Banana. Nut. Muffins. Enough said!

This recipe is so awesome, we are just going to jump right in! Wait, I'll post a picture of the end product in case you need more motivation....

OH. MY. GOODNESS!

What you need:

 DRY INGREDIENTS
2 cups almond flour
1/3 cup coconut flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup baking walnuts (chopped)

WET INGREDIENTS
2-3 over-ripe bananas
1 tbsp vanilla
3 eggs (at room temperature...I let mine sit on the stove while the oven was preheating)
1/3 cup honey
3 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp almond butter

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place walnuts on a baking sheet, and put them in the oven to roast. Watch them closely, as they do burn easily.
3. Mash bananas into a liquid. Mix in honey and almond butter.
4. Beat eggs, oil and vanilla. Add to banana mixture.
5. In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients, including toasted walnuts.
6. Mix wet and dry ingredients.
7. Spoon batter into lined muffin cups.
8. Bake 15–20 minutes.

Makes between 12-16 depending on high you fill up the muffin cups!

Keeping a food journal? Paleo Banana Nut Muffins based on 16 muffins made.

Paleo Chili..in a crockpot!

I apologize, in advance, if you read crockpot as "simple". This is not one of those crockpot recipes where you can just dump everything in and forget it...sorry! I will promise you, however, that the preparation that goes into this meal is TOTALLY worth it in the end! Best. Chili. Ever. The original recipe that I got from my mom had less meat, so I fixed that ;)

What you need:

• 8 slices of applewood bacon (cut into 1/2" pieces)
• 1 pound of ground pork
• 1.5 pounds of beef or turkey 
• 4 cloves of garlic (chopped)
• 1 large onion (chopped)
• 1 red pepper (cut into small pieces)
• 1 yellow pepper (cut into small pieces)
• 3 tablespoons Chili Powder
• 1 tablespoon Cumin
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 tablespoon paprika (or 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper)
• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• salt and pepper, to taste 

What you do:

1. In a large pan, fry bacon pieces. 
2. Once bacon is browned, add garlic, onion, peppers, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook until all vegetables are tender. 
3. Add ground (beef or turkey) and brown with the above ingredients. 
4. Add pork and cook until it is no longer pink (about 4 minutes). NOTE: I don't have a pan big enough to do all of this, so I cook the pork separately and incorporate it in as it cooks. 
5. Remove pan from stove and pour into large crockpot.
6. Add beet, crushed and diced tomatoes. Stir until mixed. 
7. Taste for seasoning adjustments. This is where you can add more chili powder, salt or pepper, if needed. 
8. Turn crockpot to low for 1-2 hours. It doesn't really matter how long it sits for because everything is pretty cooked anyways. I leave it on for 2 hours because it gets more flavorful.

Paleo Condiments

Here is my take on our favorite condiments: ketchup and barbeque sauce!

KETCHUP 

What you need:

• 6 ounces of tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp dry mustard
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 dash ground cloves
• 1 dash ground allspice
• 1 dash cayenne pepper 

What you do:
1. Simply mix all the ingredients together until smooth and blended. Refrigerate overnight for a stronger flavor.


BARBEQUE SAUCE
What you need:

• 1 onion, minced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced (or 1 Tbsp minced garlic)
• 6 ounces tomato paste
• 1/2 c apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 c water
• 1/4 c homemade ketchup
• 3 Tbsp mustard (you can make homemade mustard or use French's)
• 1 dash ground cloves
• 1 dash cinnamon
• 1 dash smoked paprika
• 1 dash hot sauce

What you do:

1. In a large sauce pan, brown onion. Add garlic and continue to brown for another minute. 
2. Add remaining ingredients and let simmer for 30 minutes. 
3. Taste and adjust with hot sauce or paprika to taste. 

 For a complete list of condiments made paleo, check out this website.

Paleo Ice Cream...yep, ICE CREAM!

What if I told you you could make ice cream without the sugar, milk, cream? What if I told you that it tasted as good, if not better (better in my opinion)? I didn't think it was possible, but it is! And you don't need to just stick with plain old boring vanilla, either! In this post, you will find variations for vanilla, chocolate, chocolate chip, mint chocolate chip, strawberry, and strawberry banana.

A quick note before we get started: If you have an ice cream machine, awesome!! If you don't, fear not! You can still make paleo ice cream!! The trick if you don't have an ice cream machine is to fully let the custard cool (in refrigerator) before putting it in the freezer. Once in the freezer, you'll need to vigorously whisk the mixture every 30 minutes for 2 - 3 hours while it freezes.

So, without further ado...

What you need:
Base

• 1 can coconut milk, full fat (full fat = 9 - 14g/serving)*
• 4 egg yolks
• 4 tbsp vanilla extract (or seeds from 2 fresh vanilla beans) 
• 3 tbsp honey *

What you do: 

Pot + heat safe bowl= double boiler!

1. In a double boiler (or a pot filled a few inches with water and a glass bowl placed on top...see right), bring water to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
2. Add in coconut milk, vanilla, and honey. Whisk continuously and heat until hot, but not boiling. [If making mint chocolate chip ice cream, steep mint now (see below for instructions)]
3. Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl. Add cupfuls of the now hot milk mixture to the eggs and whisk. This is called tempering. You are slowly bringing the temperature of the eggs up so they don't scramble.
4. Add the now tempered eggs to the coconut milk and continue to whisk for several minutes. [Add chocolate to melt if making chocolate ice cream]
5. Remove bowl from heat and allow to cool on the counter or in refrigerator. I do 30 minutes on the counter and 30 in the refrigerator. Prior to putting the ice cream in the machine or freezer, you want it to be cold to the touch. The colder, the better!
6. Once chilled, you can add flavors like strawberries, banana, or other berries.
7. If using an ice cream machine, follow the instructions as usual. If you don't have one, place the cooled mixture in the freezer for 2 -3 hours. Stir every 30 minutes.
8. Store ice cream in an airtight container.


Flavors
Chocolate: 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips, melted (add to mixture prior to cooling)
Strawberry: 1 cup mashed strawberries (add to cooled mixture)
Strawberry-Banana: 1/2 cup mashed strawberries, 1/2 cup mashed bananas (add to cooled mixture)
Chocolate Chip: 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips, chopped (ice cream machine: add as it is churning, freezer: add after one hour in freezer)

Steeping mint

Mint Chocolate Chip: steep 1 packet of mint (about a cup) in base (to steep: add mint to base in double boiler while on medium-low heat. As soon as the base is hot, turn the burner off and let it sit for 30 minutes. Turn burners on and let base get hot again. Once hot, turn burners off and let it sit for another 30 minutes. Strain mint leaves from mixture. I squeeze the mint leaves dry...I'm all about collecting every last bit of minty awesomeness!! Chop up 2 tablespoons of dark chocolate chips.





*Recipe Notes:
There are a ton of different brands of coconut milk out there. I have found that the Thai Kitchen brand works the best! It contains guar gum which keeps the milk from getting too hard. Gold Star Coconut Milk will produce a mixture that freezes very hard and is not easy to scoop out.  Thai Kitchen is a tad more expensive but the end result is smooth, creamy deliciousness!!
In other recipes, honey is listed as an optional ingredient. A "flavor", if you will. I have found it to be a necessity :)

Keeping a food journal? Mint Chocolate Chip & Chocolate chip, Paleo Chocolate Ice Cream, Paleo Strawberry Ice Cream

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