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Monthly Archives: December 2013
Buckeyes
Ingredients
1 Cup Almond Meal, or 1/2 Cup Almond Meal + 1/2 Cup Cashew Meal (cheaper)
1 Cup Creamy Natural, Organic Peanut Butter or other nut butter (almond, cashew, sunflower)
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
16 Drops Liquid Stevia or to taste
3 Teaspoons Coconut Oil, Divided
2/3 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips
Directions
Melt 2 teaspoons coconut oil, then add to a medium bowl, and combine nut flour, nut butter, vanilla, and stevia. Roll into small balls and place in a container lined with parchment paper, then freeze for at least 1 hour. Melt remaining teaspoon of coconut oil with the dark chocolate over a double boiler stirring constantly, or in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds. I didn’t do much research before making these so they didn’t look as nice, but yours should look better if you… Insert a toothpick into the nut butter ball. Dip it into the chocolate and swirl to cover the majority of the ball, leaving a small uncovered circle on top. Place onto parchment paper in a container to go back into the freezer, and use your finger to cover the toothpick hole. Repeat with remaining balls. Store in freezer until ready to serve.
They will be a bit melty like this if you don’t store them in the freezer.
Dijon Chicken Stew
Serves: 5-7
Time: 30 minutes active time; 2-2.5 hours total time
Ingredients
1-2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 Whole Chicken or about 4 pounds, cut into parts, naturally-raised and/or organic if possible
4 Carrots, thick sliced
1 Yellow Onion, chopped into large chunks
10 Ounces Mushrooms, thick sliced
1/2 Cup Dijon Mustard
1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
2 Tablespoons Organic Corn Starch
Directions
Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Melt the coconut oil, then add chicken, skin-side down to allow it to brown. Once chicken has browned on one side, flip it over and add carrots, onions, mushrooms, mustard, and garlic. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for about 2 hours.
Remove about 1 cup of liquid from the pot and let cool, then add corn starch and whisk. Remove chicken from the pot and place on a serving plate. Add corn starch mixture to the pot and stir constantly until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Pour sauce and vegetables over chicken and serve.
Coconut Pecan Puff Cookies
Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes
Makes: 24-30 Cookies
Ingredients
3 Egg Whites
1/4 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar or Lemon Juice
3/4 Cup Sweetener or Equivalent* (See Notes Below)
1 Cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
1+ Cup Coconut Milk, Almond Milk, or other milk
2/3 Cup Finely Chopped Nuts, such as pecans or walnuts, toasted if you like (but let cool before adding to batter)
Directions
In a small bowl, mix shredded coconut with milk of choice and let sit for 30-45 minutes to soften. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Whip egg whites with sweetener and cream of tartar (or lemon juice) with an electric beater until stiff peaks form, about 6-8 minutes. Once coconut has sat for 30-45 minutes, place a kitchen towel into a bowl, then pour coconut into the towel. Wring out most of the milk, until the coconut is clumpy but crumbles when you put pressure on it. Carefully fold coconut and nuts into the batter, then drop by spoonful onto the parchment paper. Bake 13-16 minutes, or until light golden brown on top.
*Sweetener Options:
- 3/4 cup erythritol + 24 drops liquid stevia (This is what I did, but the cookies did have a cooling sensation from the erythritol)
- 3/4 cup Swerve
- 3/4 cup xylitol – but beware that it is very toxic to dogs and can have a laxative effect if you eat too much
- 3/4 cup sugar (not ideal)
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons Truvia Baking Blend – Not 100% sure this would work as well!
Creamy Crunchy Nutty Thai Stir Fry
It tastes better than it looks.
Time: 45 Minutes
Serves: 4-5
Ingredients
1/2 Cup Chicken Broth
1 Tablespoon Organic Corn Starch or Arrowroot Starch
1 Tablespoon Organic Tamari
1 to 1.25 Pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
6 Cups Vegetables of Choice
1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil, Divided
2 Tablespoons Chopped Cashews, Almonds, or other nuts
Sauce:
1/4 Cup Almond Butter (or Cashew Butter or Sunflower Butter)
1 Teaspoon Garlic, Minced
2 Teaspoons Organic Tamari
2 Teaspoons Fish Sauce
1/3 Cup Coconut Cream
8 Drops Liquid Stevia
Directions
In a medium bowl, whisk chicken broth corn starch, and tamari. Slice chicken breast into thin strips and place into chicken broth mixture. Chop vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Preheat a large pan on medium-high, then add 2 teaspoons coconut oil. Add chopped vegetables according to cooking time (see below). Preheat another large pan on medium-high and add 1 teaspoon coconut oil. Add chicken and stir occasionally until fully cooked and lightly browned. When vegetables and chicken are fully cooked, combine into one pan, add sauce, and stir. Top with chopped nuts and serve.
Some vegetables take longer to cook than others. Here is a list of vegetables, listed from taking a longer time to cook to a shorter time to cook, in my opinion. (Add vegetables at the top of the list first because they take longer to cook). Check out this link for a second opinion: http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/tools-and-techniques/how-to-cook-vegetables24.htm
- Carrots
- Onions
- Cauliflower
- Eggplant
- Celery
- Broccoli
- Mushrooms
- Asparagus (depending on thickness)
- Bell Peppers
- Summer Squash (Zucchini, Yellow Crookneck)
- Bok Choy
- Leafy Greens
The beauty of stir fries is that you can use whatever vegetables you want, but here are the vegetables I used (also listed in the order I added them to the pan):
- 1 Cup Carrots, thinly sliced on the bias
- 1 Cup Broccoli, cut into small florets
- 2 Cups Red, Orange, and Yellow Bell Peppers, chopped into large chunks
- 3 Cups Bok Choy, sliced horizontally (I added the white parts first, and saved the leafy tops for the last 2 minutes)
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Mexican Taco Meatloaf
Serves: 4-5
Time: About 1 Hour
Ingredients
1/2 Cup Onion, Finely Diced
1/2 Cup Celery, Finely Diced (Optional)
1/2 Cup Bell Pepper, Finely Diced
1 Teaspoon Coconut Oil or cooking oil of choice
1 Egg (Free-Range and Organic if possible)
1 Pound Ground Beef (I used Organic Grass-Fed 85% Lean) – You could try ground chicken or turkey, but I haven’t tried it yet
1/2 Cup Almond or Cashew Meal
1/2 Cup Chunky Salsa
Seasoning Mix (If you don’t have all of these ingredients, you could probably use about 3 Tablespoons of taco seasoning, but I personally haven’t tried it):
1 Teaspoon Cumin
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano (or 1 Tablespoon Fresh)
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
Toppings
2 Cups Lettuce, Shredded
1 Cup Tomato (or 2 tomatoes), Chopped
1 Medium Avocado, Chopped
Other Options: Sliced olives, cheese (not paleo), jalapenos, diced bell peppers, or anything else you’d put on a taco!)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Preheat a frying pan on medium high and add coconut oil. When the pan is hot, add the onions and bell peppers. Stir occasionally and cook until vegetables are lightly browned, about 7 minutes. In a large bowl, lightly whisk the egg, then add ground beef, almond or cashew flour, salsa, and seasoning mix. After allowing cooked vegetables to cool a bit, add them to the beef mixture. Form into a loaf and bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165. Top with lettuce, tomato, avocado, and other desired toppings.
I served this with sauteed peppers, onions, and mushrooms.
Nutrition Facts:
Serving Size 1/5 Recipe, includes meatloaf with toppings of lettuce, tomato, and avocado. Calories 370. Total Fat 26g, Saturated Fat 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat 2g, Monounsaturated Fat 9g. Total Carbs 11g, Dietary Fiber 4g, Sugar 4g. Protein 22g
Hot Cocoa with Peppermint Option
Serves: 1
Time: 3 Minutes
Ingredients
1 Cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk or other milk of choice
2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
8 Drops Liquid Stevia
1/8 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract (Optional)
1/8 Teaspoon Peppermint Extract (Optional)
Directions
Heat almond milk in a saucepan until warm or in the microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds. Whisk in cocoa powder and stevia, and vanilla extract if you’d like, and peppermint extract if you’d like peppermint hot cocoa.
Nutrition Facts:
Serving Size 1 8 oz. serving. Calories 80. Total Fat 4g, Saturated Fat 0g, Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5g, Monounsaturated Fat 2g. Total Carbs 7g, Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugar 0g. Protein 3g.
This recipe is low-carb, sugar-free, artificial ingredient-free, and even has healthy monounsaturated fats and fiber!
Super Simple Garlicky Chicken & Broccoli
It’s not fancy or particularly beautiful, but it’s a simple recipe that requires as few as 5 ingredients. Add any kind of sauce you want to spice it up! Ideas: Curry sauce, marinara sauce, stir-fry sauce, teriyaki sauce, salsa, chimichurri, etc.
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
1 1/2 Pounds Chicken Breast, Cubed
12 Oz. or 5 Cups Broccoli, Cut into Florets
1 Tablespoon + 1 Teaspoon Minced Garlic
1/4 Cup Chicken Broth
1 Tablespoon Organic Tamari, or Coconut Aminos for Soy-Free Option (Optional)
Salt & Pepper to Taste
Directions
In a large pan, heat coconut oil over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook over high heat it until starts to turn golden brown. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute, then add broccoli, chicken broth, and tamari. Cover and cook until broccoli is fork tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pumpkin Streusel Pie – No Oven Necessary
No oven? No problem. Need a pie in 10 minutes? Look no further!
Serves: 6-8
Time: 10-15 minutes
Ingredients
For the pie filling:
2 Cups Pumpkin Puree, or 1 Can Pumpkin Puree (will be slightly less than 2 cups)
2 Eggs
2 Teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
24 Drops Liquid Stevia, or Other Sweetener to Taste
For Streusel Topping:
2 Tablespoons Virgin Coconut Oil, Softened, plus a little for greasing pan
2 Tablespoons Almond Flour or Meal
1/2 Cup Chopped Nuts, such as pecans, walnuts, or almonds
1 Teaspoon Maple Syrup or Other Sweetener
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
1 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Tablespoon Flax Meal
Directions
Grease a microwave-safe pie dish or medium shallow bowl with coconut oil. Whisk together all pumpkin pie ingredients and spread into greased dish. Microwave on high for 5-6 minutes, or until pie is pretty firm. Mix together streusel ingredients, and spread over pie. Microwave for about 2 more minutes, then serve.
