just give them a wash and leave the skin on.
2 Tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp nutmeg

Instructions
1.    Preheat oven to 350F. Melt coconut oil a small saucepan on the stove.
2.    Place sweet potatoes in a big bowl. Toss with coconut oil and nutmeg until evenly coated.
3.    Arrange yam slices in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with tin foil or a silicone liner.
4.    Bake for 25 minutes, then remove from oven and turn each slice over.
5.    Bake another 15 minutes.  Enjoy!

Note: for a little extra sweetness, you may consider adding a hint of real maple syrup. I also added a little cinnamon as well.

These sweet potatoes are dangerously delicious.  They literally melted in my mouth.  Just a hint of crisp on the outside while keeping the middle soft.  They flavor is perfect.  They reminded me of Christmas or Thanksgiving.  Almost a pumpkin pie flavor.  Sweet potatoes, spices.  It’s a winning combination.  Best part is, there are only a couple of ingredients.  You probably already have them in your house already.

This would be a great recipe to add to any meal or for any snack.  It also makes a pretty great post workout addition.  Remember, since sweet potatoes do have all that extra sugar, they should be enjoyed sparingly.  Sad.  I think I could eat them 3 times a day.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. Recipes don’t always have to be fancy and complicated.  Sometimes simple is best.

Recipe HERE.

Happy Eating!

 

Baked Fried Chicken Tenders with Maple Dijon Dipping Sauce

Boneless skinless chicken breast tenders were on sale today. Totally craving some chicken tenders comfort food. Here is what I came up with.

Ingredients
Chicken
1-2# boneless chicken breast tenders
2 eggs
Approx 2 cups Almond meal (with the skins)
1 Tbsp Grass-fed butter (melted)
S&P for a hint of flavor

Maple Dijon dipping sauce
Dijon mustard (check labels for sneaky sugar)
Real maple syrup

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Pour the almond flour into a bowl, season with s&p
3. In a separate bowl, mix together eggs and butter.
4. Dredge the chicken in egg/butter mixture then coat in almond meal.
5. Arrange the chicken in a single layer on a baking sheet or oven safe dish.
6. Bake at 425° for 60 minutes or until chicken is brown and crispy.
7. In the meantime, mix together maple dijon dipping sauce. I use a 2:1 ration. 2 parts mustard, 1 part maple syrup.
8. Once chicken is cooked, remove from oven, the juices should run clear when pierced with a knife. Let cool for a minute or 2. Serve with dipping sauce and enjoy.

There are a thousand recipes out out on the Internets similar to this one. From memory, I just kind of threw this together on my own.  Really, I just had the almond meal in my cupboard that I wanted to use up.  Figured this would be a good way.

I provided you with the basic version of these chicken tenders.  For a few of the chicken strips, I added some Italian seasoning to the almond meal mixture.  Once cooked, I dipped the chicken into marinara sauce.  Experiment with flavors and see what you can come up with.  One could make this recipe a plethora of different ways.  Garlic, rosemary, cayenne pepper, lemon, etc…

These chicken bits come out perfectly crispy.  At the temperature that I cooked them, they have just the right amount of crisp while keeping the chicken tender and juicy.  Pretty good combo.

Really, this is so easy…and cleanup is a breeze.  Easy, clean way to enjoy some chicken strips. It will save you time and will for sure be a hit.

Happy eating!

Chia Seed Pudding

Chia seeds.  Packed with a big nutritional punch in a tinylittleseed.  Chia seeds are interesting little buggers.  When dry, they look kind of like a poppy seed.  When moisture is added, it basically turns into a gelatinous orb. It has been debated that these seeds can help curb hunger.  I guess my take on it is that since the seed sort of expands, it helps you to feel more full. In addition to maybe curbing hunger, these seeds are pretty good for you.  Fiber, protein, calcium, antioxidants, and omega-3.  All of that in these tinylittleseeds. 

I typically use Chia seeds when I make shakes and smoothies.  I’m always looking for other uses for these funky little seeds.  Recently, I came across this pudding recipe on the Deliciously Organic site.  Sounds pretty delicious.

Ingredients
1-1/2 Cups full fat coconut milk
4 Tbsp real maple syrup (or honey)
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
1/3 cup chia seeds
1/2 cup fresh berries

Instructions
1. Whisk coconut milk, maple syrup, and extracts until smooth. 
2. Stir in chia seeds
3. Divide mixture evenly between 4 glasses.
4. Let sit at room temperature for 2 hours.
5. Serve

Note: If you’d like to make the pudding ahead of time, cover tightly and chill in the refrigerator.  Set pudding out for 15 minutes before serving.  Best if eaten within 24 hours.

I found this recipe a couple of days ago, printed it off, and set it on my counter.  This morning, before work, I quick whipped up a batch to throw in my lunch bag.  I altered it just slightly due to time.  I had about a half a can of coconut milk and added almond milk to make the 1-1/2 cups. I was out of maple syrup so I used honey.  I didn’t have any almond extract so I left that stuff out as well.  I had my blender out, so I threw it all into the blender and gave it whirl.  Once mixed, I poured the pudding into mason jars and put them in my lunch bag for work. 

Around lunchtime (about 6 hours after making the pudding), I tried this stuff out.  I added fresh raspberries to make it pretty.  This stuff is pretty fantastic.  As my medic partner so eloquently put it, “It looks reptilian!”  The seeds do give it a funky look and texture, but that’s alright.  The flavor makes up for it.  It totally reminded me of tapioca pudding.  Subtly sweet, a hint of vanilla, and packed with healthy goodness. 

I WILL be making this again.  I foresee having this stuff on hand often to have as dessert.  Perfect.

Happy eating!

Recipe HERE. Also listed is a chocolate version. I plan to make that one next time. I have fond memories of warm tapioca pudding with chocolate chips.  Ahh, memories.

Maple Paleo Cornbread

Question: What goes best with chili?  Answer: cornbread.  A friend of mine who made the Chicken Chili recipe, that I recently posted, commented that I needed to find a good cornbread recipe.  A couple weeks after that, I came across this recipe.  The site that posted it is called Paleo Porn.  Because of the name, I actually kind of felt a little dirty looking at it.  The food looks ridiculously delicious.  Paleo Porn is ok to look at on the work computer.  Guilt-free.

Maple Paleo Cornbread

Ingredients
2 cups blanched almond flour
1 cup coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
5 organic eggs
1 cup canned coconut milk
1/2 cup maple syrup
8 tablespoons grass-fed butter, melted

Instructions
1.  Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Combine almond flour, coconut four, baking soda and sea salt in a large mixing bowl.
3. Add eggs, coconut milk and maple syrup to a small mixing bowl and combine well with a hand mixer.
4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Mix with a hand mixer until fully combined.
5. Slowly drizzle the melted butter into the bowl while the mixer is going and mix until fully combined. The mixture will become smooth, rather than grainy, once the butter is fully mixed.
6. Pour the mixture into an 8×8 glass baking dish, smooth the top with the back of the spoon and transfer the dish to the oven.
7. Bake for 25 minutes at 350°F.
8. Increase the heat to 450°F and bake for 15 minutes, this will crisp up the top of the cornbread.
9. Reduce the heat back to 350°F and bake for final 15 minutes. Test with a toothpick to make sure inside is fully cooked. If not, keep cookin and test every 5 minutes.
10.  Remove from the oven, slice and serve.
11. Cover and store leftovers on the counter or in the refrigerator.
12. Enjoy! 🙂

Another one that makes the kitchen smell delightful.  When this guy comes out of the oven, you can’t help but slice out a little chunk.  Warm Paleo cornbread with a smear of Kerrygold butter….good for the soul.  This is fairly moist and quite a bit more dense than actual corn cornbread.  The flavor actually reminds me of the almond flour pound cake that you make for the Blueberry Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding recipe that I posted awhile ago. Not gonna lie, it doesn’t taste like the cornbread we all know and love.  The gritty corny cornbread…not so much.  BUT, this is definitely a perfect grain-free, dairy-free alternative to the actual thing.  I goes really quite well with chili.  And eggs.  And turkey.  And ham.  Really, most anything.

Happy eating!

Recipe HERE.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

One of the dishes that I agreed to make for Thanksgiving Dinner at work was sweet potatoes.  Personally, I feel like T-Day dinner is salt salt salt salt salt.  I wanted to find a recipe that had a hint of sweet.  Sweet sweet potatoes it is.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients
4-6 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ chunks
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or coconut milk)
1 heaping tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
Salt and pepper to taste
(Scale this recipe for the amount of people being served, I figured 1 sweet potato per person)

Instructions
1. Peel and cut sweet potatoes, and place in a large soup pot filled with water.
2. Bring water to boil, and boil sweet potatoes until soft, about 20 minutes.
3. Drain sweet potatoes and place in a large bowl, or kitchen aid mixer.
4. With kitchen aid mixer, or hand mixer, mash sweet potatoes on low to keep from getting lumpy and “glue-like”.
5. Continue to mash while adding coconut oil, almond milk, and maple syrup.
6. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.

Simple.  Crazy simple.  A few changes.  I used heavy whip instead of almond milk.  Also, my hand mixer recently took a crap and the station that I was at did not have a hand mixer.  Blender it is.  May I recommend a hand mixer or Kitchenaid mixer…works a little slicker.  Lastly, I opted not to sprinkle with s&p.

These sweet potatoes are darn tasty.  The clan at the station loved them as well.  Perfectly and subtly sweet.  A great way to enjoy a guilt-free sweet potato dish.

Happy Eating!

Recipe HERE.