Orange Chicken

The kids don't help me plan meals and then won't eat what I make.  Finally, something they like!

Totally ripped off from Health Bent, thanks Brandon & Megan.  I think you'll like their Paleo Orange Chicken, too.

photo cred: Health Bent

Ingredients:

• 1lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I use Rosie organic, free range), cut into bite size pieces
• 3T coconut oil
• juice of 2 oranges - taste them, if they aren't sweet & orangey, neither will your final dish, trust me
• zest from 1 orange
• 1 t fresh ginger
• 3T tamari (wheat-free soy sauce)
• 1t chili garlic sauce or sriracha
• 3 green onions, chopped

Directions:

1. In a saucepan add orange juice, zest, ginger, tamari, chili sauce.  Cook over medium heat until it boils.  Reduce to a simmer until thickened.
2. In a large skillet heat coconut oil and add chicken pieces.  Cook until chicken has a nice, brown crust.
3. Add chicken to sauce and stir to coat.
4. Serve topped with green onions.

Chocolate Pie

Photo: Paleo Magazine

Paleo Magazine's, Oct/Nov 2013 issue gives us this amazing chocolate pie with a raw graham cracker-like crust.  It is so easy to make and so delicious you'll be proud to serve it to guests.  It offers a perfect ending to any meal.

Crust Ingredients:

• 1 cup walnut halves and pieces
• 1/4 cup soft, pitted Medjool dates
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch of sea salt

Filling Ingredients:

• 1 cup coconut cream*
• 1/2 cup soft, pitted Medjool dates
• 3 oz dark chocolate, melted
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

* use the cream at the top of a can of separated full-fat coconut milk that has been refrigerated over night or "Let's Do...Organic" brand organic coconut cream.

Directions:

1. To make the crust, in a food processor with an "S" blade purée all crust ingredients for about 20 seconds or until very fine.
2. Transfer the crust mixture to a glass pie dish and press it across the bottom and halfway up the sides.
3. Rinse the food processor.
4. In a small saucepan heat the coconut cream just slightly.
5. In the food processor add the heated coconut cream to the remaining filling ingredients and purée for 1 minute or until the filling is dark and completely smooth.
6. Pour the filling over the crust and chill to set.
7. Store the pie at room temperature.

Green Bean Casserole With Crispy Shallots

We usually pass up green bean casserole due to it's unhealthy ingredients.  This year it sounds good so I'm hunting for the perfect recipe.  Here's my version of The Urban Poser's recipe.

 

The Urban Poser

Ingredients:

1½ cups of Creamy Cashew Gravy*

1 lb haricots verts

2 large shallots

¼ cup coconut oil or ghee

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400˚F
• Blanch the green beans in boiling, salted water for about 2 min. Drain. If you are not going to bake green beans immediately, you will need to shock them in a bowl of ice water to stop them from cooking.
•  In a large bowl, combine the green beans and gravy. Transfer to a casserole dish and bake at 400˚F for about 20 min or until the gravy begins to bubble.
•  Meanwhile prepare crispy shallots.  Peel and slice the shallots into thin rings.
•  Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium/low heat until oil bubbles slightly. Reduce the heat to low, add the shallots and cook for 5 - 6 min or until they reach a golden brown color. Stir occasionally to ensure even browning.
•  Using a slotted spoon, remove shallots from the oil, drain well and let cool on paper towels until ready to use.
•  Remove green beans from oven, top with crispy shallots, and serve.

*Creamy Cashew Gravy

Ingredients:

1 cup raw cashews

1 cup homemade bone broth + ¼ cup

1 tablespoon coconut oil or ghee

½ onion, chopped

3 large garlic cloves, chopped

½ tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon dried thyme

sea salt to taste

Directions:

• Soak the cashews for 4 hours then rinse and drain. Transfer to food processor 
• Sauté the onions and garlic in 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat, cook until caramelized.  
• Add onion & garlic to food processor with the cashews. Set the pan aside.
• Add 1 cup of broth to the food processor and blend until smooth.
• Pour the cashew mixture into the onions & garlic pan. Add the thyme and whisk the cashew mixture over a medium heat for a few minutes or until it thickens and darkens up a little bit.  Whisk constantly so that it doesn't burn.
• Whisk in the ¼ cup broth, lemon juice, and salt.  Stirring constantly, allow it thicken for a few minutes. 
  

Pumpkin Spice Donuts

My blogger friend at Write From The Farm inspired me to make donuts again.  Her recipe for bacon, butternut, pumpkin donuts looks awesome.  I will try it.  This time, though, I was working with limited time and wanted to make some donuts for the kids and my mom visiting from Texas.  Here's my variation on the recipe I found at Edible Harmony.

Ingredients:

½ cup pumpkin puree
½ cup of pitted dates (about 10 dates)
6 eggs
1/3 cup of softened coconut oil
1 tsp of vanilla extract
2 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
½ cup of coconut flour
½ teaspoon baking soda

5 tablespoons coconut milk or raw whole milk

Glaze: (optional)

2 tablespoons softened coconut oil

2 tablespoons softened butter

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 tablespoons raw honey

Directions:
• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Using a food processor or blender, combine the pumpkin puree, dates, eggs, oil and spices until the dates are completely ground.
• Add the rest of the ingredients and run the food processor for a few more seconds

• Grease the donut pan and pour the batter into the molds

• Bake for about 25 minutes or until donuts are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry.

• Set on a cooling rack to cool then frost with the glaze.

Innocent Bananas Foster

I surprised my family and made this for dessert last night.  As I'm writing this I realize we've been having quite a bit of desserts lately.  Time to cut back to weekends only.  We'll definitely keep this one in the rotation.  Thanks to The Crohn's Journey Foundation for the great recipe.

Photo: Sarah Choueiry

Ingredients:

2 bananas, peeled and sliced into 1/4" chunks
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 tablespoons raw honey
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, more or less to taste
vanilla ice cream we like Julie's Organic Vanilla and Strauss Organic Vanilla Bean

Directions:

• Heat coconut oil in a skillet
• Add banana slices and cook until browned, about 7 minutes
• Meanwhile mix honey and water
• When bananas are browned add honey
• Turn heat off and sprinkle with cinnamon
• Pour over vanilla ice cream.

Serves 4

Frozen Bananas

I have a new favorite blog, stir it up.  She's a paleo wife and mom, like me, and I think we'd be friends.

Today I made the frozen bananas I found on her site.  I adapted it for my preferences and thought I'd share it with you.

Photo: stir it up

For two bananas you'll need:

a heaping tablespoon of almond butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons cacao powder
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon raw honey

• Slice bananas in half lengthwise
• Stir together almond butter, cinnamon and vanilla
• Divide almond butter mixture between two banana halves
• Add a popsicle stick and but bananas back together
• Place in freezer, on waxed or parchment paper, until frozen
• When bananas are frozen, melt chocolate, coconut oil, and honey
• Pour chocolate evenly over both bananas, covering every inch
• Place back in the freezer until frozen, about 30 min.

 Both of my kids were beside themselves excited about this new treat.  I think I'll be making them again very soon.

Oil Pulling

Have you heard of it?  Chances are you know someone who has started oil pulling therapy.

What is it?  According to oilpulling.com:

"Oil pulling or oil swishing, is an ancient ayurvedic, simple, cost effective, natural remedy procedure that involves pulling or swishing oil in the mouth for oral and systemic health benefits.  It is claimed to cure about 30 systemic diseases ranging from headache and migraine to diabetes and asthma."

My god-daughter, Tara, told me months ago she was oil pulling with olive oil.  I thought she was crazy and it was disgusting.  Come to find out my husband has been oil pulling with coconut oil.  We all know the health benefits of coconut oil so why not try oil pulling with it?

I did.  I've been faithful for almost two weeks.  Guess what?  First, I think my teeth are whiter.  Second, I got a canker sore (which isn't unusual for me).  Since I had started oil pulling the canker sore never erupted, I never felt pain, didn't use any orajel, and it went away in a few days!  I've never experienced that with a canker sore.  The true test will be my next dentist visit, mid-September.  I'm hoping for some healing of the many problems I have with my teeth.

The method?  Brad and I are swishing first thing in the morning.  We use 1-2 teaspoons of organic coconut oil and swish for 20 minutes.  This is very detoxifying so you want to do it on an empty stomach.  My second day, I forgot to swish in the morning and did it when I remembered which was right before dinner.  My stomach was queasy and I didn't feel so good.  I don't experience that problem when I swish in the morning.  After swishing with the coconut oil, we rinse with salt water (we use sea salt).  Oilpulling.com says, "Salt water rinsing isn’t absolutely necessary, but is very helpful as an antimicrobial and to soothe any inflammation and proven to be effective in rinsing out any toxins which may be left out in the mouth."

Let me know if you start oil pulling and if you notice anything different!

Coconut Curry Beef

Here's a super easy dinner!

Ingredients:

Coconut Oil
Kerrygold Grass-Fed Butter
Chopped Carrots, Celery, Onion, Sweet Potato, Kale
Turmeric
Garlic Powder
Curry
Sea Salt
Dey Dey's Grass-Fed Beef

In a heavy pot heat coconut oil and butter.  Saute veggies until a bit al dente.  Add spices and seasonings, stir until combined.  In another pan, saute the ground beef, drain and add to veggies and spices.  Stir until combined.

I topped it with chopped cucumber and you can even add coconut aminos if you want a more salty, soy sauce flavor.

That's it!  So easy and so yummy.

Family rated: 2 thumbs up!  Cooper even added, "Best dinner ever!"  Gotta love that.