Nutty Chocolate Chip Bars

These bars are so yummy! I came up with the recipe on Saturday and have already made three batches! True Paleo people will argue they are not Paleo because they have sugar in the chocolate chips and honey, but I would argue they are a great alternative and full of items with great fat and fiber like raw nuts and coconut! So, I will be making them again and I hope you will too!

This recipe is based on the Oatmeal bar recipe I posted a few months ago. Since then we have stopped eating all grains so I just tweaked it a little so they are grain free.

We have friends coming into town next week and I plan to make these as a snack to take on our day of snow tubing and sledding. They are so easily portable. I am not sure I will snow tube since I will be 23 weeks pregnant. We will see if people are staying on the tubes or falling off a lot :) If I do not tube I will have something delicious to do- eat these bars!

 

NUTTY CHOCOLATE CHIP BARS

Serves: 8-9 depending on if you cut the bars long or into squares

 

1 1/2 cups raw nuts (I used 1 cup almonds and 1/2 cup walnuts)

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

2 Tbs flax seed meal

4 Tbs raw honey

2 heaping Tbs almond butter

1/4 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips

1/8 cup white chocolate chips (I used the dairy free brand Sunset)

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

2. Pulse nuts in food processor until they are in fine pieces. Pour into a large bowl.

 

3. Add to the bowl the coconut, flax meal, honey, almond butter and chocolate chips. Combine with a spatula and then with your hands if needed.

 

4. Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper. Pour in nut mixture; spread and flatten with your hands.

 

5. Bake at 350 for 22 minutes. Cut into 8 bars or 9 squares. Allow bars to cool before eating.

 

 

 

 

 

 



Breakfast Casserole

I remember the breakfast casserole I grew up on. I'm not going to lie- it tasted amazing. It started with taking white bread and covering both sides with butter. The dish only got more unhealthy from there- jimmy dean sausage, eggs, tons of cheese. Then you let it sit overnight and baked it the next morning. We only had it on special occasions like Christmas morning and I looked forward to it as much as my stocking.

This is my version of breakfast casserole. It still has delicious sausage but is loaded with veggies. I used organic hashbrown potatoes to make it a treat but you could easily leave them out or substitute shredded sweet potato. This casserole saved us last week with the many late nights in the office and fed two people 4 times. I hope you will try it for your next busy week breakfast, family dinner or for a special occasion!

BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

Serves: 8

 

1 lb pork sausage or ground pork that you have seasoned to your taste

1 large onion, diced

1 large red bell pepper, diced

1 large head broccoli, florets chopped and stem tossed or included (whichever you like)

1 cup shredded carrots

2 cups chopped spinach

1 bag frozen organic hashbrown potatoes (I used Organic Valley- the only ingredient listed is potatoes) (optional)

12 large eggs

1 cup shredded raw cheddar cheese (optional)

 

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook through, using a spatula to crumble meat as it cooks. Remove sausage to an extra large bowl.

 

2. Add 1 Tbs coconut oil to pan (if there is not enough grease from the sausage to cook the vegetables). Add onion, pepper and broccoli. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Add carrots. Cook 2 minutes. Add spinach, stir and cook 1 minute. Remove vegetables from heat and add to the same bowl as the sausage.

 

3. Add eggs to a large bowl. Whisk. Add eggs to the sausage mixture. Add hashbrowns. Add 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp ground black pepper. Stir.

 

4. Grease a 9x13 pan with coconut oil. Pour egg mixture into pan. Top with cheese.

 

5. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes until cooked through. Enjoy for any meal of the day!

 

 

 

Asian Beef Broccoli Stir Fry for Dinner and Breakfast

I have been in a cooking rut. I am craving easy food that is wholesome, delicious and does not take a lot of time. Hence this stir fry. This stir is best made ahead and eaten as leftovers because the flavor gets better and more intense.

I also have been over scrambled eggs. So, I have been trying to be more creative with breakfast. So, we had this leftover stir fry for breakfast! It was so filling and satisfying. I was not hungry for hours. I plan to eat meat and veggie meals for breakfast more often now! I just ate a bowl of the stir fry but for hubbie I put two fried eggs on the top of his bowl. He loved it.

Stayed tuned for some yummy breakfast casserole recipes (also in my attempt to not just have scrambled eggs every morning). I love them because they are easy, use what is already on hand and can be made ahead and eaten all week.

 

ASIAN BEEF BROCCOLI STIR FRY

adapted from Stir it Up

Serves: 4

 

 

1 lb grass fed ground beef

1 package (8 oz) sliced mushrooms, diced small

1 medium yellow onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 bag broccoli slaw

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup chopped fresh spinach

4 Tbs tamari wheat free soy sauce

2 Tbs rice wine vinegar

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

 

1. In a large skillet, cook ground beef, crumbling it as you cook. Once cooked through, set aside.

 

2. Meanwhile, Heat 1 Tbs coconut oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes.

 

3. Stir in onions, garlic, broccoli slaw and carrots. Stir and cook 5 minutes.

 

4. Turn heat to low.

 

5. Add spinach. Stir. Add soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, salt, pepper and ground beef. Stir and let cook a few minutes to allow flavors to combine.

 

6. Eat for any meal!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Paleo Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

Since becoming pregnant I have been a baking machine as far as sweet breads go. I usually am fine without these types of things since going wheat free, but I am craving having something to really sink my teeth into now. Good thing paleo breads such as this one are a great option for a snack or with some eggs for breakfast. It is made with protein and healthy fat filled almond flour and has no additional sweeteners of any kind! Plus it has a cinnamon swirl.... so basically I want to eat it for every meal.

This bread has also been very welcome because it is winter and I enjoy baking and having my oven on. This Sunday we had our biggest snow yet- about 8 inches. It was beautiful. Then yesterday the sun came out, the temperature went up and a lot of it melted. We were able to take the dog for two walks- beautiful, perfect Colorado weather!

 

PALEO CINNAMON SWIRL BANANA BREAD

Makes: 1 loaf

 

2 cups blanched almond flour

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup organic unsalted grass fed butter or coconut oil, melted

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (4 small or 3 large bananas)

 

For the Swirl:

1 Tbs cinnamon

1 Tbs maple syrup

1 Tbs melted butter or coconut oil

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place dry ingredients for the bread in a large bowl. Stir. Add butter, eggs and banana. Stir to combine.

3. Grease a regular size loaf pan with coconut oil. Pour batter into pan.

4. In a small bowl, combine swirl ingredients.

5. Spoon swirl mixture over the top of the batter. Using a knife, swirl topping into batter.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes, checking for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the bread. It should come out clean.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Cauliflower Crust Pizza

This pizza is delicious! Now I will say, with the cheese it is not Paleo. But if we do eat cheese we eat RAW unpastuerized cheddar cheese, which is a way better choice than Kraft cheese. You could always leave the cheese off.

The crust is softer than a regular pizza crust and we often end up eating this with a fork, but it is still absolutely yummy and definitely fixs any pizza craving you could have. This recipe is for a veggie pizze, but feel free to experiement with whatever toppings you like. Just make sure the toppings are cooked before adding them to the pizza. I hope you enjoy it!

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Makes: 1 large crust- feeds two hungry adults

Adapted from Detoxinista

 

Crust:

4 cups raw cauliflower rice
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup shredded raw cheddar cheese (like organic valley brand)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
pinch of salt

 

Sauce:

1 8oz can no salt added tomato sauce

1 Tbs minced garlic

1 tsp oregano

 

Toppings:

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 large bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 small head broccoli, chopped small

2 cups baby spinach, chopped

2 cups shredded raw cheddar cheese

 

Preheat your oven to 400F, then get to work on your crust.

 

1. Begin by making your cauliflower “rice.”

Simply pulse batches of raw cauliflower florets in a food processor, until a rice-like texture is achieved.

2. Cook & Strain the rice.

Fill a large pot with about an inch of water, and bring it to a boil. Add the “rice” and cover; let it cook for about 4-5 minutes. Drain into a fine-mesh strainer.

Now here comes the secret:

Once you’ve strained the rice, transfer it to a clean, thin dishtowel.

Wrap up the steamed rice in the dishtowel, twist it up, then SQUEEEEEEEZE all the excess moisture out!

It’s amazing how much liquid will be released, which will leave you with a nice and dry pizza crust.

3. Make & Shape the dough.

In a large bowl, mix up your strained rice, beaten egg, goat cheese, and spices.

Don’t be afraid to use your hands! You want it very well mixed.

It won’t be like any pizza dough you’ve ever worked with, but don’t worry– it’ll hold together!

Press the dough out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (It’s important that it’s lined with parchment paper!)

Keep the dough about 1/3″ thick, and make the edges a little higher for a “crust” effect, if you like.

4. Bake!

Bake for 35-40 minutes at 400F.

5. While your pizza crust bakes:

Place all sauce ingredients in a saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.

In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbs coconut oil. Add onion, bell pepper and broccoli. Cook until crisp tender- approximately 5-10 minutes. Add spinach and allow to wilt. Remove vegetables from heat and set aside until pizza crust is done.

6. Top pizza

Top your cooked pizza crust with sauce, then vegetables, then cheese. Return pizza to oven for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly!

 

EAT!

 



 

Cinnamon Glazed Walnuts

These walnuts were inspired by an invitation to watch the Superbowl at a friend's house. I just cannot show up empty handed but did not feel like making anything elaborate. So, these walnuts were born in a matter of minutes, allowed to cool, and packaged with a pretty purple ribbon.

As far as the Superbowl, we had a great time socializing! I am not a huge NFL fan, I prefer college football having grown up in the south, but enjoyed just hanging out with everyone. Yesterday was a day where I was reminded of what a blessed life we have in Colorado- so full of love and relationship.

I hope you will make these walnuts for your family, a party or as a quick hostess gift. They are slightly sweet with a hint of cinnamon. I could have eaten the whole bag.

CINNAMON GLAZED WALNUTS

Makes: 2 cups

 

 

2 cups raw walnut halves

1 Tbs coconut oil

1 heaping Tbs honey

1 tsp vanilla (a vanilla bean would be delcious here too)

1 tsp cinnamon

 

1. Heat a skillet over high heat.

2. Add coconut oil. Melt. Add walnuts. Once you hear a sizzle, turn heat to medium low and allow walnuts to cook until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

3. Add honey, vanilla and cinnamon to pan. Stir. Allow the walnuts to cook 1-2 more minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. This allows the honey and vanilla to create a little syrup for the walnuts... yum!

4. Spread cooked walnuts on a peice of parchment paper, wax paper or a silpat. Allow to cool.

5. Eat or gift to someone!

 

 

 

 

 

 



Harvest Hash

I know what you are thinking- fall is way over! But Harvest Hash was the best name I could come up with for this dish. It is chock full of ingredients that peak in the fall and winter. It is hearty and delicious. We first ate it as a side dish with grilled chicken. For lunch the next day, when I took this picture, I just took my leftover chicken and added it right into the hash. You could easily do that to.

Nothing real new is going on around here. We are moving along in the prenancy. I finally had enough energy this morning to go back to CrossFit and it was so wonderful!! CrossFit is so fun. I love the commrade, the constant change in the workout and the fact that it is scaleable so that anyone can do it (including a pregnant momma like me :)

It rained here this weekend! That was only the third time it had rained since we moved to Colorado in June. Thank goodness it also snowed last night or we would officially feel like we lived in the desert. So, with cold weather back, this is the perfect comfort meal to make. Happy cooking and eating!

 

 

 

Harvest Hash

Serves:4

 

 

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and DICED REALLY SMALL

1 lb brussel sprouts, stem removed and quartered

2 apples, small diced

1 tsp cinnamon

sea salt and pepper to taste

 

1. Heat a large greased cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add an additional 1 Tbs coconut oil.

2. Add onion and butternut squash to pan. Stir. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add brussel sprouts. Stir. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Add apples and spices. Stir. Cook 5 more minutes or until all vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.

5. Eat!!