Almond Flour...CHEAP Almond Flour!

Almond flour is a fantastic alternative to wheat flour (not to mention way, WAY, healthier!). I use it for breading, pancakes, waffles, brownies, and cookies (recipe to come!!). Buying almond flour a pound at a time for $11-13/pound is a little (ok, A LOT) ridiculous, right? How about paying $3-6/pound? That sounds a lot better!!

At California Gold Almonds, you can buy blanched or natural almond flour for as low as $2.99/pound! They have a $5 flat rate shipping, too! However, anytime I have ordered (whether it's been a 10 pound bag or a 25# bag) shipping has always been free...yep, FREE! AND, my order always gets here within a week!
You can also purchase almonds, walnuts, and pistachios from California Gold Almonds. I have been ordering from CGA for awhile and I have never, ever, been disappointed!

Chicken & Mushrooms

Chicken, mushrooms, and that's it...well, a little salt and pepper and there you have it! One of the easiest paleo recipes out there! Yes, I know, you could add some thyme, a little basil, some garlic, or anything else you have floating around in your pantry. However, the point of this super simple recipe is to actually be able to taste the awesome flavor that comes from chicken and mushrooms....JUST chicken and mushrooms! And let me tell you...it is SO flavorful!

What you need:

• 4 chicken breasts
• salt and pepper (no measurements...just go with it!!)
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced thick
• 1/2 c water
• 1 tablespoon butter (grass fed, if you can find it! Check out Mark's Daily Apple for brands)

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Salt and pepper each chicken breasts on both sides. 
3. Use olive oil or coconut oil and coat an oven safe pan. Place pan over medium-high heat and let it get hot. 
4. Sear chicken breasts for 5 minutes on one side. 
5. Flip chicken, sear for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and a pinch of salt while searing. 
6.  Place pan (with chicken and mushrooms in it) into the oven for 15 minutes. 
7. Remove pan from oven and place on medium-high heat. Place chicken on a plate and cover loosely with foil. 
8. Saute mushrooms for 5 minutes. 
9. Add water and butter. Let it simmer until the butter is melted. 
10. Pour over chicken. Salt and pepper to taste. 

 Keeping a food journal? Paleo Chicken & Mushrooms

Maple Walnut Chicken

This recipe was already paleo when I stumbled upon it! I did, however, change up a few measurements on the spices and maple syrup.

What you need:

• 4 (4-6 oz each) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tbs fresh thyme
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup water

 What you do: 

1. Combine olive oil, thyme, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl.
2. Rub chicken with seasoning and let stand for 10 minutes.
3. In a 12" nonstick skillet, toast walnuts over medium-low heat 4-6 min or until golden and fragrant, stirring constantly.
4. Transfer walnuts to dish, and turn heat up to medium under the hot skillet.
5. Add chicken to same skillet. Cook 10 min or until done. 
6. Transfer chicken to a clean plate.
7. Add vinegar to the chicken drippings in the hot skillet and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
8. Add maple syrup and water. Turn heat to low and simmer 6-7 min. Mixture will thicken slightly.  Stir in walnuts and serve on top of chicken.

Pair with steamed veggies and you are good to go!

 Keeping a food journal: Maple Walnut Chicken

Paleo Zucchini Chips

I wanted to post this recipe even though I am still tweaking it. The original recipe can be found here. These aren't quite crispy enough for my liking, so I am messing with the length of cook time/oven temperature. I'll update when I have it figured out!

What you need:

• 1 tablespoon coconut flour
• 1 cup almond milk or coconut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 3/4 cup almond flour/meal
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 zucchini, cut 1/4" thick
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese (optional, depending on how paleo you are feeling!)

What you do:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. *

milk mixture & "breading" mixture

2. Combine coconut flour and milk in a small bowl.
3. Combine almond flour/meal, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cheese (if using) in a bowl and stir with a whisk until evenly mixed.
 4. Dip zucchini slices in milk/coconut flour mixture and dredge in almond flour mixture. *
5. Put coated slices on baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until browned and crisp.

**Recipe Notes:
1. Lining the baking sheet with parchment paper helps prevent the chips from getting too done on the bottom. I used foil once and the chips stuck, peeling the breading off. Cooking spray on a baking sheet worked better than foil but not as good as the parchment paper.
2. Almond flour/meal has the tendency to clump very easily. If you find this happening, you can hold the chips and sprinkle the "breading" mixture on.

This batch has cheese in the breading mixture.

Keeping a food journal? Check out the nutritional facts: Paleo Zucchini Chips