Apple Cider Donuts

We have a tradition at our house where the birthday person gets breakfast in bed.  The kids always choose to have a donut for breakfast.  Monday is Cooper's 11th birthday and, of course, he wants donuts!

Last year for Cooper's birthday we were only gluten-free.  It was easy to purchase gluten-free donuts in the frozen section at Mother's Market.  They were ok.  Coop was a good sport.  This year, being grain-free, I wondered if we were going to indulge and suffer with belly aches or do away with the traditional donut. 

Thank you Paleo Spirit for saving our tradition!  These Apple Cider Donuts are so good and the birthday boy gave 2 thumbs up to having them as his birthday breakfast.

Ingredients (makes 10-12 mini-donuts or about 9 regular donuts)

• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil (liquid)
• 1/2 cup warm apple cider
• 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil, melted – for coating cooked donuts

Cinnamon Sugar

• 1/2 cup granulated coconut sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon 

Instructions:

1. Preheat mini-donut maker or oven to 350˚F.
2. In a small bowl whisk together coconut flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
3. In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, oil, and honey.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined.
5. Add the warm apple cider to the bowl and mix until fully incorporated into the dough.
6. Scoop the donut batter into the pre-heated donut maker/pan.
7. Close the lid and cook for 2-3 minutes or place in the oven for 20 min.
8. Carefully remove cooked donuts from the pan.
9. Brush donuts with melted butter or coconut oil to cover both sides.
10. Toss donuts with the prepared cinnamon/coconut sugar mixture until coated.

They are best served warm.  I made mine a day ahead and they were still good but the cinnamon sugar was soaked into the donut which changed the texture.  No biggie.

BTW - I did not go out and buy a donut maker.  I bought a donut pan at Michaels for $10.  Works great!

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Bars

Photo: Nom Nom Paleo

Thanks to my friend, Nicole, for passing on this great recipe.  It is another big hit with the kids.  Cooper said it was the best thing he ever ate!

Sweet Potato Bars
From the book Sweet Potato Power by Ashley Tudor

1/2 cup yam puree
1/3 cup honey
2 eggs
1 cup almond flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves

1.  To make puree:  Heat oven to 400.  Place medium yam on baking sheet and bake for 1 hour or until easily pierced with a fork.  Cool, scoop out flesh from skin.  Discard skin.  Puree flesh in food processor.  (Mash can be made days ahead and frozen or refrigerated until ready to use.)

2.  For bars: Heat oven to 350.  In a food processor, combine puree, honey, and eggs.  Pulse for 2 minutes.  Add dry flour and seasonings.  Pulse for a full minute.

3.  Pour batter into a greased, 8 inch square baking dish.  Bake for 30-35 minutes. Serve

Carrot Fries & Meatloaf

Check out Paleo On A Budget's great recipe for these carrot fries.  Mine took about 40 minutes to bake, though.

Serve along side this easy meatloaf recipe.

Ingredients:

1 lb grass-fed ground beef
1 shredded carrot
1 shredded zucchini
1 egg
salt
garlic powder
paprika

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350˚F.  Mix all ingredients together with your hands until well combined.  Put into a loaf pan or small cake pan.  Bake for 50-60 min.

UPDATE: If you like crispy fries, these may not work.  You'll end up burning more than crisping.  Also, as my good friend, Amy pointed out, make a bunch because these tasty morsels shrink.

Coconut Waffles

My husband is known for making waffles. We love waffles. We were eating waffles 2-3 times a week. Then, we went grain-free and it was "good bye, waffles". We've tried recipes here and there. They are not the same but still we press on. Here's a pretty good one adapted from PaleOMG. 

Almond Flour Coconut Waffles
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 5 mins
Total time: 10 mins
Makes 3 waffles 

Ingredients
2 eggs, whisked

1/4 cup canned coconut milk

1.5 cup almond flour/meal
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 tablespoon coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon raw honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

Instructions
1. Plug in waffle iron.
2. Whisk eggs in a medium-large bowl.
3. Add coconut milk and whisk with eggs.
4. Add almond flour and mix together.
5. Add shredded coconut, coconut flour, baking soda and mix together.
6. Add honey, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon. Mix together, thoroughly.
7. Pour into waffle iron and cook according to iron instructions, about 4 minutes.

Roasted Butternut Squash, Carrot, and Ginger Soup

Roasted Butternut Squash, Carrot, and Ginger Soup

adapted from With Style and Grace

Ingredients 

• 1 medium butternut squash
• 1 lb carrots, peeled (last night I used a mixture of parsnips & carrots, yummy)
• 1 yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375˚ F.
• To prepare baking sheet, cover with foil and drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil; set aside.
• Cut butternut squash in half; remove seeds and place cut side down on prepared baking sheet.
• Add the carrots alongside.
• Bake until squash and carrots are tender and nicely browned, about 45 minutes. 
• Remove from the oven and until cool enough to handle, peel the skin off the butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise and then into cubes. Dice carrots.
• In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent. 
• Add ginger and garlic and cook for one minute. 
• Add squash, carrots, broth, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium-high, bringing to a boil.
• Reduce to low and simmer, uncovered for about 30 minutes.
• Remove from heat and let cool slightly before you puree.
• In batches, transfer soup to blender and puree. Or use an immersion blender.
• Add more salt + pepper, to taste.
• Serve immediately or store in refrigerator in an airtight container.

Makes 6 servings

Paleo? Bulletproof? Yes!

I like to say I eat Paleo because it's easier for me to explain.  My husband says the way we eat is really closer to Bulletproof.  The difference? The "Bulletproof diet is carefully designed to avoid a bunch of common food toxins."

Dave Asprey, The Bulletproof Executive, developed the diet by starting from scratch and thinking, "What are the optimal things to eat whether cavemen ate them or astronauts ate them?” For Dave it didn't matter.  He asked what foods bring about the best health and the best lifelong longevity and that's where he started.  It turns out that what he built with "the Bulletproof diet over the years was very close to Paleo but the role of mycotoxins and a few other toxins isn't accounted for in Paleo."

The Bulletproof diet consists of foods which naturally have the least occurring toxins and then uses cooking techniques that introduce less toxins.  At the end of the day, it is an anti-inflammatory diet that has about six or seven other ways it works that are different than, but complimentary to Paleo.

Check out both ways to health and see if one or a combo of both will work for you.  It has changed my life.

Bulletproof Executive

The Paleo Diet

both quotes above are from Dave Asprey, Podcast 15 "A Non-Bulletproof View On Artificial Sweetners" with James Krieger

Spaghetti Squash alla Carbonara

This recipe, from Paleo Parents, is my VERY favorite spaghetti squash dish.  I could make it every night and as I'm typing this I'm wondering why it has been so long since I've made it.  Everyone in my family loved it, especially since it has bacon in it.

Ingredients
1 medium spaghetti squash
12 oz bacon
1 Tbsp coconut flour
1/2 C coconut milk
6 eggs
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning (or herbs de provence)
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 heaping Tbsp coconut oil or butter

Instructions

1. Cut the spaghetti squash in half, scoop out the seeds, place open side down on a plate and microwave for 10 minutes (alternatively, bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees)
2. While the squash is cooking, fry up the strips of bacon (whole) in a pan over medium heat. Use one you can also scramble eggs in, we like a cast iron skillet
3. When the bacon is finished cooking and crispy, remove from the pan and set-aside bacon
4. Over medium heat, whisk in the coconut flour to the bacon grease and let cook for a few minutes
5. While the flour cooks, combine eggs, coconut milk, seasoning, parsley, salt and garlic powder in a bowl until all yolks are fully incorporated
6. Pour eggs into pan, stirring frequently, and cook in bacon fat until still wet but cooked through (about 3 minutes)
7. Slice bacon into 1/4 inch strips, add to serving bowl and top with egg mixture
8. Scrape out spaghetti squash “noodles” with a fork and and add to serving bowl, top with oil or butter
9. Slowly start to incorporate oil/butter into spaghetti squash; once melted, stir to combine all ingredients

Delish!

Bison and Sweet Potato Chili

I love chili.  It really hits the spot when I'm craving comfort foods.  This is an amazing recipe from Paleo Girl that my whole family loves.  You don't have to use Bison but grass-fed bison is a great, low-fat meat option.  Tonight I'm using lamb because I have it on hand.  Any ground meat will work but I hope it's grass-fed...

If you want your chili to be more spicy, follow Paleo Girl's recipe here.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground buffalo (or ground meat of choice)
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled & cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 8oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 14.5oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 1/2 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. Brown your ground meat in a stock pot. Once browned remove it with a slotted spoon leaving any drippings in the pot.
2. Add the coconut oil and cook the sweet potatoes for about 5 minutes stirring often. Add the onion and continue cooking until sweet potatoes are fork tender.
3. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
4. Next add remaining ingredients except for cilantro.
5. Let simmer for about 10 minutes so that the flavors can meld together.
6. Stir in the cilantro right before serving.

• Skill Level: Easy

Spiced Hot Chocolate

Photo: Yunhee Kim

I'm posting this before I've made it.  I think it will be amazing, though.  I'm currently 6 days into a 45-day sugar fast and don't think I should try and justify the chocolate...

My recipe is inspired by Whole Living's Spiced Hot Dark Chocolate.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond, raw whole, or coconut milk
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• freshly grated nutmeg
• pinch cayenne, +/-
• pinch ground cardamom
• 1 oz dark (>80%) chocolate, chopped

Directions:

1. Bring all ingredients to a simmer.  
2. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 10 minutes.  
3. Whisk in chocolate until smooth and creamy.

Enjoy!

Breakfast Cookies

My kids were super excited to have cookies for breakfast and you don't have to feel guilty. These are a great addition to your breakfast repertoire.  Don't let the name fool you, though.  They are a great after school snack, too!

Paleo Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies by The Girl Who Went Paleo 

Ingredients:

¼ C pureed pumpkin

½ C almond butter

½ C honey
1 t vanilla
1 C almond meal/flour
1 t cinnamon
¼ t baking soda
½ C walnuts or pecans, or whatever you'd like 

 ½ C dark chocolate chips or any dried fruit, optional

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350˚ F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
• Combine all wet ingredients together
• Add dry ingredients and combine thoroughly
• Scoop batter onto prepared cookie sheet
• Bake approximately 10-15 minutes, according to thickness
• Cool 2 minutes and transfer to cooling rack  

Cereal

...It's one of the things I miss about being grain free.  Carly was near tears a few days ago.  She begged me to get her a box of cereal.  She even offered to pay for it herself.  Tough love won and I scoured the internet for a paleo "cereal".  I found two great options that both kids like.

Cinnamon Apple Creamed Cereal by Paleo Parents is egg-free, grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, corn-free, soy-free, refined sugar-free.

Paleo Cereal by The Paleo Project

• In a bowl combine chopped raw almonds, chopped raw cashews (or whatever nuts you like), blackberries, raspberries, and bananas (or whatever fruit you like).

• Pour coconut milk over nuts & fruit and top with honey.

I think they are great substitutes.  If you try them, please let me know what you think.

"Nutella"

Make Your Own "Nutella" *

I don't like nutella but my family does.  When the kids are begging for it what do I do?  I find a paleo nutella I can make myself.  Paleo Spirit's recipe uses hazelnuts.  That's what I don't like about nutella, so I'm using raw almonds.

*Disclaimer: I have to put nutella in quotes because Brad says it's not really nutella.  He adds that this recipe is still good.


Here is my recipe adapted from Paleo Spirit.

Ingredients:

• 1 C raw almonds (use hazelnuts if you like them)
• 1/2 C coconut milk
• 1/4 C coconut nectar or maple syrup
• 1/4 C cacao powder
• 1/4 t vanilla
• 2 T coconut oil
• pinch of sea salt

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350˚ F.
• Roast the almonds in the oven for 10 minutes.
• Add the almonds to the bowl of a food processor and pureé for a few minutes until creamy, scraping down the sides as needed.
• Add the remaining ingredients.  Continue to process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
• Store in the refrigerator.