Paleo Chocolate Mousse

This stuff is rich and heavenly!

Ingredients:

7 oz. dark chocolate, finely chopped
3 tbsp. water
4 large eggs, separated
Pinch of coarse salt

Coconut Whipped Cream

chocolate shavings

Directions:

Melt the chocolate with the water in a small pot on the stove on low heat. Stir frequently. When chocolate is melted remove from heat.

In small bowl, beat the egg yolks until pale yellow. Then stir them into the chocolate mixture.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold it into the chocolate.

Pour into bowls, cups or whatever you want to serve it in. Refrigerate for a few hours to set, overnight is preferable. When ready to serve add a dollop of coconut whipped cream and chocolate shavings. 

Coconut Whipped Cream

 Ingredients:
1 can full fat coconut milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
1 Tbs. organic sugar (optional)

Directions:
Chill the can of coconut for a few hours or overnight, so it separates. You want to spoon out the thick part out of the top and leave the water in the bottom (you can use it for cooking, smoothies, etc). Put the coconut fat into a stand mixer (add in vanilla and sugar if you want.. I usually don't add anything) and let mix for a few minutes until it is whipped.

Paleo Bread

This makes a good bread for french toast or just to eat it. If you want to use it to make sandwiches I suggest omitting the banana. It's not a banana bread, but it does give it a little bit of a banana flavor.

Ingredients:

coconut oil, to grease pan

coconut flour, to dust pan

3/4 cup creamy almond butter

4 large eggs

1 mashed banana

1/4 cup blanched almond flour
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 7-by-3-inch loaf pan with coconut oil and dust with almond flour.

In a large bowl, mix the almond butter, eggs, and banana with mixer until smooth.
 
In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, arrowroot powder, salt, and baking soda. Blend the almond flour mixture into the wet ingredients until thoroughly combined.

Pour into the loaf pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan for 1 hour, then serve.

Paleo Canadian Benny's

Since going Paleo, I have missed one of my favorite Rachel Ray recipes, "Canadian Benny's." It has become a Christmas tradition to make these for breakfast. Today, I decided to try making it Paleo. It was really good!!

Ingredients: (Makes 4 servings)

Paleo Biscuits

1 Tbs. butter

2 Roma tomatoes

2 green onions, chopped finely

1 can coconut milk

salt and pepper

EVOO

8 slices Canadian bacon

4 large eggs

8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, sliced or shredded (I use the Cabot brand because it is lactose free)

Directions:

If your paleo biscuits aren't made, make those first!

Melt the butter over medium heat in a small pan. Add tomatoes and green onions. Saute for 2 mins. Then add in coconut milk, season with salt and pepper, and reduce to low heat. Stir occasionally.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Drizzle EVOO and cook the Canadian bacon for 2-3 minutes on each side. Place 2 slices of bacon on each paleo biscuit.

Drizzle a little more EVOO and carefully add the eggs. Fry soft or hard, however you like. Cover the eggs with cheese. Tent the pan with foil to melt the cheese or just put a lid over the pan. Place the cheesy egg on top of the Canadian bacon and then ladle the sauce on top.

Paleo Biscuits

Ingredients: (Makes 4 biscuits)

1/2 C. almond flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. salt

3/4 Tbs. cold coconut oil

3 egg whites

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, mix almond flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the cold coconut oil with a work until crumbly. Place the bowl in the fridge for 10 minutes. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until they are very frothy.

Fold the eggs white into the chilled flour mix. Scoop dough onto baking sheet to make 4 biscuits. Bake for 15-18 mins, until golden brown on top.

Spicy Lemon Garlic Shrimp

 I found this recipe awhile ago and have made it a few times. It is simple and tasty. Even my 3 year old devours these.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. frozen raw shrimp, deveined, shells on
1 cup cold butter, cut in pieces
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley or 4 tsp. dried
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 lemons, juiced


Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Rinse shrimp to separate them. Place in a single layer on baking sheet.

Add all ingredients to food processor and pulse until combined. Sprinkle the butter crumbles over the shrimp.

Bake for about 25 minutes. Until shrimp is opaque. I drain the butter from the pain and then serve. You can use the butter to dip your shrimp in or to dip bread in.

Frozen Hot Chocolate

Have you ever had a Serendipity Frozen Hot Chocolate? It is divine! Although, it's not so good for those of us that are lactose intolerant. :) Here is my version!

Ingredients:

3 cups vanilla coconut milk, divided
6 oz. dark chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate)
2 hot chocolate packets
6 cups of ice
Whipped cream (optional, I was going to make coconut whipped cream..but I really just wanted the chocolate)

Directions:

Place 1/4 c. coconut milk and the chocolate into a bowl and heat in the microwave in 30 second intervals until chocolate is melted. Stir it up each time you take it out of the microwave.

Add the hot chocolate packets. Stir. Slowly pour in 1/2 c. coconut milk and allow to cool. Pour cooled chocolate mix into blender, add in the remaining 2 1/4 c. coconut milk and ice. Puree until smooth.

Pour in cups, top with whipped cream and chocolate chips or shavings. Enjoy!

Hawaiian Kabobs

This is super easy to make and so delicious! I just had to share!

Ingredients:

*You need skewers to make these*

4 chicken breasts, cubed
1 green pepper
1/2 fresh pineapple
1/2 red onion
1/3 C. white vinegar
1/4 C. olive oil
1 package of Grill Mates Hawaiian Luau seasoning





Directions:

Mix the vinegar, oil and seasoning in a bowl. Add to the chicken and let marinate for at least 30 minutes. Cut the pineapple, onion and green pepper in big chunks. Big enough so they will go on the skewers.

When chicken is done marinating, thread it on the skewers with the pineapple, pepper and onion.
It doesn't matter how you put it on, if you notice in my picture all the skewers are a bit different. But I try to put the pineapple next to the chicken, gives it more flavor. When you are finished, just grill them until the chicken is cooked thru!

Paleo Pumpkin Pie Filling

I just used a store bought pie crust because I didn't have time to make a paleo one.

Ingredients:

15 oz can of pumpkin
1 C. canned coconut milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 T. pumpkin pie spice
pinch of sea salt
3 T. maple syrup
1 T. arrowroot powder
3 eggs, whisked

Directions:
Mix together all ingredients. Pour into a pre-baked crust. Don’t overfill the crust – you might have a little batter leftover.

Blackberry Pie

This stuff is amazing!! You must try it!

Ingredients:

1 unbaked pie shell
2 containers fresh blackberries, 2-3 cups

Filling: 

1  1/2 C. organic sugar

1/2 C. flour

1/2 C. almond milk,

pinch of salt

Topping:

1/2 C. organic sugar

1/2 C. flour

1/2 C. butter

Directions:

Put pie shell in a deep dish pie pan. Pour berries into pie shell. Mix the filling ingredients and pour over berries. Let settle. Mix the topping ingredients and crumble over top of pie. Bake at 325 F for 60-75 mins, until top is lightly browned.

Paleo Santa Pancake

Ingredients:

1 paleo pancake (recipe below)
coconut whipped cream (recipe below)
3-4 strawberries, cut-up
2 dark chocolate chips
1 raspberry




Directions:

Paleo Pancake

3 mashed bananas
3 eggs
1/4 C. almond butter

Whisk together and cook in a skillet like you would a normal pancake.


Coconut Whipped Cream

1 can of coconut milk

Refrigerate coconut milk for several hours, preferably over night. The coconut flesh will separate from the water and will be thick on the top. Spoon out the flesh and whisk it for a couple minutes until it is whipped. My whip cream doesn't look as thick, the coconut milk wouldn't separate much I am assuming it was from Florida's hot weather and humidity. If this happens, just freeze a metal bowl for 30 minutes and then whip the milk in it. It will give it some thickness!



To make Santa:

Lay a pancake down on the plate. Arrange the strawberries to make a Santa hat. Pipe on the coconut whipped cream to make the fuzz on the hat and Santa's beard. I left a little opening to make it look like Santa's mouth was open. Add the chocolate chips for the eyes and a raspberry for the nose!

Paleo Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes
1/4 C. coconut oil
1/4 C. coconut butter
1/4 C. honey
1 tsp. cinnamon
pecans, chopped


Directions:

Chop up sweet potatoes and boil for a few minutes until soft. While potatoes are boiling, blend together the coconut oil, butter, honey and cinnamon.

Drain water. Put the sweet potatoes in a baking dish and add the coconut icing mix. You can just spread on top or mix it in the potatoes. Add the chopped pecans on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 mins.

Paleo Strawberry Shortcake

 This was so yummy!! I wanted to make coconut whipped cream for this but I didn't have enough time to chill my can of coconut milk, so I used icecream instead! Next time we will have it with coconut whipped cream!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Strawberries (as much as you'd like)
honey (optional)
coconut or almond ice cream

For the shortcake:
1 1/4 C. almond flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
2 Tbs. coconut oil, melted
2 Tbs. honey
1 egg

Directions:

Wash strawberries. Take out about a cup or so depending on how many strawberries you use. Blend them in a food processor with a drizzle of honey to make a sauce. Slice the remaining strawberries and add to the strawberry sauce. Set in fridge.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl mix together egg, oil, honey, and lemon juice.  Add in salt, baking soda and almond flour. Mix until batter is well combined, it will be sticky. Drop a big rounded spoonful of batter (basically 1/4 of the batter) onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.


Serve the shortcakes warm. Place berries on top and ice cream (or whipped cream). The shortcakes make a good cookie too. Since there is only three of us, we ate the other one as a cookie! :)

Jellied Cranberry Sauce

I love in the can jellied cranberry sauce, but it's not all that great for you. I found a recipe and decided to try making my own. I didn't let it chill long enough for it to get jellied to where you can cut it, because we ate it with dinner. But it was yummy! I will be making this for Thanksgiving!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1 bag fresh cranberries (you could use frozen as well)
1/2 C. water
zest of 1 lemon
1 C. organic sugar

Directions:

Add cranberries, lemon zest and water to a medium pot. Cook covered over medium heat for 10 mins, but leave a little opening so the steam can escape. You will hear them start to pop, this means the skin is spliting. When they are soft and mush easily they are done. Put them in a strainer over a bowl and mash them until all the sauce goes through and you are left with the skins.

Put the sauce back on the stove and add the sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and allow to simmer for a couple minutes.

Chill the sauce in some kind of oiled mold, so it is easy to get out. I just used small bowls because we ate it right out of the bowl. But muffin tins would work great too. Let it chill for a few hours or overnight. You can pop it out of the mold and slice it like you would from a can of cranberry sauce. Enjoy!

Fried Banana with Raspberry & Chocolate Sauce

I made this last night and it was absolutely amazing!!!!! I just made it with what I had on hand, but next time I will make it a little healthier, but I'll let you know what I will change. :)

Ingredients:

5 Tbs. flour
1 Tbs. organic sugar
2 Tbs. shredded coconut
1 egg, beaten
1/4 C. almond milk
1-2 bananas, cut into 1/2-inch rounds (I just used one banana for 2 people)
Oil for frying
lactose free vanilla ice cream (next time I will use coconut ice cream)
half of a container of raspberries
agave syrup or honey
organic chocolate syrup

Blend raspberries and a drizzle of agave syrup or honey to make a sauce.

Fill a shallow frying pan with about 1 inch oil and heat over medium until warm. Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix together flour, sugar, coconut, egg and milk until fully incorporated and cake batter like. Roll cut banana rounds in batter and drop into oil until golden (about 1 minute each side).
Remove from pan and place on paper towel to drain. Repeat with remaining rounds.

Spread fried banana pieces around a small plate. Add a scoop of ice cream in the middle. Drizzle the raspberry sauce and chocolate syrup over top. Enjoy!!!

Bruschetta Chicken

Serves 2



Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
EVOO
Balsamic vinegar
2-3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
5 fresh basil leaves, chopped


Directions:

Cook chicken with EVOO in a skillet over medium heat until almost cooked thru. While chicken is cooking, in a bowl combine the tomato, garlic, and basil. Add balsamic vinegar (as much or as little as you would like) to the chicken and cook for a few minutes until the chicken is done. Remove from pan and then add the tomato mix on top.

Grain-Free Granola Bars

Ingredients:

2.5 C. mixed nuts
2 C. shredded coconut
1 C. dried cranberries
1/2 C. honey
1/4 C. coconut oil
splash of vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
generous sprinkle of cinnamon

Directions:

Take out 1 C. mixed nuts and give them a rough chop. Put the remaining 1.5 C. in a food processor or blender and chop smaller. You want a variety of sizes for the nuts. Then mix them in a bowl with the bigger sized nuts. Add in coconut and cranberries, mix up.

In a small saucepan, combine the honey, coconut oil, vanilla, salt and cinnamon over medium-low it. Constantly stir until it bubbles up like this picture.

Mix the liquid in with the nut mix. Make sure you
mix it in well. Then dump the mix onto a bar pan lined with parchment paper or wax paper. Use another piece of the parchment paper or wax paper to push down on the mix, so you pack the ingredients tightly.


Refrigerate for 3hrs. Then pull out the bars using the paper and cut them into rectangles. Use saran wrap to wrap them up individually. They are best kept in the fridge.

Italian Roll-Up

If you like Italian subs you MUST make this! It is AMAZING! :) We are eliminating grains from our diet, so I needed lunch ideas with no bread! I found this and we love it!

 Ingredients:

honey ham
capicola ham
sandwich pepperoni
salami
lettuce
tomato
banana peppers
mayo
mustard
oregano
red wine vinegar (optional)



If you are taking this for lunch get a piece of parchment paper or wax paper (big enough to wrap your sandwich in) and make your sandwich on it. First, lay down 2 pieces of honey ham side-by-side and overlap them a little bit. Then put down 2 pieces of capicola ham on one of your slices of ham and put 2 pieces of pepperoni on the other slice of ham. Next, put two slices of salami on the capicola ham and then I cut a piece of salami in half an put the halves on the pepperoni. Spread some mayo and mustard (I use spicy brown mustard and hubby uses yellow mustard, so whatever you prefer). Sprinkle on some oregano. Put down a piece of lettuce, tomato and banana peppers. I use cherry tomatoes because they don't get as soggy if you are making this ahead of time. If you want red wine vinegar add some on top. Then roll up your sandwich and enjoy!

Cauliflower Rice

This may sound strange, but it is actually delicious and a great substitute for rice!


Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower
1 bag frozen pepper & onion mix (you can use fresh, I didn't have them on hand)
1 can chicken broth (or any broth you want)
Cajun seasoning


Directions:

Chop up the cauliflower in food processor or blender, so it looks like rice. Saute the peppers & onions with olive oil. When they are soft and start to brown, add in cauliflower, broth and as much Cajun seasoning as you would like. Bring to boil and let it boil until the liquid is absorbed.

Paleo Apple Dessert

I found a recipe similiar to this and had to try it. I love sweets and have been trying to find healthier options!

Ingredients:

4 apples, sliced ( I used 2 red and 2 green)
almond butter
cinnamon
pecans, chopped



Directions:

Put the apple slices in a baking dish. Sprinkle cinnamon over the apples. Spread some almond butter over the apples, however much you want. Then sprinkle the pecans on top. Bake for 30 mins at 350 degrees, or until desired softness! We did serve ours with a scoop of lactose-free vanilla ice cream!

Mini Caramel Apples

Made this for a get together the other night! Mmmm!!

Ingredients:

Bag of caramels

3-5 apples

juice of lemon

pecans, chopped (optional)

sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

Wash apples, depending on the size of your apples you will need 3-5. I had large apples, so 3 was good for me. Use a melon baller to make little balls of apples.

As you make an apple ball, stick a toothpick in it (you want the skin side to be down since it is flat and will keep the balls from rolling) then dip it in lemon juice and put it on a tray or plate.




When you have about 25-30 apple balls you are done. Heat up the caramel according to the package directions. I did mine on the stove. If you want to dip your caramel apples in anything, I used chopped pecans and chocolate sprinkles, make sure they are in bowls and ready to dip.

While caramel is melting, dry off each apple with papertowels. You want to get as much moisture off as possible so the caramel will stick. Also, I used mini cupcake papers for each one, so that when the caramel starts sliding off it stays contained. If you are doing this, make sure all your papers are out on a plate.

When caramel is melted. Dip apples in caramel till coated. I used a spoon to help drip it on the top. Then dip the bottom into your dippings and place into a mini cupcake paper. When you are finished, let them refrigerate for at least an hour. Take them out 15 minutes before you want to serve, so they can thaw out some.

Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

Olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 oz. shitake or portabella mushrooms, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, chopped
handful of cilantro, chopped
1/4 C. wheat-free soy sauce
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp. sriracha sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil
head of romaine lettuce (Iceberg lettuce is traditionally used, but romaine lettuce is more nutritional)


Directions:

Heat skillet with a couple Tbs. of oil. Cut up the chicken into very small pieces and add to the pan. Cook until it is done all the way through.

While chicken is cooking, in a serving bowl add: soy sauce, lemon, sriracha sauce, sesame oil, green onion and cilantro. Mix up.

When chicken is done, add it to the bowl. Then add some more oil and the chopped mushrooms, onion and garlic. Saute about 10 minutes and then add to the bowl. Mix it all up. Make sure the chicken is coated with the sauce.

Pull apart some romaine leaves and wash. Spoon some chicken into the romaine leaf and enjoy! :)

Paleo Pumpkin Pecan Pancakes

1/2 C. Pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 spoonful of almond butter
Small handful of finely chopped pecans

Mix pumpkin, egg, and almond butter with a wire whisk. Add in pecans.

Heat a frying pan over medium-low heat. Use olive oil cooking spray on pan. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls and cook pancakes for a couple mins. on each side. The batter doesn't spread like normal pancake batter, so I spread it out with a spoon.


Tip: This recipe only makes a few pancakes. A whole can of pumpkin puree can make 3 batches of this recipe.

Buffalo Chicken Ring

Sorry, it's taken so long to post this recipe! I don't have a pic for you either. But this is delicious!


Ingredients:

2 pkgs. refrigerated crescent rolls ( I use reduced fat)
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and chopped (I boil mine)
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 celery hearts, diced
Texas Pete Buffalo Style Sauce
1 c. Mozzarella cheese (optional)


Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix chicken, tomato, celery and cheese. Add in as much buffalo sauce as you would like, but make sure the mix is coated with it. Mix together.

Unroll crescent dough; separate into triangles. Arrange triangles into a circle on a round baking stone (a pizza pan may work too, just spray it or use nonstick), with wides ends overlapping in center and points toward outside of stone. (there should be a 5 inch diameter opening in center.) I pat out the dough together on the widest part.

Scoop meat mixture evenly onto widest end of each triangle. Bring points of triangles up over filling and tuck under wide ends of dough at center ring. (filling will not be completely covered).

Bake on bottom rack for 25 mins or until top is golden brown. Serve with ranch or bleu cheese dressing.

Monterrey Chicken

One of my favs! :)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 slices of bacon
2 T. green onion, chopped
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 bottle of Kraft Original BBQ sauce
1 C. cheddar cheese, shredded ( I use cabot because it is lactose free)


Preheat oven to 350*. Cook bacon in skillet over medium heat until crispy. Meanwhile, mix tomato and green onion in a small bowl; set aside in the fridge. Cook chicken in bacon grease over medium heat until both sides are browned and chicken is cooked through.  In an 8x11 baking dish, spread a thin layer of BBQ sauce on the bottom, so chicken doesn't stick. Place cooked chicken on top of sauce and add more sauce on top of chicken. Crumble bacon on top of sauce, then sprinkle cheese on top. Bake for 25-30 mins, until cheese is melted. Serve with a scoop of tomato and onion mixture on top of chicken.

White Chicken Chili

This is adapted from a Pampered Chef recipe. It's like a Mexican chili. It is delicious!!

Ingredients:

3 whole heads of garlic
3 T. coconut oil, divided (or you can use olive oil)
2 small jalapeno peppers (or just 1 big one)
1 med. onion
1 1/2 C. cooked, boneless skinless chicken breasts (I boil the chicken)
2 T. taco seasoning ( I use my homemade seasoning)
2 cans great white Northern beans
1 jar (16 oz.) salsa Verde

Slice 1/4 inch off the garlic heads, add 2 T. coconut oil. Microwave on high for 3 min. or until soft. Let cool. Dice jalapenos and onion; saute with 1 T. coconut oil until tender. Add to crock pot. Squeeze cooled garlic in and mix in all remaining ingredients. Cook on high for 2-3hrs or low for 5-6hrs. Makes 8 cups. Serve with: sour cream, shredded cheese, lime wedges, diced avocados or chopped cilantro.

Beer Battered Buffalo Shrimp

Ingredients:

raw peeled shrimp with no tails (I buy a bag of frozen medium sized shrimp and thaw them out)

2 cups of flour

about 3/4 of a beer ( I use Bud Light Lime)

Canola oil

Texas Pete Buffalo Sauce

Ranch dressing

Directions:

Combine the flour and beer to a thick but manageable batter. Add beer a bit at a time after you use half of the bottle. You can always add more flour if you added too much beer.

Dip shrimp into batter. Place shrimp on metal baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 mins. They are easier to fry this way. Use a bottle of canola oil to fry them in.

Toss the shrimp in buffalo sauce. You can do it in a bowl or a large Ziploc bag. Serve with ranch dressing!! Enjoy!!

California Chicken

This is one of my favorite meals!! I got this recipe from my bridal shower years ago and I tweaked it to my liking! :) Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

lemon pepper

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

1/2 C. pitted black olives

1/2 C. chopped onion

1/4 C. dry sherry

1 T. lemon juice

1 tsp. celery salt

1/4 tsp. basil.

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

1 ripe avocado, sliced

3 slices cheddar cheese (I use Cabot's for lactose-free cheese)

Chicken in foil packets

Place each chicken breast on an appropriate amount of heavy aluminum foil to make a secure packet for the grill. Sprinkle lemon pepper on chicken very liberally. Arrange tomato, olives and onions on top of each chicken breast. Combine sherry, lemon juice, celery salt, basil, cayenne pepper and garlic-drizzle on top of chicken. Seal each packet and cook on grill for about 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked thru. Do NOT turn the packets. Open the packets, add avocado and cheese. Reseal and cook until the cheese melts, 2-3 mins.

I make double of the sherry sauce. After cooking the chicken, I place it on rice and add the remaining cooked sauce to it! :)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 (15oz) can pumpkin puree
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 C. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 C. butter, melted
1 C. brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 C. dark chocolate chips
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 C. sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten



In medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. In another bowl, whisk brown sugar, sugar, vanilla, butter and eggs. Add dry ingredients and whisk till smooth. Whisk in pumpkin. Add chocolate chips. Bake at 350* for 20-25 mins.

Honey Mustard Chicken Salad

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped
1/2 package of bacon, chopped
mushrooms
1/4 C. spicy brown mustard
1/4 C. real honey
spinach
tomatoes
red onion

Cook chicken in skillet until cooked through. While chicken is cooking mix mustard and honey together, you may add more or less depending on how much sauce you'd like. In separate pan, cook the bacon and mushrooms. Cook until bacon is crispy. When chicken is cooked through, add the honey mustard and cook for a couple more mins.

On plate make a bed of spinach, add chicken, then bacon mushroom mix, onion and tomatoes. This is delicious!!

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

I came across a recipe for avocado pudding and thought it sounded interesting! I changed a few ingredients and made it tonight. It is delicious!! I know it sounds strange, but just try it!

Ingredients:

1 avocado

2 bananas

3 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 C. coconut milk

1 Tbs. natural honey

Blend all ingredients together until smooth and pudding-like consistency. Refrigerate at least an hour. Serve with sliced strawberries. 

Homemade Taco Seasoning

I was inspired to make my own taco seasoning when I picked up a package of store bought taco seasoning and read all the ingredients in it. There is a lot of crap in there! This turned out really good!

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. chili powder

2 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. cilantro

Mix all ingredients together! I used this amount with 1 lb. ground beef. So if you have more meat you may want to double the recipe!

Paleo Egg Casserole

Ingredients:

1/4 C. onion, chopped
handful of baby spinach
1 roma tomato, chopped
4 slices bacon (cooked and chopped) or you can use breakfast sausage
1/2 of a green pepper, chopped
14 eggs
coconut oil

Preheat oven to 350*. Liberally grease a 9 x 13 pan with coconut oil. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs vigorously. Place the onion, spinach, tomato, bacon and green pepper in baking dish. Add the eggs. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked. Use a toothpick to check.

Serve with salsa on top (optional). You can also add or change up your veggies. Every week I make a different casserole. 

Italian Stuffed Green Peppers

Made this for dinner last night and it was delicious! I remember my mom making stuffed green peppers when I was younger. I decided to try making a paleo-friendly version. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 large green peppers

1 lb. ground turkey

Italian seasoning

1/3 C. onion, diced

1/4 C. celery, diced

1/2 C. mushrooms, chopped

1 jar Classico Tomato & Basil sauce (or other paleo friendly one)

Preheat oven to 350*. Cut off tops of green peppers and clean out seeds. You can save the tops of the peppers and chop them for other recipes. Chop up one of the tops and put aside. Boil the peppers for 5 minutes. While peppers are boiling, season the ground turkey with Italian seasoning to your liking and cook in skillet. After turkey is halfway cooked, add in onion, chopped green pepper, celery, and mushrooms. Cook until turkey is cooked thru.

In a small baking dish, pour some sauce on the bottom to coat the dish. Mix half of the remaining sauce in with the turkey mix. Put the turkey mix into the green peppers and pour remaining sauce on top. Bake for 20 minutes. 

Buffalo Fries

Ingredients:
Frozen french fries (any size will work)

Texas Pete Buffalo Sauce
Blue cheese crumbles
Ranch dressing

Just follow the cooking instructions on the package of fries. I cooked mine over the amount of time they said so they were crispy. You want them pretty crispy because the buffalo sauce makes them a bit soggy. When you think they are crispy enough take them out and coat them in buffalo sauce on the tray. I turned down the oven (from 450* to 400*..depends on what temp your fries say) and then put them back in for 10 mins. Take them out and sprinkle blue cheese crumbles on top! We dip them in ranch dressing.

Buffalo Chicken Pasta

Buffalo sauce is my best friend! :) I love putting it on everything! A couple months ago I had Buffalo Chicken Pasta at a restaurant and it was divine! Last night, I was in the mood for some and made my own creation! Here is my recipe! Hope you enjoy it too!

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz.) box gluten-free Penne pasta

1 (12 oz.) bag frozen pepper and onion blend

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

salt

pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

3 cloves garlic, pressed

1 C. fresh mushrooms, sliced

3 Tbs. Franks Red Hot sauce

3/4 C. Texas Pete Buffalo sauce

3/4 C. fat-free Lactaid (or skim milk)

1/2 C. Hidden Valley Original Ranch dressing (it is gluten-free)

1/2 C. Tofutti milk-free sour scream

Blue cheese crumbles (optional)

 Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Sprinkle salt and pepper on chicken. Cook chicken in large skillet over medium-high heat with about 1 Tbs. of EVOO. Add in garlic and pepper/onion mix. After peppers melt, drain the liquid so the chicken and peppers will brown a little. Cook until chicken is cooked through.

While chicken is cooking, in bowl combine milk, ranch and sour cream. It will be lumpy.

When chicken is cooked through add 3 Tbs. Franks Red Hot sauce and cook for a minute. Stir the chicken around so it is coated in the sauce. Add mushrooms and cook for a couple mins. Add milk mixture and the Texas Pete sauce. Bring to a boil and let boil for 5 mins. or so until the sauce thickens a bit.
Add pasta into the chicken and stir. Serve with blue cheese crumbles on top. Makes 4 servings.
ENJOY! :)