Crustless Quiche

I found this recipe on Pinterest and wanted to try making something similar. So I just used most of the veggies in my fridge plus some eggs and coconut milk. The only labor-intensive part was pre-cooking the veggies, but that actually didn't take too long.

4-5 big leaves of chard
1 small sweet potato, shredded
1 small zucchini, shredded
1/2 red bell pepper
1 onion
1/3 spaghetti squash
1 lb ground pork
6 eggs
1/3 cup coconut milk

Preheat oven to 375. Have a 9x13 pan ready.

I chopped the stems of the chard and the bell pepper and started those in a big skillet with coconut oil. Then I chopped the onion and the chard leaves and added those after a few minutes. Once those were all getting soft, I added the sweet potato, zucchini, and spaghetti squash (which I had already cooked and shredded) to warm up. I didn't stress about cooking all of these completely because they would soon be sitting in an oven for 40 minutes. In a separate skillet (or remove the veggies and use the same one) I cooked a pound of ground pork with quite a bit of seasonings (21 seasoning salute, chili powder, garlic powder, Italian herbs). This could easily be replaced with sausage or whatever meat is on hand. Put a layer of veggies, then meat, in the 9x13 pan.

In a small bowl, mix the eggs and milk. Add a little pepper. Pour this over the meat and veggies. This can be done with less eggs in a smaller pan, or more eggs to make a thicker quiche. Once the meat/veggies are covered, pop it in the oven for around 40 minutes or until the egg looks firm/cooked.

Voila.

Pumpkin Mug Cake

I've played around with this recipe for a while, I like that it doesn't have added sugar and its pretty easy to adapt. And since it has pumpkin in it, I feel like its not totally bad for me.

I made it last night with applesauce and cocoa powder and I think its my favorite version so far.

• 1 big spoonful pumpkin puree (maybe 1.5 tablespoons?)
• 1 tablespoon coconut flour
• 1 tablespoon cocoa
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon applesauce
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients in a mug (I used my 2-cup Pyrex) and microwave for 2:30, then an extra 30 seconds if the middle is still gooey.

I dumped my cake into a bowl, cut it in half, and tossed a handful of chocolate chips in the middle to melt. Perfect dessert.

Sliders on Paleo Bread

Paleo bread. Red meat. Sweet potato. Oh my.

I had to deconstruct it to eat it...with a fork and knife, like a civilized person.

Start with the bread, since the batter has to sit for a few minutes before you microwave it. And definitely toast it before you build your burger.

Cook your hamburger. I think mine was just ground beef with some seasonings then shaped into a patty. I made a few last weekend and froze them individually for nights like these, but I can't remember exactly what I did to it. Once the burger is done, I let it rest for a while on a paper towel-covered plate.

While my burger was cooking, I did some kale in a big skillet. Coconut oil and garlic in a hot pan, toss in a bunch of kale, add approximately half a cup of liquid (I use chicken/veggie broth) and let it simmer for a while. I don't have a lid yet for my big skillet, but if I did, I would use it here. Add steak seasoning and stir every few minutes until the kale is soft and liquid is gone.

And because I'm me, and I had just run a speed workout, I shredded a sweet potato and cooked that in the same pan my meat was in. I just left the meat grease in there, I don't know if that's gross, but it tasted good, so I went with it. I probably seasoned the potato too, but that's just my preference.

Once the bread is cooked, cut it in half (like a hamburger bun) and toast it.

I didn't build this in a way that made it easy to eat, but this is what ended up on the burger: paleo mayo (on the bun), avocado, shredded sweet potato, meat, bbq sauce. And my kale just ended up piled on the plate. It made for a messy meal, but those are the best anyway, am I right?



Coconut Flour Bread

1  Tablespoon coconut flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 egg
2 Tablespoons coconut milk
1 tsp olive oil

Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Make a well in the center. Add the egg, coconut milk and oil. Stir well with a fork. Let rest for a couple of minutes to allow the coconut flour to absorb the liquid. Spray the inside of a straight sided mug with cooking spray. Spoon half the batter into the mug. Tap it on the counter to remove air bubbles. Cook in the microwave for 65 seconds. If the center is steaming, but firm to the touch,  run a knife around the edge and remove the bread, allowing it to cool on the counter. To make a slider bun, slice the bread in half.

Fish Tacos with Coconut Flour Tortillas

Yes, I do love labor-intensive meals. How did you know? This one took me a while since I made the tortillas, and had to cut up a giant frozen block of mahi-mahi...but it was a free giant frozen block of mahi-mahi, so no complaints here.

Fish tacos:

1 lb mahi mahi

Coconut oil

Minced garlic

Lime/Lemon juice

Avocado

Tomatos

Paleo Mayo

Garlic powder, chili powder

Paleo Tortillas (recipe below)

Start with the tortillas since you have to let the batter sit for a while before cooking. While those are doing their thing, cook the fish in a large skillet. I had a pound of mahi-mahi that I cut into chunks (2 inches? I don't know, I didn't have a ruler) Then, a spoonful of coconut oil in a hot pan, and some garlic perhaps, then toss the fish in, and let the chunks cook for a while. I didn't time it, and I fear uncooked fish, so I made sure they were done by cutting some of the bigger pieces with a knife to check the middle. Once all the middles were cooked (white + flakey), I put all the fish on a paper towel-covered plate and sprinkled them with some garlic powder, chili powder, and lime juice. Then I went back to my tortillas and cooked a bunch of those in a small skillet (street taco size).

Tortilla, Paleo mayo, shredded cabbage, diced tomato, avocado, fish, fish, fish, lime juice and some more mayo (or salsa). Eat.

Coconut Flour Tortillas

Ingredients (makes 8-10)

½ cup coconut flour

½ teaspoon grain-free baking powder

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1 ½ cup egg whites (16 egg whites)

¾ cup coconut milk

Directions

Mix all of the ingredients in a non-reactive bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes so the coconut flour can soak up some of the moisture, and then whisk again. The batter should be runnier than that of pancakes, about the same as a crepe batter.

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat and spray with oil or melt enough butter to coat the bottom and sides of pan. Pour 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan, swirling the pan while you pour to ensure the bottom is coated and the tortilla is thin.

Once the bottom looks set (about 1 minute), carefully release the sides of the tortilla with a rubber spatula and turn over. If your first couple break, don’t fret and don’t throw them away. Add a little more coconut flour and try again.

Sweet Potato Chicken Salad with Paleo Mayo

I found this recipe on 3, 2, 1 Paleo (http://321paleo.blogspot.com/2012/04/sweet-potato-chicken-salad.html) and changed a couple things. I made the Paleo Mayo (look at me go), and got a little weirded out because of the whole raw-egg-thing. But I ate it anyway, and it was totally worth it.

• 1.5lb Chicken
• 1 large Onion, sliced thinly
• Broccoli slaw (small-ish bag?)
• Garlic powder, TJ's 21 Seasoning Salute, other spices if you want them...
• 1-2 Sweet Potatoes
• Coconut Oil
• Good Olive Oil
• Salt + Pepper
• Paleo Mayo (see recipe below)
• Sausages- 4 “breakfast” sized ones (I didn't have these, but I want them next time I make this)
• Mustard

So I started with defrosted chicken breast cutlets and did some oil/21 S.S. and put them in the oven (at 400) for maybe 20 minutes...or until they were cooked. In a separate dish, I diced up sweet potatoes and onions with the same oil/seasonings and put those in the oven too. In a skillet, I did some coconut oil and garlic, then threw in my broccoli slaw with 1/3 cup of chicken broth and let that soften for a while.

While all that was happening, I made Paleo Mayo (scroll down) in the food processor, then put that in the fridge.

Once everything finished cooking, I let it all cool for a while. Then started dicing/shredding the chicken and put that in a bowl, tossed in the potatoes/onions and the broccoli slaw. And because I was impatient and hungry, I put the bowl of stuff in the freezer to cool faster. When I decided it was cool enough (like 2 minutes later), I put maybe 1/3 of that mixture in a bowl with 1/4 cup mayo (more or less depending on your taste) and some garlic powder. Et voila.

Update: chop up some bell peppers and throw them in there raw. Just do it.




I had already eaten most of it by the time I thought about taking a picture.


Paleo Mayo
2 eggs (I've heard that these should be at room temp or it doesn't work right)
1.5 cups olive oil (I did 1 cup olive, then ran out, so I used grapeseed for the rest)
2 T apple cider vinegar
1 tsp yellow mustard
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp crushed garlic

Put the eggs, apple cider vinegar and mustard into a blender and blend until smooth. Next, add in your olive oil VERY slowly with the blade still running. Don’t get impatient and just dump it all in! Let it thicken up and add it in a very slow drizzle. After the olive oil is all added, toss in the chili powder and salt and blend a couple more seconds. Lastly, add the crushed garlic and blend by hand or in the blender – up to you! This keeps about a week in the fridge.

Grilled Vegetables

When I said I roasted veggies every night, that wasn't quite true. If we are grilling chicken, fish, or even hamburgers, I usually also grill some vegetables. I usually use "softer" vegetables for grilling, and really like to make lots and lots so there are leftovers. Hopefully.

Grilled Vegetables

Veggies
olive oil
favorite seasoning (mine is Montreal Steak Seasoning, salty and peppery)
You need a grilling wok or pan to do this -- mine looks like this.

veggies to use: bell peppers, any kind of summer squash, potatoes, mushrooms, onions, eggplant, spicy peppers too

Cut veggies into consistent sizes, toss with some olive oil and seasoning. Again, use your hands to rub the good stuff into the vegetables.

Dump the vegetables into the wok and grill on a bbq, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are browned, tender and delicious. 

If I am lazy, I throw the veggies into the pan, swizzle some EVOO and seasoning over and mix it up there. Most of the time. These are before seasoning.

Don't crowd the pan though. If you need a lot, do the in batches and then just heat a minute in the microwave when you are ready to eat. Yum.

Bacon Wrapped Dates

BACON WRAPPED DATES:

You're welcome in advance because your lives are about to change. For the greasier.

You'll need:

Pitted dates. Costco has a giant tub of yummy ones.
Bacon.


You'll need to:

Wrap each date with a half piece (or third of a slice, depending on how much bacon you like) of bacon

Place on a baking sheet with edges to catch the bacon fat that comes out

Place wrapped dates on sheet, bacon end side down to keep them together

Bake at 400 for as long as it takes for them to crispify. (about 25 mins)


Now eat them before lions even know you made them. This was my mistake.