Saturday, November 10, 2012

"Happy-Happy" Paleo Pancakes

These are hands down my kids favorite pancakes! I made them for dinner the other night and Harrison kept telling me, "Mom these are the best pancakes...EVER"! He devoured six of them in record time :) The girls loved them too. My Tori girl thought pancakes were on the no-no list these days (we have found out she has a gluten intolerance)...she was super excited to know she could still enjoy "brenner" (that's what we call breakfast for dinner in our house). She named them "Happy-Happy Pancakes.
 
 
 
3  eggs
1 tablespoon water or coconut milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp melted coconut oil or ghee
1 ½ cups almond flour ( I use Bob's Redmill brand) 
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
Additonal coconut oil for frying
Fresh berries, maple syrup for serving (optional)
In a large bowl whisk together eggs, water (or coconut milk), vanilla and cinnamon. Add almond flour, salt and baking soda and mix until thoroughly combined, then add tbsp of melted coconut oil (or ghee) stir to combine. Let batter rest 10 minutes. When ready to cook, heat a couple tbsp coconut oil in  large skillet or griddle pan over medium heat.

Scoop scant 1/4 cups of your batter onto skillet, making sure to not overcrowd the pan. Cook pancakes until bubbles form on surface and edges are golden brown. Carefully flip pancakes with spatula and cook another couple minutes, until golden brown. Remove pancakes from skillet. Repeat process with remaining batter, add more oil to skillet as needed.

Serve with maple syrup (my kiddos fave) or topped with berries...whatever makes you happy!

Thursday, October 4, 2012

A Letter From My Heart

I know these bullies will never lay eyes on  this post. I wrote to them as a means of coping with all of the hurt, anger, heart break and dismay I as a parent have been dealing with the past two weeks. Harrison is safe now. We are a strong family and will weather this storm...this too shall pass.

Jeremiah 29:11 has been my go-to verse.

Harrison is going to be okay...actually he will be better than okay :)


Dear Bullies:

 I don’t know you and you don’t know me (which for you is probably a good thing...I am a BIG ASS momma bear).You very well may be one of the many faces I see every day taking my son to school. I don't know your names, where you live or what you want to be when you grow up, what I do know is that two weeks ago ( because of your constant bullying)  my son wanted to end his life. He felt he had no other choice. Your abuse of my son pushed him to his limits and he was simply “done”. As I have found out, being bullied is not new to Harrison. He was also bullied throughout middle school. He never shared this with me or his dad…he didn’t want to worry us.

You use words not fists to batter Harrison. You tell him he is “stupid”…”a retard”…”worthless”…”an idiot”.  You tell Harrison “he’s a loser” and that “nobody wants to be his friend”.  During group work sessions, you tell him to “shut up...no one wants to hear what you have to say”.  These painful words crushed my child’s spirit, took his smile away and nearly took him from his family. SHAME ON YOU!!! SHAME ON YOU!!! SHAME ON YOU!!! You have broken my heart…you have rocked my world…you have made me madder than Hell!!!

You tell Harrison he’s stupid. Have you seen his grades? A’s and B’s, definitely not grades you would expect from someone “stupid”, right? Speaking of grades, how are yours??? You spend so much class time harassing him instead of paying attention; surely your grades have suffered.

The word “retard” comes from your mouth when talking about Harrison. Is Harrison retarded? No, and even if he was…who cares? What I really want to know is where did you receive your medical training and credentials? Only a highly trained medical professional could perform the necessary testing to determine if a person is “retarded”. I doubt you have such expertise.

“Worthless”? Nope, again you are wrong. Harrison‘s value in this life is truly priceless… not only to his family, but to all that have had the privilege to know him. It is your own lack of self-worth that makes you feel it acceptable to bully Harrison.

You insist that Harrison is a “loser” and “nobody wants to be his friend”.  Wrong again! Harrison is most certainly a winner. He always tries to  do the right thing…God is in his heart (just ask his little sister Emily). Harrison is a sensitive, witty, amazing young man. You are the loser because you will never get to call Harrison friend.

Speaking of friends, you claim nobody wants to be Harrison’s friend.  He not only has friends, he has some of the most amazing friends…EVER! When Harrison texted his three best friends to tell them goodbye and of his plan to take his own life, his friends not only begged and pleaded with him, but one of those friends was so afraid for his friends life that he called his own Mom at home. THANK GOD!!! His Mom then called the school and Harrison was pulled from class. I was called in and all of the sadness in my sweet son’s heart spilled out. Do you have any friends like that…friends that would reach out and save your life?

On a final note, my family (yes, even Harrison) has prayed for you. I pray that someday God will enter your heart. I pray that you will no longer speak with an evil tongue, but that words of kindness and beauty will spill from your lips. I pray that maybe just once in your life you will do the right thing…reach out and make a difference in our world.

Thanks for listening.

Rox

Friday, September 21, 2012

Balsamic Braised Short Ribs...To Die For!!!

I made this for dinner yesterday and it is definitely a dinner winner! Even Mr. Picky Pants (who was skeptical at first) gave it a two thumbs up. The original recipe comes from one of my favorite paleo cookbooks, Practical Paleo. I have modified it tad and am pleased as pie with the results. By the way,  if you don't already own this cookbook...GO BUY IT!!! I served this with roasted veg and sweet potatoes, but for my nonpaleo fans, I can so see this served on top of a bed of fluffy mashed potatoes!
I did this dish in a dutch oven and popped it in my oven (it has a slow cook mode). You can do this in the crockpot or pop your dutch oven in a 300 degree oven.



2 tbs Savory Spice blend ( see below for recipe)
3-4 lbs bone in beef short ribs
2 tbsp coconut oil (or olive oil)
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (I used Glen Muir fire roasted)
1 6 oz can tomato sauce (Glen Muir again)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
4 whole dried dates, pit removed
5 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced
6 carrots, scrubbed and quartered

Rub the spice mixture into the ribs, pressing gently to adhere to meat.

Heat the oil in a  skillet over medium high heat. Sear ribs (in batches to keep from crowing pan) 2-3 minutes per side or until nicely browned. Remove from pan.

Place dates, garlic, onion and carrots in slow cooker. Add beef ribs. Pour diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and vinegar on top. Cover and slow cook on high 5-6 hours or until meat is tender.

When meat is tender, remove bones from pot and skim excess fat. Taste for seasoning and correct with salt and pepper if necessary.

Serve with mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes or whatever makes you happy!

Savory Spice Blend

2 tbsp Rosemary salt (2 tbsp kosher salt & 2 tbsp dried rosemary...mix together in a bowl...save remaining mix for another recipe)
1 tbsp Garlic Powder
1 tbsp Onion Powder
1/2 tbsp Paprika (sweet not hot kind)
1 tsp fresh ground pepper

Combine ingredients in a plastic container and stir to combine. You will have leftovers, try it on a flank steak, chicken breasts, pork chops, etc.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Gearing Up For Fall... With A Bowl Of Paleo Chili

I don't typically make chili during the summer months, but I was craving a big bowl of red the other day and thought that maybe, just maybe I could will the temp to drop, the leaves to change and the air to become crisp...I am oh so ready for Fall people!

This Paleo chili got two thumbs up the other night. Harrison did a happy dance when he realized there were no beans (not a big fan)...He ate two bowls!




3 tbsp coconut oil (or olive oil...use what you have)
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs grass fed ground beef
pinch kosher salt
3 tbsp chili powder
2 1/2 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp Mexican oregano
2 tsp allspice
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp kosher salt
28 oz can diced tomatoes (I use Glen Muir Organic fire roasted)
6 oz tomato paste (1 1/2 cans)
1 1/4 cups water

In a dutch oven or large pot, heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until onions are soft. Add minced garlic and continue cooking until garlic is soft and barely browned, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef and pinch of salt. Break up meat with back of large cooking spoon. Cook, stirring occasionally until beef is cooked through and browned, 7-10 minutes. Add next 6 ingredients to dutch oven. Stir well to coat with spices and cook 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste and water. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer and cook (covered) for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Ladle into bowls and serve..enjoy!

Thursday, July 19, 2012

My Classic Pot Roast Gets A Paleo Makeover

While the girls are away at camp, Harrison (aka Mr. Picky Pants) gets to help choose our dinner menus. One of his requests was for my pot roast...it is a family favorite. My classic roast isn't very paleo friendly at all...so, I decided it was time for a makeover :) Chris and Harrison both gave two thumbs up to my new and improved pot roast.  As you can see in the picture, I served roasted sweet potatoes along side this delish roast.



2 tbsp olive oil
one 2-3 lb round rump roast
Tommy's Brand Coffee Rub (Whole Foods...it is so worth the trip)
2 large parsnips - peeled, quartered & cored*
4 carrots -cut in half and cut large pieces in half again
4 stalks celery - cut each in half
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 1/4 cups beef stock
1 tsp Italian herb blend
2 tbsp sherry
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp potato flour (I use Bob's Red Mill Brand)
salt & pepper

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat.  Season roast generously with coffee rub ( I probably used 2 tsp). Sear roast on all sides. Place veg in crock pot and top with roast. Cover and  cook on low 8-10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours. When roast is fork tender, remove meat from crock pot and set aside. Remove veg to a plate and cover. Turn slow cooker to high and add beef broth, sherry, vinegar and Italian seasoning. Stir to combine. Whisk in potato flour until smooth and stir until gravy has thickened a bit. Taste and correct seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Using a fork and tongs, shred meat into chunks. Add meat and veg back to slow cooker and cook on low 30 more minutes. Enjoy!!!

* Parsnips are truly an underloved vegetable! They look like overgrown white carrots and actually taste similar to carrots. Even Mr. Picky Pants likes them...and that's saying something!

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Chocolate Chip Cookies....Gone Paleo!


    My dear friend Deb Casares gave me this amazing recipe...THANK YOU so much for sharing! Even Mr. Picky Pants (my 13 yr old son Harrison) thinks these cookies are the bomb and he was truly shocked to find out they are paleo friendly.
    2 cups  Almond Meal/Flour
    1/2 tsp sea salt
    1/2 tsp baking soda
    2 tbsp grass-fed butter  or coconut oil, softened (I used butter)
    1 egg
    1/2 cup raw almond butter
    1 tsp vanilla extract
    1/2 cup coconut palm sugar (Whole Foods)
    1/3 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks

    Preheat oven to 350.
    Combine the flour, salt and soda and set aside.
    Cream the egg, almond butter, butter (or coconut oil) and sugar. Add  the vanilla and mix well.
    Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix well.
    Fold in the chocolate chips.
    Shape generous tablespoons of dough into 18 balls and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
    Press each dough ball down with the palm of your hand.
    Bake for 10-12 minutes or until brown.
    Let cool on a wire rack and store in an air tight container

     

    Grilled Coffee Rubbed Bacon Wrapped Chicken



    My family LOVES this recipe!!! I make it on a weekly basis these days...juicy, full of flavor and wrapped in bacon...what more could you want on your dinner plate??? Skip the bbq sauce to keep this meal totally paleo, but let me tell you the bbq "sauced" version rocks too!

    4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
    Tommy's Brand Coffee Rub*
    2 packages Applegate Organics brand Sunday Bacon
    BBQ sauce - optional



    Preheat gas grill to medium high heat. Place chicken breasts on large cutting board or baking sheet. Sprinkle both sides of meat with coffee rub. Wrap each chicken breast with bacon slices, slightly overlapping each slice (you will not use both packages of bacon...toss the leftover bacon in the freezer for next time). Place chicken on grill. Let cook 8 minutes before turning over. Turn over and cook another 8 minutes. Baste chicken with bbq sauce at this point if using. Continue grilling chicken, turning frequently to prevent burning, until chicken is cooked through and bacon is crisp. Remove from grill and let rest 5 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!!!

    *You will find Tommy's coffee rub at Whole Foods and HEB....no time to head to the store? Combine 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp chile powder, 1/4 tsp black pepper, generous pinch kosher salt and 1/2 tsp instant coffee powder and rub over chicken.

    Positively Paleo Friendly "Hummus"

    Want to know a secret? I LOVE Hummus!!! No joke...love, love, love it! I can eat it with pita, veggies, on a sandwich, heck I can just eat it straight up with a spoon. I ate waaaay too much hummus over Spring Break and paid dearly with tummy troubles. Paleo means no legumes or beans...I decided to splurge while on vacation...bad idea....very bad idea. This was so not going to work for me...this no hummus thing...I love hummus...so what's a girl to do? Go home and find/create a paleo friendly hummus, that's what!

    I immediatley began searching for a paleo friendly hummus and found some really tasty recipes. Most used zuchini instead of chickpeas and while it tasted like hummus (for the most part) it just didn't have that silky smooth, creamy to the max mouth feel of traditional hummus. I am huge on the textural qualities of food and knew there had to be a way to create the silkiness I so adore in hummus.

    What veg could I use? I racked my brain and had a Eureka moment...roasted sweet potatoes! Soft, creamy, silky smooth sweet potatoes.

    this is really a base recipe for you to creat to suit you tastes. Add more or less garlic...tahini...lemon...you know my motto..."whatever makes you happy".

    2 - 2 1/4 cups mashed sweet potatoes (I used two rather large ones)
    1 1/2 cloves garlic
    1/4 cup organic tahini
    juice from one small lemon
    pinch kosher salt

    Drop garlic into food processor and pulse a couple of times to mince. Add remaining ingredients and process until smooth. Scrape down sides. Taste your hummus and correct seasonings to suit your tastes. Put into a tupperware container and refrigerate  a couple hours to allow flavors to blend. Serve with carrots, celery, zuchini chips, top a burger, the possibilities are endless!

    Monday, June 18, 2012

    Lemon Berry Breakfast Bread

    This is the best breakfast bread...ever! Filled with tart lemon and sweet berries, this bread will be a hit with your family. The original recipe comes from Ina Garten (love her recipes)...I added my tweaks, of course. I baked it for a Mother-Daughter weekend at the lake shack and it was a HUGE hit...My sweet girl Tori is already bugging me to make it again! You can skip the berries and bake a straight up lemon bread or add your favorite berries...blackberries, raspberries, even chopped strawberries would be dreamy in this yummy bread.



    Lemon Berry Bread

    1 1/2 cups flour
    2 tsp baking powder
    1/2 tsp kosher salt
    1 cup plain greek yogurt
    1 cup sugar
    3 large eggs
    1 tbsp  lemon zest
    1 tsp  vanilla extract
    1/2 cup canola oil
     2 cups blueberries

    Lemon Syrup

    1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
    1/3 cup sugar

     Lemon Glaze
    1 cup powdered sugar
     3 tbsp  lemon juice

    Preheat the oven to 350.  Lightly oil bottom and sides of a 9 x 5" loaf pan; dust with flour, tapping out excess.
    In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
    In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Pour wet ingredients into flour mixture. Stir until just combined.
    Pour batter into  prepared pan and bake 60 to 75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing loaf to a wire rack (set rack on top of a cookie sheet).

     For the lemon syrup, combine lemon juice and sugar in a  small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Cook, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Remove from stove; set aside.

    Use a toothpick (or a fork) to poke holes in the top of the bread. Spoon syrup over top of the loaf . Let the syrup soak into the bread and spoon remaining syrup over top of loaf. Let bread cool completely.

    For the lemon glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl (add up to another tablespoon of lemon juice if the mixture is too stiff). Pour the lemon glaze over the top of loaf and let it drip down the sides. Let glaze set 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.

    Caveman Co-Op Stew

    The kids helped me name this tasty stew. All the veg came from my produce co-op...Rawfully Organic...if you are here in Houston, you gotta check it out! This stew is definitely Paleo friendly...hence the word caveman in the title :) What I love about this stew is you can swap the veg you use to completely customize it to suite your family's tastebuds. I had a beautiful picture of this recipe, but I killed the computer all my pics are stored on...will update recipe with a picture as soon as the computer geek squad retrieves all my photos.

    2 tbsp olive or coconut oil
    1 small sweet onion, chopped
    4 cloves garlic, minced
    1 cup chopped celery
    1 cup sliced carrots
    1 small zuchini, sliced
    1 small yellow squash, sliced
    2 tomatoes, cored and chopped
    6 kale leaves, chopped
    6 collard green leaves, chopped
    2 handfuls spinach, chopped
    6 turkey Italian sausages, casings removed and cooked until browned
    4 cups chicken stock
    2 tbsp curry powder
    1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
    1 1/4 tsp ground coriander
    1/8 tsp garlic powder
    1/2 tsp sea salt
    1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper


    Heat coconut oil (or olive oil) in a large dutch oven or stock pot over medium high heat. Add onion and saute until onions just begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Add yellow squash, zucchini, celery and carrots. Stir and continue to saute for another 10 minutes, until vegetables soften and become golden brown in spots. Add kale, collard greens, spinach, tomatoes, browned sausage and garlic and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add curry powder, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, garlic powder and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 30 or until vegetables are tender. Taste and adjust salt & pepper if necessary. Ladle into bowls and enjoy!

    Harrison's Chocolate Fudge Caramel Brownies

    These ooey gooey brownies are Harrison's absolute favorites!!! He loves unwrapping the caramels and helping assemble the brownies. You can use boxed brownie mix...your fave brownie recipe...whatever makes you happy...this is such a versitile recipe, you can add chopped nuts for turtle brownies, marshmellows and graham cracker pieces for over the top s'mores brownies...the variations are endless.

    1 box brownie mix prepared according to directions or my brown butter brownie recipe found here on the blog
    1 bag Kraft caramels, unwrapped
    1/4 cup evaporated milk
    2 Hershey chocolate bars, broken into pieces

    Preheat oven to 350. Place caramels and evaporated milk into a microwave safe bowl. Heat in microwave for one minute, remove and stir. Continue heating one minute at a time unti1 carmels are melted. Remove bowl from microwave and stir until smooth. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Pour all but about 1/2 cup brownie batter into pan and spread with spatula. Spoon caramel over batter leaving a 1/2" border. Dollop remaing brownie batter ove top of caramel and scatter chocolate pieces over top of batter. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool at least an hour before cutting into squares. Enjoy!!!

    Thursday, March 22, 2012

    Paleo Truffle Bites...Chocolate Love!





    This stuff is AMAZING!!! Tastes like nutty dark chocolate and I am all about dark chocolate anything!

    Chris and the kids are quite happy to eat the yummy Paleo dishes I serve, but all of them threw world class hissy fits when they learned that Paleo meant NO sugar...which in their minds meant NO dessert! I reassured my sugar junkies that Paleo eating DID NOT mean no dessert (are you kidding me)...Rox without dessert is a bad thing...a very bad thing!

    It is a must for me to have paleo friendly treats on hand for Chris...he has a tendancy to raid the pantry & fridge after dinner on a search for all things sugary sweet.

    After an afternoon spent "pinning" (you know what I'm talking about), I found a recipe for Paleo Coconut Fudge from Kara over at The Primal Home blog (which is Amazing...great resource for the Paleo family)!!! I tweaked the original recipe a tad and here is my version which, as you can see is no longer called fudge...Chris said while it was really yummy, it had more of a ganache consistency and mouth feel...thus the Paleo Truffle bite was born! I am thinking about using this as a filling for a wonderful chocolate tart, maybe a pecan crust topped with chocolatey goodness...yes please!

    Paleo Truffle Bites

    3/4 cup raw almond butter*
    1/3 cup melted coconut oil
    1/4 cup honey
    1/2 cup cocoa powder


    Line a 8x8" baking pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on sides of pan.
    Put all ingriedents in a mixing bowl and stir well to thoroughly combine.
    Pour fudge mxture into prepared pan and put in fridge until firm. Using the parchment "handles" lift from pan and cut into 1" squares. You can dust the squares with cocoa powder for a true truffle experience or leave them plain...either way, you are gonna love em!

    *Raw almond butter has a crunchy, almost grainy texture (which I love), but if you prefer a smoother chocolate go ahead and use creamy almond butter.

    Shepard's Pie Paleo Style




    Shepard's Pie is one of my hubby's favorite dishes...he loves it! Traditional Shepard's Pie is not very Paleo friendly, in fact it is downright Paleo un-friendly :)

    To keep my family from getting bored to tears with chicken (a Paleo staple), I started searching for Paleo versions of my fam's favorite recipes. I stumbled across Health-Bent..an awesome Paleo blog and there it was...Paleo Shepard's Pie. I have modified the original recipe (I can't help myself...I tweak every recipe I try). Here is my version and let me tell you...it was a huge hit! Chris loved it (had two helpings) and so did my kiddos...yes, even Mr. Picky Pants! My Tori girl had seconds too...made me know it was a keeper!

    Shepard's Pie Paleo Style

    1 cup diced carrots
    1/2 cup diced mushrooms
    1/2 large red bell pepper, seeded & diced
    1/2 sweet onion, diced
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    2 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil
    1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef (grass fed is best)
    1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
    kosher salt
    fresh cracked pepper
    1 cup chicken stock, plus 3 tbsp extra for cauliflower topping
    1 tbsp potato flour*
    1/2 can organic tomato sauce
    1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
    1 egg
    1 tbsp organic butter, melted



    Steam cauliflower until tender, about 18-20 minutes. Drain and put into mixing bowl. Mash cauliflower with potato masher until smooth. Add egg, chicken stock, melted butter, generous pinch salt and 1/4 tsp each Italian seasoning and fresh pepper. Stir until well combined, set bowl aside.

    Go ahead and preheat oven to 400 at this point.

    Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add remaining veg and reduce heat to medium low. Cook veg until tender and onions are golden brown. Using a spoon, push veg to outside of pan and place ground beef in middle of pan. Break up beef with back of spoon and return heat to medium. Add Italian seasoning, a generous pinch of salt and 1/2 tsp fresh pepper. Cook until beef is no longer pink and well browned. Stir frequently so veg doesn't burn. Whisk together chicken stock and potato flour in a shallow bowl (don't worry about the lumps, they disappear during cooking) Add slurry and 1/2 can tomato sauce to meat & veg, stirring to combine and scraping all those brown bits of yumminess off bottom of pan. Remove from heat, taste for seasoning and add more salt & pepper to taste. Spoon mixture into a 3 qt casserole dish. Dollop mashed cauliflower over meat & veg and smooth evenly over the top with back of spoon.

    Place in preheated oven and bake for 10 mintues. Turn oven to broil and bake 10 more minutes. Remove from oven and let sit 5-7 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

    * Bob's Red Mill brand potato flour can be found in the baking aisle at HEB, Whole Foods, Kroger.

    Sunday, March 18, 2012

    Grilled Orange Chicken...A New Twist On A Chinese Take-Out Classic

    Who doesn't love Orange Chicken??? My kids request it anytime we order Chinese. I found a recipe for a healthier Orange Chicken online recently and since my family is following more of a clean/paleo lifestyle, I tweaked the original and here is the end (cleaner/paleo friendly) result. The hubby and kiddos LOVED it...the only complaint...Tori ran out of yummy orange sauce to dip her chicken into (ooops...my bad)! I served this with roasted vegtables and fresh fruit.




    4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
    2 cups orange juice (I used fresh squeezed, but store bought is cool too)
    the zest from one large orange
    2 tbsp dark sesame oil
    4 tbsp soy sauce (I used Tamari Organic & Gluten Free soy)
    3 tbsp honey
    1 clove garlic, finely minced
    pinch red chile flakes*

    In a gallon ziploc, combine everything but chicken. Seal and shake to combine, add chicken breasts. Let marinate in fridge 8-24 hours.

    When ready to cook, preheat grill to medium high heat. Remove chicken from baggie and grill until cooked through and juices run clear, 18-20 minutes. Turn chicken frequently to prevent burning.

    While chicken is grilling, heat reserved marinade in a medium saucepan to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook until sauce is reduced and thickened, 10 minutes or so.

    When chicken is cooked through remove from grill and brush a bit of the sauce over chicken. Serve with remaining sauce (my kids used it as dipping sauce). Enjoy!

    *Chile flakes are optional...for no heat omit flakes...if you prefer more heat, add more flakes.

    Tuesday, March 6, 2012

    Paleo Burgers...Time To Fire Up Your Grill!

    I made these delish burgers last night for dinner and the whole crew gave them a big old two thumbs up...gotta love that! Chris and I ate ours in true Paleo style with no bun and the kiddos had theirs on gluten free buns with all the fixings. I served these juicy burgers with fresh fruit and roasted veggies (will post recipe here too).




    Paleo Burgers


    2 lbs. lean ground beef (or Bison, Turkey...whatever makes you happy)
    2 tbsp. Worchestershire sauce
    1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
    1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
    1/2 tsp. garlic powder
    1/2 tsp. onion powder

    Preheat gas grill to medium high heat.

    Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and gently mix together. Using your hands, form into 6-8 patties (depending on how big/thick you like your burgers). Place on grill and cook 4-5 minutes per side for medium rare, turning only once. remove from grill and enjoy!

    Roasted Veggies

    1 cup cauliflower florets
    1 cup broccoli florets
    1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips
    handful of sliced mushrooms
    1 cup sliced zucchini or yellow squash
    1 cup brussels sprouts, halved
    olive oil
    Your fave seasonings, salt and pepper*
    Preheat oven to 425.

    In a large mixing bowl, toss veg, a few tbsp olive oil and seasonings to coat veg. Pour onto large baking sheet (too keep from overcrowding, you can use two pans)...if Roast in oven 30 minutes.

    * I love using Konriko Greek Seasoning blend right now...tastes delish and eliminates the need for extra salt and pepper. I also like using minced herbs, a pinch of red pepper flakes and salt and pepper...use what you love :)

    Wednesday, February 15, 2012

    Red Velvet Cake...A Southern Favorite

    This makes a wonderful addition to your dessert table...whether you choose to make a cake or cupcakes...it's all good!




    ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
    1 ½ cups sugar
    2 eggs
    2 ounces red food coloring
    2 tbsp cocoa (generous tbsp)
    1 cup buttermilk
    2 ¼ cups cake flour
    1 tsp salt
    1 tsp vanilla
    1 tsp baking soda
    1 tsp white vinegar

    Pre-heat oven to 350.

    In stand mixer fitted with paddle, cream butter, sugar and eggs until light and fluffy. In a seperate bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, salt and baking soda. Turn mixer off and add food coloring. On low speed blend into creamed mixture. Turn speed to medium and add buttermilk and flour mixture, alternating the two and ending with flour. Add vinegar and vanilla and mix to combine 1-2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared 8" round cake pans. Bake 25-30 minutes, checking for doneness starting at 25 minutes. Remove cakes from oven and let cool completely before frosting with your fave cream cheese frosting.

    *To make cupcakes...bake for 18-20 minutes.

    Thursday, January 26, 2012

    Quick Breakfast Kolaches





    My kids love, love, love kolaches for breakfast...especially from Shipley's! I on the other hand am not really fond of schlepping to Shipley's on school mornings...this is why the quick kolache was born! I am sure this is not a new idea...Moms everywhere probably make these tasty breakfast treats already :) The kids keep bugging me to post my quick kolaches on the blog...so here you go.

    1 tube crescent roll dough
    2 slices cheese, cut into quarters - use your fave cheese
    8 slices deli ham or 8 Eckridge breakfast links

    Preheat oven to 375.

    On a baking sheet, lay out crescent rolls with wide end facing you. Place one cheese quarter in middle of each roll. Top with a rolled up slice of ham or one sausage link. Fold wide end of roll over filling and roll up. Reapeat with all rolls.

    Bake 11-13 minutes, until golden brown.

    Monday, January 23, 2012

    My Family's New Fave Meatballs

    You know you have a dinner winner when your thirteen year old is physically dissappointed when he finds out there are no more Paleo meatballs in the fridge! I have followed Clean eating as well as the Paleo lifestyle for awhile, but really got serious when my sweet hubby, Chris got sick. Ankylosising Spondolytis made me really change the way I cook for my family. I began really researching the realtionship between food and inflammation/health. Taking cues from both Clean and Paleo eating, I started adding more and more "super foods" (kale, spinach, papaya, flax, etc) and removing those inflammatory foods (gluten, dairy, red meat, processed foods, sugar etc). Don't get me wrong...we still love and eat juicy rib eyes, buttermilk chicken tenders and cupcakes! I have just tipped the scales towards more clean/paleo dinners. I found the original recipe for these AMAZING meatballs on Pinterest. I "cleaned them up a tad"..swapped out the ground beef and pork sausage & used olive oil instead of bacon grease. Here is the end result. The whole family is in love with these gems...and that makes for one happy mom!




    Clean Paleo Meatballs

    1 1/4 lb package ground turkey breast
    1 package sweet turkey Italian sausages, casings removed ( 6 links)
    1/2 small onion, finely chopped
    3 cloves garlic, minced
    olive oil
    2 eggs
    2 tbsp ground flax seed*
    1/2 cup Almond meal*
    1 tbs Italian seasoning
    kosher salt
    fresh ground pepper

    In a medium skillet heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Saute onions until soft, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and saute another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool 10 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, sausage, eggs, flax meal, almond meal, Italian seasoning,onions & garlic, a generous pinch of salt and 1 tsp pepper. Gently combine mixture with hands until well mixed. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Using a tablespoon, shape meat mixture into 2" meatballs, place in pan and saute until well browned and cooked through,turning meatballs frequently about 15-20 minutes. Transfer meatballs to a plate and continue cooking remaining meatballs. Enjoy!

    *You can find both flax and almond meal in the baking aisle at HEB. I use Bob's Red Mill brand.