Mac & Cheese

Who doesn't crave mac & cheese every now and then?  I do, at least once a month.  It's also still one of my kids' favorites.  So, I started thinking about how I can make my own and make it healthy and still delicious.  Voila!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb brown rice elbow pasta (or what ever shape)

Cheese Sauce:

• 2 C. raw cashews, soaked for 2-4 hours
• 1/4 C. melted Kerrygold butter, or ghee, or olive oil
• paprika, salt, garlic powder to taste
• pinch of cayenne
• 1/4 - 1/2 C water
• 2 blocks of raw cheese, grated (to make this dairy free you can substitute the cheese for nutritional yeast)

Directions:

1. Cook your pasta according to package directions.
2. While your pasta is cooking make sauce.
3. Drain cashews and add to food processor.
4. While the processor is on add butter and seasonings, blend until smooth.
5. Add enough water to make it a creamy liquid, kinda like cake batter.  It will thicken as it sits.
6. When pasta is done, drain and add back into pot.
7. Add sauce and 3/4 of cheese, stir until well blended.
8. Pour into a buttered casserole dish and top with remaining cheese.
9. Bake at 350˚ for about 20 minutes or until cheese is brown and bubbly.

I had cooked, leftover broccoli so just before I drained the pasta I added the broccoli to the hot water to heat it up and drained it with the pasta.

This is good enough that I am putting it on my Christmas Eve and Christmas Day menus.

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.

Pancake Bacon Strips

Photo: blog.chefuniforms.com

What a delicious way to start (or end) your day.  Try this with Pancakes My Kids Will Eat from my earlier post.

Guess what we're having for breakfast on Saturday.

Roasted Red Pepper Walnut Dip

I discovered a great dip that makes a fabulous appetizer.  We served it with assorted fresh vegetables before our Christmas dinner and it was a huge hit, even with the grandbabies!  It has the texture and taste similar to hummus, which we haven't had in a LONG time.

Ingredients:

Photo: Cupcakes OMG

• 1 cup walnuts
• 6 oz roasted red peppers
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped green onions
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 clove garlic
• salt to taste

Directions:

1. Add walnuts to food processor and pulse into fine crumbs.
2. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until creamy and dip-able.  Add more oil, if necessary, to reach desired consistency.
3. Serve with assorted crudite.

This makes about a cup.  Make lots!  It will go fast.   I'm seeing a lot of paleo peeps serving this dish during the Super Bowl...

Pancakes My Kids Will Eat

Pancakes were a staple in our house before drastically changing our diet.  My husband made waffles or pancakes every other day.  I don't think I'm exaggerating, either.  I've tried many pancake recipes and I either got a, "no way" or "eh, it's ok".  I stopped trying for a long time and now I've stumbled on a new recipe.  Last week when I made them before school, both kids had seconds! 

Photo: Real Food Made Easy

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1 cup coconut milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon coconut nectar or honey
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

• Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.  Using a blender is fast and makes for easy pouring.
• Allow batter to sit for a couple of minutes to thicken.
• Melt butter in a frying pan or griddle and pour in pancake batter to the size of pancakes you desire.
• When the batter bubbles on top, flip over and continue cooking for about 30 seconds.
• Top with grass-fed butter and Grade B 100% pure maple syrup.

Susie's Famous Pumpkin Roll - Paleofied!

I can hardly believe I have successfully transformed this delicious treat into a paleofied masterpiece!  For my friends who have come to love the traditional pumpkin roll my husband and I have been making for 20 years, here is a much healthier version.  This one is grain free and gluten free and can be made dairy free or coconut free.

Photo: Carly Johnson

Directions for bread:

Start with the Best Pumpkin Bread EVER from an earlier post.  Do everything the same until you get to putting it in the pan.

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F
2. Use coconut oil and grease and wax paper line a rimmed cookie sheet.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan.  Smooth out batter to ensure it is evenly distributed.
4. Bake for 15 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and cool in pan for 15 minutes.
6. Invert pan onto a thin dish towel, remove pan and wax paper.  Allow to cool for 10 more minutes.
7. From 10-inch side, roll cake up in the towel.  Set aside.
8. Prepare filling.

Filling ingredients:

• 1-8oz package organic cream cheese or diary free option: 2 cans of full fat coconut milk, chilled in the fridge over night.
• 4T softened butter
• 1/4 cup real maple syrup or raw honey
• 1t vanilla extract
• 1T cinnamon

Directions for roll:

1. Beat together all the ingredients for the filling.  If using coconut milk, only use the cream that is sitting at the top of the can by pouring out the milk.  If the coconut milk is a little thin, add up to a tablespoon of arrowroot powder to thicken.
2. Unroll the bread and spread the filling evenly, covering all of the bread.
3. Roll up bread without the towel and wrap in plastic wrap.  Your bread may crack in a few places, but that is ok.  Just roll it up nice and tight.
4. Chill for at least one hour before slicing and ENJOY!

Best Pumpkin Bread EVER

I was looking for a baked good to take to my bible study.  I came across this recipe and I'm so glad I tried it. Thanks to Against All Grain for this gluten-free, grains-free, dairy-free, coconut-free AND amazing treat!  

I made two.  One for the family and one for bible study.  My family (including my very picky-when-it-comes-to-food husband) loved it so much it was difficult to keep them from eating the whole thing.  I managed to save some and turn it into pumpkin bread french toast the next morning.  Delicious!  As I labeled my treat for bible study I secretly hoped the ladies would see it's gluten-free, grain-free, etc., be too afraid to try it, and I'd get to take some home.  No such luck. 

Photo: Against All Grain

Here's my version:

Ingredients:

2 large eggs

¾ cup almond butter

½ cup grade B maple syrup

½ cup pumpkin puree

3 tablespoons softened unsalted butter

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup arrowroot powder

1½ tablespoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1½  teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon lemon zest

½ teaspoon ginger

¼ teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350˚F.
• Lightly grease an 8.5×4.5 loaf pan then place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan.
• In a high-speed blender or food processor combine the eggs, almond butter, maple syrup, pumpkin, butter, lemon juice, and vanilla. Puree for 30 seconds until smooth and creamy.
• Add the arrowroot, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, lemon zest, ginger, and sea salt. Blend again for 30 seconds until well combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for about 40 min or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Remove the loaf from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely before eating, about 2 hours. Store tightly wrapped in the refrigerator.

For pumpkin bread french toast the next day:

• Whisk together one egg, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, 2 tablespoons of raw milk (optional).
• Melt 1 tablespoon of butter over a medium-high heat.
• Slice 1/2 a loaf of pumpkin bread and dip each slice in the egg mixture. 
• Cook on each side for about 2 minutes.  
• Top with grade B maple syrup.

Creamy Tomato Soup

Photo: Primal Palate

As the weather turns colder I really want to have soup.  One of our favorites is Trader Joe's Roasted Bell Pepper and Tomato Soup.  Of course, we don't eat that anymore.  This recipe from Primal Palate is a good substitute.  If you want it more thick, use less broth.  

We also made the Yorkshire Puddings (well, my 11-year old son, Cooper, made them!).  However, we used rice flour instead of almond flour and they were just ok.  You gotta eat them hot, though, and definitely worth the try.

Ingredients 

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 5 tomatoes, vine-ripened, quartered
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk or raw whole milk
• 6 oz tomato paste
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 4 cup bone broth 

Directions

1. In a large soup pot heat the butter over medium heat.
2. Add the onion to the pot and sauté for 2 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes to the pot and continue to sauté.
4. Season the tomatoes with a little salt to help them release their liquid.
5. Add garlic to the pot and continue to sauté until the tomatoes and onions are softened.
6. Add milk to the pot and stir to combine the vegetables with the milk.
7. Add tomato paste to the pot and stir until well mixed.
8. Add salt, pepper, and oregano. Reduce heat to low.
9. Add broth to the pot and stir to combine.
10. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until creamy.
11. Allow the soup to simmer until serving.

Cucumber Salad

Photo: Kaylyn's Kitchen

What do you do with the abundance of cucumbers growing in your garden or, as in my case, your husband brings home beautiful, giant cucumbers from the farmer's market?

You make cucumber salad!  Thanks to Kaylyn's Kitchen for this delicious recipe. Makes 2 generous servings or 4 side-dish servings.

Ingredients:

• 3 cucumbers, peeled
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1 avocado
• 1 T apple cider vinegar 
• sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
• gorgonzola or feta cheese, optional if you can tolerate dairy

Directions:

1. Cut cucumbers in half lengthwise then slice into half-moons.  
2. Peel and cut up the avocado into small cubes.
3. Combine the cucumber, tomato, onion, avocado, and vinegar in a bowl and gently toss together.  
4. Add in gorgonzola cheese and combine.  
5. Season to taste with sea salt and fresh-ground black pepper. 

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.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

I started attending a women's bible study with my god-daughter.  It's in the morning so the ladies attending take turns bringing breakfast for her table.  Well, now that we are such particular eaters, I really don't get to enjoy the breakfasts unless I bring them myself.  Today was my turn.

I tested these Apple Cinnamon Muffins (modified from always underfoot) on my kids, of course.  They loved them so I made them hoping the ladies at my table would, too.  I think they did.  Turns out I have a paleo friend at my table and two girls who are not eating dairy and were pleased to be able to partake in these yummy muffins.

photo: always underfoot

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Batter

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon stevia

4 eggs

1/3 cup canned coconut milk 

1/2 cup apple sauce

1 apple, cored, peeled and finely chopped

Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients.   Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients until well combined. Fold in finely chopped apple. Prepare muffin pan with liners and fill cups about 3/4 full.

Topping

2 apples, cored, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tablespoons cinnamon

2 tablespoons apple sauce

1 tablespoon maple syrup

In a separate bowl, combine apple cinnamon topping ingredients until apples are coated. Scoop mixture over top of muffins and gently poke the topping into the muffin batter. Bake at 350º for 20 – 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Makes 12 muffins.