Roasted Carrots

Ok - I have a dirty little secret: I love burnt vegetables.
I know it sounds weird, but there is just something about the added flavor a little char can add to an otherwise boring, healthy food. I'm talking carrots, asparagus, brussels sprouts and even lettuce - yes lettuce! But that is a different post. For this post I am taking on the lowly carrot. Not one of my favorites. Normally consigned to the veggie tray at a party or the thing I tell my kids they can eat if they are really "that" hungry - in baby form, of course. And while I do like them dipped in humus (another go figure) still not something in my "go to" book of recipes. But, carrots are CHEAP! So I thought it couldn't hurt. For this recipe I even spring for the organic bunch that still has the green tops! I know, I know - not cheap anymore... except they still only cost me about $1.50 for the bunch, plus a little of the green left on and roasted is nice too, plus the smaller they are the more tender they are and the less time they take to cook.
I saw this recipe originally on pinterest and can't quite remember how it went. It was something like what is below, but as you can see I sort of throw it all together differently every time. And every time I have been happy with the result.

1 bunch small carrots, olive oil, lemon or lime juice, chili powder, cumin, garlic, salt and pepper, scallions

Preheat your oven to 425 (or your grill - directions for that at the bottom).
Trim all but about 1 inch off the tops of your carrots. then wash by gently scrubbing with a potato brush. A lot of the vitamins are in the top layer of the carrot - so don't peel them!
Put all remaining ingredients (to taste), except scallions, in a large plastic bag. Add the carrots and toss to coat, let sit for about 5 minutes.
Pull out carrots and put on a foil lined cookie sheet and put in the oven. Pour the remaining marinade in a small bowl. Every 5-10 minutes (as often as you remember) turn your carrots and baste with the marinade. Roasting them will take anywhere from 20-30 minutes depending on the size of your carrots. They are done with they are soft and have taken on a golden brown hue. To serve you can drizzle with more marinade if you choose and sprinkle with the scallions.

On the grill: basically they same idea, but you'll want to keep a good eye on them. *I have yet to not actually burn one side - but they were still good. You will still want them on foil or in a grill pan. Cook them alongside whatever else you are cooking and baste every few minutes to keep them from drying out.
Good luck!

Birthday Cake

Obviously the "cake" has inherent problems when it comes to eating Paleo. But, this week was my birthday and while I didn't really care about having a cake - my kids did! So, being a good man, my husband set out on a quest to find something that we wouldn't feel too guilty eating. He landed on cheesecake. Perfect! Once you substitute out nuts for crust all that is left is the sugar. And, since we haven't eaten anything sugary in a long time it is also easy to cut way back on that too. If you want to you could use coconut sugar in place of the granulated sugar - but as far as your body is concerned sugar is sugar, so why bother? Plus, if 80% is the goal, then I think a little sugar on your birthday is an ok splurge.

For the crust:
1 1/2 cups ground almonds or walnuts
1/3 cup melted butter
2-3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375. Mix together all ingredients until well combined. Press into the bottom of a 12-inch spring form pan that has been tightly wrapped around the base with aluminum foil.
Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before adding filling.

For the filling:
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar or coconut sugar (less if you can handle it - I only put in 1/2 cup)
5 large eggs
Zest of 1 lemon
3/4 pound ricotta cheese

In a mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar on low speed until well incorporated, smooth and light, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, then add lemon zest and continue to mix, remembering to scrape down the sides as necessary. Slowly add the ricotta cheese to the batter and mix until smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared crust and bake in the middle of the oven until it starts to set, about 45 minutes. Lower the oven temperate to 325 and cook for another 20-25 minutes. The top should be a nice golden brown and it should have risen above the edges of the pan by this point. There should be no "jiggling." Remove from the oven, use a thin sharp knife and run the blade around the inside of the cake to loosen the sides. Loosen the outer ring (but don't remove!) and allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack. When completely cooled to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 6 hours or overnight.
Remove the cake from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature before serving.
Serve with fresh berries or dark chocolate if desired.

Orange Chicken Stir-fry

 Servings: 4        Prep Time: 35min          Total Time: 45min

o    1 1/2 Tablespoons potato starch

o    2 cups orange juice

o    1/3 cup soy sauce

o  1/3 cup rice vinegar

o    4 garlic cloves, minced

o    1 to 2 teaspoons red-pepper flakes (optional - only if you want spicy chicken)

o    Coarse salt

o    1 tablespoon coconut oil

o    3 skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½ inch strips

o    1 head broccoli, cut into florets, stalks peeled and thinly sliced

o    1 pound carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

Place potato starch in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in orange juice until smooth. Whisk in soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and red-pepper flakes if desired; Set aside.

In a 5-quart nonstick pot, heat oil over medium-high. Working in batches, cook chicken on one side until slightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes; transfer to a plate and set aside.

Add broccoli, carrots, and ½ cup water to pot. Cook, partially covered, until water has evaporated and broccoli is bright green, 3 minutes. Add reserved chicken and liquid mixture (potato starch has a tendency to separate, so stir before adding); bring to a boil. Cook until chicken is opaque throughout and sauce has thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

*You can serve this over rice to those family and friends who has still think they need a grain with their meal.

To Freeze: Without rice, allow to cool completely. Freeze in 1 ½ cup servings in airtight containers.

To Cook from Frozen: Remove from container and place in a medium saucepan with ¼ - ½ cups of water per serving. Cover and heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through, 10-12 minutes. 

Roasted Salmon with Brussels Sprouts

Servings: 4        Prep Time: 10min          Total Time: 35min

o   1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise

ü  OR: 8 medium leeks (3 pounds) whites and light green parts only, quartered lengthwise and halved

o   4 skinless salmon filets (about 1 ½ pounds)

o   2 tablespoons olive oil

o   Coarse salt and ground pepper

Preheat oven to 450. On a rimmed baking sheet toss brussels sprouts or leeks with olive oil and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Spread in a single layer. Roast, tossing occasionally, until browned, 10 to 15 minutes.

Season salmon with salt and pepper. Toss vegetables and push to side of baking sheet, place salmon in center. Roast until salmon is opaque throughout and sprouts are tender, about 10-15 minutes.

Paleo Trail Mix

I love this mix. I am a cereal girl at heart and this is a great substitute. I eat about 3/4 cup with coconut milk or 1/3 cup mixed with about 1/4-1/3 cup plain, greek yogurt and 2 tablespoons of almond butter. It also makes a great snack.

I buy all the ingredients from either the bulk foods section of my local mega-mart or the local health foods store, guestimate the quantities and dump them in a huge bowl to mix. So yummy, you won't regret giving this a try!

16 oz roasted, unsalted sunflower seeds
16 oz raw, unsalted pumpkin seeds
8 oz roasted, unsalted almond slivers
6 oz dried pineapple, diced
5 oz dried flaked coconut (I can never find this though and just use shredded), toasted if you have time. And, of course, unsweetened

*Recipe borrowed from Nom Nom Paleo

Natalie's Paleo Poppers

A Paleo take on the jalapeno popper. For this recipe instead of stuffing the pepper with cream cheese we used chorizo instead. (pictures to come!) There are 2 ways to prepare these, choose the one that works best for you.

 Makes 1 dozen poppers:
12 jalapeno peppers, of consistent size for even cooking
1/4 pound chorizo (uncooked)
6 slices thick bacon
12-24 toothpicks

Prepping the peppers:
Option #1
First slice off the top of your jalapeno. Using a parring knife remove the ribs and seeds by inserting the knife and working in a circle around the inside. Shake to remove ribs and seeds.
Put the chorizo in a quart size plastic bag. You will want the heavy gauge plastic for this or the seams will break. Snip the tip from one corner and squeeze into the cavity of you pepper, like a pastry bag.

Option #2
Slice the top off you pepper and then cut a slit the length of the pepper to expose the inside. Using a parring knife remove the ribs and seeds. Using your fingers fill the cavity with chorizo and then close to seal it in.

Once your peppers are stuffed take 1/2 a slice of bacon and wrap around the pepper. Because you are using chorizo and not cheese you do not need to worry covering the exposed top. Secure the bacon in place with toothpicks.
These will keep up to 2 days in an air tight container in the fridge.

Heat your grill over low heat. This is important: If your grill is too hot the bacon will burn before the chorizo and the pepper have had enough time to properly cook. Place poppers on the grill and cook for 20-30 minutes, turning occasionally. Chorizo should reach a temp of 145 and the bacon should be crispy. Keep an eye on them to make sure your bacon isn't burning. If you have a "popper rack" you can also sprinkle with a little shredded cheese if you wish.

Garlic-Roasted Asparagus

o 2 pounds asparagus, trimmed

o    2 tablespoons olive oil

o    4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

o    Coarse salt and ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss asparagus with oil and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender and browned in spots, 15 to 18 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature

To make ahead: Cool asparagus completely; cover and refrigerate up to one day. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

An interesting alternative to traditional pizza this recipe takes a little more work than calling your favorite pizza place - but isn't really any harder than making your own from scratch with flour would be. It's just different.
In the end the texture holds up as more of a foccacia than "pizza" with a sponge-like texture thanks to the egg and cheese, and loses most of the "cauliflower" taste. You can pick it up and eat it with your hands, but I found it easier to eat with a fork. I saw this recipe online and have "tweeked" it a little. You can see the original recipe here. I am still experimenting a little, trying to get a crispier "crust." When I figure it out I will update the post.

The ingredients:

1 cup "riced" cauliflower (see below)

1 cup shredded mozzarella, plus more for toppings

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 clove of garlic, finely minced or 1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp coarse salt

coconut oil

Make ahead: "riced"cauliflower.

With a head of cauliflower, remove the leaves and stems. Break florets into about 1 inch pieces chop in a food processor until the consistency of couscous. You will want to work in small batches or you will find chunks of cauliflower in the the mix. Don't over process though or it will turn to paste. Put in a microwave safe bowl and cook, uncovered, for 8 minutes. There is enough water in the cauliflower itself to eliminate the need to add more water. This will make about 3 cups and can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

For the crust:

Mix together 1 cup cauliflower, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1 egg and seasonings. (Seasonings can be adjusted to your taste: I found the raw garlic and oregano suggested to be over powering, so adjust to your personal taste.) Once this is thoroughly mixed it will make a thick batter, transfer to a pizza stone (See note below). Using a spatula or spoon work in circles to spread out mixture into a circle that is about 1/4 inch thick. This will make either 1 9" crust or 2 4.5" pizzas. Give your crust a slight lip at the edge and then tuck under the edge. This will help keep the edge from spreading too much and burning during baking. Using a pastry brush apply a light coating of coconut oil to the top to aid in browning. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes or until a golden brown.

Once your crust is done remove from the oven and top with your choice of toppings. Try pesto, grilled chicken, spinach and cheese; Olive oil, pepperoni, spinach and cheese; whatever you like! Toppings will need to be pre-cooked (if needed) because they are only in the oven for a few minutes.
Once your pizza has been dressed pop it back in the oven under the broiler for 3-5 minutes. When the cheese is bubbly and brown it is ready to eat.

*Note: What is the best thing to cook this crust on? This is where I am still experimenting: the first time I made it on a cookie sheet with aluminum foil that was greased with coconut oil. Complete disaster! It stuck terribly and was soggy (although the taste was still good enough to make we want to try again). The second time (shown above) I used a pizza stone for better heat conduction that I covered with parchment paper and again greased with coconut oil. This was a much better outcome but it was still a little greasy. Next time I am going to try it right on the pizza stone, still with a small amount of coconut oil.

Lemon Chicken Salad Wrap

This is a great salad to make with leftover grilled chicken from the night before...

o    5 tablespoons mayonnaise

o    2 tablespoons shallots or 2 scallions, minced

o    1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard

o    Zest and juice of ½ a lemon

o    ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

o    5 cups shredded or diced chicken (or turkey)

o    ½ cup fresh tarragon leaves, chopped or 1 cap full dried tarragon

Wisk together mayonnaise, shallot, mustard, lemon zest and juice, pepper and salt to taste in the bottom of a large bowl. Add chicken and toss until chicken is evenly coated. Mix in tarragon. Serve in endive or as a sandwich filling.

Dark Chocolate Truffles

An extravagant, yet easy treat!
While there is sugar in chocolate the darker the chocolate, the less sugar - so let yourself splurge every once in a while with something like this. After all, if you're going to cheat - make it worth it!

The ingredients:  8 oz dark chocolate (72%-76% is good, any higher and they crumble!), 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla, cocoa powder or unsweetened coconut (or both)

Combine the chocolate, cream and vanilla in a mixing bowl. I used the bowl from my kitchen aid. Place that over a pot of boiling water and melt.

 Mix to combine. Once it has melted completely, remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Then whisk for 10 minutes. (This is where the kitchen aid comes in handy)

Before                                                                               After

Transfer the chocolate mixture to a smaller bowl compacting as much as possible. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Then, using a mini-muffin scoop make balls of approx 1 inch in size. Roll between your hands to make as smooth a ball as possible. Then roll in either cocoa powder or toasted coconut. (The coconut will need to be "pressed" into the truffle to make it stick). Eat or freeze for up to 3 months.  

To toast coconut: put raw coconut in the bottom of a clean pan and heat over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring and keeping an eye on it. It will be a nice golden color once it's done.

Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Servings: 4                              Prep Time: 10min                                  Total Time: 40min

o    1 pound brussels sprouts

o    3 slices bacon

o    Kosher salt and pepper

o    Cider vinegar

Trim stem from Brussels sprouts; shred in a food processor fitted with a slicing blade. Set aside.

In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat cook bacon until crisp, 4 to 5 minutes, transfer to paper towels to drain. Discard all but 1 tablespoon rendered fat from skillet. Add brussels sprouts and 1 cup water; season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; cook, stirring occasionally, until sprouts are tender, 20 to 25 minutes (add more water if pan becomes too dry). To serve; crumble bacon over sprouts and drizzle with cider vinegar.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 76   Fat: 2.7g   Protein: 5.3g   Carbohydrates: 10.2g  Fiber: 4.3g

BLATs with chicken

Who doesn't love a BLT? 

For this I used hydroponic lettuce instead of bread and made more of a wrap. 

I combined a few slices of grilled chicken, bacon and guacamole 

(but, you could just use avocado and tomato instead.)

Voila! Delicious.

Guacamole

This is the best guacamole recipe in the world and one of my best kept secrets (until now). It's packed with flavor and hits on so many different taste elements: smooth and creamy with a little crunch a little heat some savory and a little sweetness. This is the dish that is requested from me for parties more often than anything else - and has turned countless people from avocado haters (wha?!?) to avocado lovers! It takes a little prep time, but is oh so worth it.


Makes: 2 ½ cups           Prep Time: 20min          Total Time: 50 min

  

   4-6 ripe Hass avocados (depending on size)

     1 garlic clove, minced

      1 teaspoon coarse salt

     2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

     2 jalapeno chiles, minced (ribs and seeds removes for less heat, if desired)

     1 red onion, minced (soak in cold water 5 minutes, drain and pat dry)

     ½ cup chopped cilantro

   3 to 4 tablespoons lime juice

Mix garlic, salt, tomatoes, jalapeno and onion. Pit, peel and dice avocado. Gently mash into vegetable mixture. Add cilantro and lime juice and stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap, pushing down directly to contact guacamole in order to prevent discoloration. Place in refrigerator to rest a minimum of 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Store up to 1 day. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips or crispy bacon.

Broccoli, tuna and tomato salad

Servings: 4 for side salad, 2 for main course   Prep Time: 10 min  Total Time: 10 min

Dressing:

o    1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

o    2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

o    2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

o    Salt and pepper to taste

o    ¼ cup scallions

For Salad

o   1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

o   2 cans tuna, drained 

o   1 pound broccoli florets, steamed and cooled

Whisk ingredients for dressing in the bottom of a large bowl. Combine broccoli, tuna and tomatoes and toss with dressing. Serve cold.

Herb-rubbed Salmon with Zucchini

o   1 8 oz salmon steak or fillet, per person (recipe is for 1)

o   1 teaspoon olive oil

o   Coarse salt and pepper

o   ½ teaspoon dried oregano

o   2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped

o   4 cherry tomatoes, halved

o   1 small (4 oz) zucchini, halved and sliced, ¼ inch thick

o   1 small garlic clove, minced

o   1 scallion, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 425. Place salmon in a small baking dish or oven proof skillet; drizzle with ¼ teaspoon oil

Make the rub: In a small bowl mix mint, garlic, oregano, ¼ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Sprinkle half the rub mixture evenly over both sides of the salmon. Bake salmon until opaque throughout, about 10 minutes, for medium rare. 

Meanwhile, in a medium nonstick skillet heat remaining oil over medium heat. Add zucchini, and cook tossing occasionally until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in scallion, tomatoes, and remaining rub mixture. Cook just to heat through, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper; serve with salmon.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 407

Carbohydrates: 9.7g 

Protein: 47.6g

Fat:     T: 19.4g   

Fiber: 2.9g

Root Vegetable and Chorizo Casserole

The combination of egg and root vegetable gives this an almost potato-like texture once it has been baked. I have never been a fan of turnips, rutabagas or beets, but I actually like them in this dish. (Just don't tell non-turnip eaters what you are feeding them until after they tell you how good it is)

Serves 4    Prep time 15 min    Total Time: 1 hr 20 min

6 cups shredded root vegetable. Suggest turnips as main veg., rutabaga, beets, carrots, even zucchini, etc.
2 lbs chorizo or other sausage of your choice
1 onion, diced
3 eggs, beaten

In a large skillet cook chorizo until done. Put in a colander over aluminum foil to drain completely, set aside. Saute onion over medium heat until it begins to caramelize, about 8 minutes. Combine all ingredients in a large, buttered casserole dish and bake, uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. Cover and continue to bake an additional 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

*This is a make-ahead meal that can sit in your fridge for up to 24 hours, until you are ready for it
*Freezes well. If baking from frozen add at least another 40 minutes covered, at the beginning. I like to split this in 2 to make 2 meals, bake one and freeze the other.
*The chorizo or sausage should add enough flavor to the dish without additional seasoning, but add if you want.

Bacon Wrapped, Tahini Stuffed Chicken

First I gather the ingredients: lemon-thyme marinated chicken, tahini, bacon (2-3 slices per chicken breast)

You will want to butterfly your chicken either before or after you marinate it. This is where you will "stuff" your chicken with 1-2 tablespoons of tahini. Then fold it back closed.





Now it's time for the bacon:


Carefully wrap the bacon around the chicken, being sure the open seam is completely sealed and that most of the chicken is covered. Place on a lined, rimmed baking sheet and bake at 375 for 45 minutes, turning at least once to get the underside of bacon crispy. (Next time I think I will cook them on a rack over the pan to let the drippings fall to help the bacon crisp up better.) Cook until the internal temperature reaches 170.

The tahini adds a nice "tang" to the meal, by helping to cut the richness of the bacon.
*I served mine with roasted brussels sprouts

Bacon Bites: I made these for my kids at the same time (tahini is a little much for them!) I used chicken tenders - enough for 2-3 for each child, skewered them and wrapped them in 1/2 a piece of bacon. Threw them in the oven with the breasts and they were done in about 30 minutes. What kids doesn't want to eat something that comes on a stick?!? 

Steak with Lime Marinade

My all time favorite steak marinade. 
It gets a slightly caramelized, tangy flavor - and its super easy with only 5 ingredients!

o    1/3 cup lime juice

o    2 tablespoons soy sauce

o    2 scallions, thinly sliced

o    2 tablespoons, minced fresh ginger (1 teaspoon ground)

o    ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes

o    1 ½ pounds steak: skirt, top sirloin, top round

*  Combine in a large resealable bag, add steak and refrigerate about 1 hour (more for tougher cut such as London broil), turning occasionally.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Trim and quarter the desired amount of Brussels Sprouts. In a glass dish toss with a few tablespoons of oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Roast in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes or 425 for 30 minutes - tossing once.

Lemon-Thyme Chicken Marinade

This is my "go-to" chicken recipe. 
(And, surprisingly, after eating it for 5 years no one is tired of it yet.)
If you have kids eating this too you can omit the crushed red pepper, and if you are out of thyme; oregano or an Italian herbs blend works great too.

o    2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for grates

o    2 garlic cloves or ½ tablespoon garlic powder

o    ¼  cup lemon juice

o    1 teaspoon dried thyme

o    ¼ teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes (optional)

o    Coarse salt and ground pepper

o    4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat

Heat grill to high; lightly oil grates. Mince garlic cloves, and place in a shallow dish or resealable plastic bag. Add lemon juice, oil, thyme and red-pepper; season with salt and pepper. Add chicken, and toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature at least 5 minutes and up to 1 hour.

*Grill chicken over low heat until opaque throughout, 6-8 minutes per side. Let rest about 5 minutes before serving.