Sunbutter

I was (am) getting tired of almond butter so searched and found this recipe from the website www.mmmmpaleo.com  

(here is the link to the recipe) http://www.mmmmpaleo.com/2012/04/sunbutter.html 

The pic below is from the mmmmpaleo site.......I took pics of mine using my Blackberry but was not smart enough to figure out how to get them from my phone to here. :)

This made a nice, full mason jar full of sunbutter which to my pleasant surprise was oh, so very good!!! perfect amount of salt and sweet!!  I used this on pancakes, celery and ate it straight from the jar! 

Ingredients 

• 1 16oz bag raw sunflower seeds (do not get the ones that are already roasted as they will not have enough moisture and result in a mealy sunbutter)
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp palm sugar (or other sweetener of your choice)  I didn't use this
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 tsp olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper - I toasted mine in a pan, in batches, onthe stove if you can't use your oven or if you are like me and tend to forget what you put in the oven.

2. If using the oven, checking the level of "toastiness" every few minutes. The seeds should be LIGHTLY toasted, not brown. If your pan wasn't big enough to create a single layer of seeds, be sure to mix them up partway through cooking so the seeds on the top don't cook faster than those on the bottom. Mix as often as necessary until they look uniformly toasted. 

3. Combine the toasted sunflower seeds in a blender with the sea salt and palm sugar. If you have a high power blender like a VitaMix that comes with a tamper (looks like a plunger) then process on highest variable speed and use the plunger to push the mixture down into the blades. If you do not have a tamper, you may have to stop the blender periodically to push the mixture down with a wood spoon or spatula. You could also use a food processor on high, but this may take a bit longer. At first, the mixture may look mealy, but keep chugging along and processing it until it begins to look creamier and get a light sheen. Sunflower seeds release their own oils over time - so have patience! You could be processing the mixture up to 10 minutes straight. At about the 5 minute mark, it should definitely start looking creamy, though. At this point, you could add in your teaspoon of honey. 

4. Once the mixture gets fairly creamy, add in your olive oil one teaspoon at a time, processing in between. You can lower the speed of your blender just enough so that it will blend the oil in without need to be pushed towards the blades. The result should be a nice creamy sunbutter.

5. Your mixture may be hot, so spoon it into a mason jar and let it cool off to the side. Once cooled, seal tightly and store in the refrigerator. The mixture may separate if left in the fridge for too long, so if that happens, just give it a good stir before serving.

Breakfast Lasagna

Even though the title says "Breakfast", we has this supper and it was delicious! Here is the link to the original recipe.  http://paleomg.com/breakfast-lasagna/  (I LOVE THIS SITE)

If you check the website above, my picture below look a little different than those on the site. It's because of the eggs, which I mention in the instructions below, in red.

Prep time:  20 mins

Cook time:  35 mins

Total time:  55 mins

Serves: 3-5

 

Ingredients

• 1 yam or sweet potato, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1lb chorizo or breakfast sausage (depending on the spice level you’d like) - I used a combination of hot italian sausage and grass fed beef
• 1 container sliced mushrooms
• 1 yellow onion, sliced thin
• ⅓ cup canned coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 6 eggs, whisked
• 2 tablespoons fat (I used bacon fat)

NOTE: I made some changes/additions in red :)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place a large skillet over medium heat and add your chorizo or breakfast sausage to cook down.
3. Add a medium skillet or saucepan over medium heat on a different burner, and add a tablespoon of fat. Place onions in to begin to caramelize. Salt and pepper the onions while they cook. Once your onions have cooked for about 8-10 minutes, add your mushrooms and cover to help cook your mushrooms. (I added a handful of baby spinach to this mixture)
4. Now, while your meat and onions/mushrooms cook down, thinly slice your sweet potato/yam lengthwise with a mandolin so you have even strips. If you don’t have a mandolin, just use a sharp knife and thinly slice each slice.
5. Pull out your 8×8 glass baking dish and layer the bottom of your dish with thinly sliced sweet potato/yam.
6. In a bowl, mix your coconut milk with garlic powder, onion powder, and a bit of salt and pepper. Whisk to mix. I like that phrase…because I made it up.
7. Once your meat is done cooking and your onions are beautifully caramelized, beginning your lasagna layering.
8. Place a scoop full of mushrooms and onions on top of your first sweet potato layer, spreading it out, then place a spoonful of your meat across that first layer.
9. Then layer another layer of sweet potatoes on top of your onions and meat, and keep on layering. Mushrooms and onions, meat, sweet potato…until you run out of ingredients. The amount of layers you have is all up to you!
10. Once your layers are finished, pour your coconut milk mixture over your lasagna so it can creep into all the crevices.  (see below in red)
11. Salt and pepper the top of your lasagna then place aluminum foil on top to create a seal around your baking dish.
12. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until your sweet potatoes are completely cooked through.
13. When your lasagna is done baking, let cool for about 10 minutes.
14. While the lasagna cools, place one of your skillets over medium heat, add a tablespoon of fat, and add your whisked eggs to make scrambled eggs. 
15. When eggs are cooked through, place them on top of your slightly cooled lasagna. (I whipped my eggs with my coconut milk and poured it all over the lasagna).
16. Cut into squares.  (I topped mine with cooked, chopped up bacon and let it sit on the lasagna during the 10 min sitting period)
17. Serve with a couple sliced of avocado for good measure.

Spicy Baked Cauliflower and Sweet Potatoes

I have found a new FAV side dish! Even my husband who refuses to eat cauliflower, had seconds of this. Here is the link to this recipe.  http://paleomg.com/spicy-baked-cauliflower-sweet-potatoes/  i hope you enjoy it as much as we did!!

Prep time:  5 mins

Cook time:  35 mins

Total time:  40 mins

Serves: 3-4

 

Ingredients

• 1 head of cauliflower, stem and leaves removed, roughly chopped,
• 1 sweet potato, diced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 4 tablespoons fat of choice, melted (i used bacon fat)
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper ( i only used 1/4 tsp and it was enough)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper, to taste
• (I added crushed garlic and I'm sure you could add whatever other spices you like such as tumeric, curry, etc.)

NOTE: I had left over red and yellow pepper in the fridge so I cut it up in chunks and added that too. I'm sure you could add chunks of zuchinni and/or mushrooms to this !

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Add all ingredients to a 9×13 glass baking dish. Mix well.
3. Place in oven to cook for 30-35 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender.(if you have BIG chunks you are going to need more cooking time)
4. Eat up! Oh you so spicy!

Mango and Plantain Beef

Wow! made this today since i LOVE mango and PLANTAINS!!! this recipe is from the PaleOMG website (http://paleomg.com/plantain-mango-beef/) - this is a GREAT site for simple recipes! plus she's very funny :) try this one, i think you will like it.

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  10 mins

Total time:  20 mins

Serves: 1-2

Ingredients

• 1 (12 oz) TX Organics Sirloin Steak, cut into strips (I used a grass fed steak I had in the freezer from a local farmer)
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 plantain, ends removed, peeled and sliced into ¼ inch pieces, smashed (use a ripe one-brownish color)
• 1 mango, peeled and cubed
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon red pepper
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 tablespoons fat of choice (I used coconut oil)

Instructions

1. Heat up a large skillet under medium heat and add a tablespoon of coconut oil then add your 2 minced garlic cloves and sliced onions.
2. While the onions begin to cook down, place a medium saucepan over heat and add two tablespoons of coconut oil. When the oil is hot, add your smashed plantains to the hot oil and let cook for about 3-5 minutes per side, careful not to burn them (like I’m good at).
3. While your plantains cook, add your sirloin steak to your onion pan. Use tongs to flip the meat continuously to not overcook.
4. One meat has almost cooked through (2-3 minutes), add your mango, garlic powder, red pepper, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.
5. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until meat is cooked to your preference and spices are thoroughly incorporated then remove from heat.
6. When your plantains are cooked on both sides (have a browning to them) remove from heat, place on a paper towel to remove the excess oil, then add to your beef and mango mixture.
7. Consume!

Pumpkin spice Muffins

• These were VERY, VERY good!! they made 8 muffins. was lazy one day and threw everything in an 8 x 8 pan and cut it into pieces, stopped with whipped coconut cream! beautiful desert! found the cake more moist than the muffins. (this is NOT my pic - the recipe and photo comes from elana's pantry website.
• 
  
• ¼ cup coconut flour
• ⅛ teaspoon celtic sea salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger (i just used pumpkin spice)
• 3 large eggs
• ½ cup freshly roasted pumpkin (canned pumpkin will not work)
• ½ cup honey  (i didn't quite use all this, found it too sweet)
• 2 tablespoons vegan palm oil shortening ( i used coconut oil)
• ⅛ teaspoon vanilla crème stevia (didn't use)

1. In a food processor pulse together coconut flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and ginger
2. Pulse in eggs, pumpkin, honey, shortening and stevia
3. Transfer batter into paper lined muffin tin
4. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes (for both the muffins and cake, i ended up leaving it in the oven an extra 10 minutes - not sure if my freshly roasted pumpkin was too wet or not so be sure to test with a tootpick)
5. Serve

Makes about 8 muffins

Crepes

Never had much luck with making crepes so was very skeptical about this one. although these are more "eggy" than regular crepes, they are so still worth it!!

1/4 cup full fat canned coconut milk

1/4 cup coconut flour

8 egg whites (save the yolks for Paleo Custard Sauce) - i used liquid egg whites

2 whole eggs
2 TBSP melted coconut oil
1/4 tsp vanilla (optional)

Beat the egg whites and eggs with a wire whisk or hand mixer until a little frothy.  Then sift your coconut flour and add it in along with the remaining ingredients and beat really well. I have a wire whisk attachment on my hand mixer that works great for this.  

Heat a small skillet over medium heat with a little bit of Coconut oil in the pan (i have a crepe pan so sticking isn't ever an issue) but if you don't be sure to reduce the heat to low and then pour in a small amount of batter  (about 3-4 TBSP - i used 1/4 cup ) and swirl it around in the pan to coat the bottom and sides of the pan thinly.  Cook for a few minutes, watching closely, when the edges start to curl, flip it over and cook the other side.  I like to use a silicone spatula to loosen the edges a bit while it's cooking so it doesn't stick.  It usually takes less time on the second side.  Remove from the pan and either set aside or fill with your filling of choice either savory or sweet, fold and eat. Repeat these steps applying more coconut oil as needed to the pan (you don't need to heat it up just add at low temp).  This will make about 10 thin crepes.  

In the last pic, I topped my crepe with homemade mayo, fried egg - with spices-cheese and then rolled! delish!

Homemade Mayonnaise

I was excited and very nervous to try this but glad i finally took the plunge!! I don't care for the taste of store bought mayo or salad dressing so I really like this version PLUS I know what is in it and I can pronounce all the ingredients :)
1 egg  (I used Pastured eggs which greatly reduces the likely hood of salmonella.) 
1/2 cup olive oil (NOT Extra Virgin or Virgin, just plain and simple olive oil or the flavor will be to strong)
1/2 cup Macadamia nut oil
1 TBSP Bragg's Apple Cider vinegar
1/2 tsp prepared yellow mustard
sea salt to taste
a dash of cayenne  

NOTE: I used 1 cup of light tasting olive oil
This first step is optional, and I am not  sure that it really does anything, but for some reason it eases my mind with the whole raw egg thing.  Take a mug 3/4 full of hot boiling water, add the whole egg STILL IN THE SHELL, and let sit for 1 minute.  Then remove and crack immediately adding to the food processor (it will have a somewhat milky look to it but should not be cooked, it should still be runny).Then using a food processor, combine the egg, cider and mustard on low for a few seconds.  Then VERY SLOWLY, this is important, VERY SLOWLY, add the oils.  After you have added the oils slowly and it is combined add your seasoning to taste. (i added cayene, cajun spice, salt and pepper)

*This recipe is from budgetpaleo.blogspot.ca and is a version of Sarah Fragoso's, Everyday Paleo Mayo* 

Not sure how long this will last in the fridge but I would probably use this up within a few days.