Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes for a Crowd

If you want pumpkin pancakes and you want a lot of them, this recipe is for you!  These keep for several days and are delicious reheated.  They are amazing topped with butter and pure maple syrup, but can be enjoyed on their own for a grab & go breakfast.

2 cups almond flour
1 cup tapioca flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 heaping Tbsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
4 large eggs
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1/2 cup non dairy milk
1 stick grass fed butter, melted or 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1 cup pumpkin purée

Mix the flours, baking powder and spices in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk eggs. Add syrup, milk, melted butter and pumpkin. Mix throughly and add to dry ingredients. The batter will be thick. Heat griddle on medium heat and grease well. Add scoops of batter to hot griddle and cook for 1 minute. Flip and flatten. Continue to cook on that side a couple minutes and then flip again. Cook an additional couple minutes until done in the middle. Devour!

Salad Dressing Line-Up

When eating a salad, it's the dressing that's the show stopper!  If it's a midweek salad for lunch or for a special occasion, you can feel great about how you're topping all those nutrient rich, healthy vegetables. Keeping base ingredients on hand and adding a few other ingredients will make this a less daunting task.

High quality fats-
Olive oil
Avocado mayonnaise
Full-fat coconut milk (the kind in a can)

Acids-
Fresh lemons to juice
Red wine vinegar
Apple cider vinegar (choose the raw with the "mother")
Balsamic vinegar

Add ins-
Honey
Spices
Mustard

Here are four Paleo style dressing recipes to appeal to a variety of preferences.

First up is this Honey Mustard dressing recipe.
  
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use avocado mayo)  
1/4 cup light olive oil 
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey 
2 tablespoons mustard 
1 teaspoon onion powder  
1/2 teaspoon salt (I use pink Himalayan)

Place all ingredients in a blender and whirl briefly to blend thoroughly.  Alternately, you can place all ingredients in a mason jar, use an immersion blender or place the lid on and shake vigorously until the the honey dissolves and blends in.

Next up is my hubby's favorite, Balsamic Vinaigrette.  This is a perfect dressing for salads that include berries.  I always double the original recipe to make a whole quart.

1/3 apple cider vinegar

1/3 balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup of water 

1 1/3 cup of olive oil  (I use extra virgin)

1 teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon of onion powder

1 teaspoon oregano 

1 teaspoon of salt  (I use pink Himalayan salt)

1/4 cup of honey

Mix dry ingredients (seasonings)  in a small bowl.  Add honey, water, vinegar and olive oil and whisk until all ingredients are fully combined.  Pour the balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing into a glass jar for storage.  Alternately, blend all ingredients other than oil in a blender.  Then pour oil through the lid in a slow, steady stream until emulsified.

Here's a French Dressing recipe that is not only free of anything French but it's free of refined sugars, artificial colors and common allergens.

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup tomato paste

2 cloves fresh garlic

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons coconut aminos   

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon molasses (optional)

pinch of cloves (I use one whole clove in my Vitamix)

Combine all ingredients in a blender until very smooth.

Lastly is the ever popular Ranch dressing.  This ranch dressing recipe is not only Paleo, but Whole 30 complaint also!  This is great for dipping fresh veggies in too.

1 egg

1 cup light olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

3/4 teaspoon onion powder

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup full fat canned coconut milk, stirred

1 handful fresh herb of choice or 3 tablespoons dried parsley (I also add a 1/2-1 tsp dill)

Blend with an immersion blender in a wide mouth mason jar for approximately one minute. Don't start incorporating herbs until the last 15 seconds or it will turn your ranch green. Store in the fridge up to one week, if you still have any left!  Alternately, combine all ingredients but the oil in a blender than add oil through the lid in a slow steady stream to emulsify. 

Instant Pot Coconut Milk Yogurt

Wow, summer sure gets crazy around here!  I find that our meals are basically whatever is ready in the garden and some grilled meat.  I have missed working in my kitchen and blogging. So how could I resist using my favorite kitchen toy......er appliance?  Here's a super simple, 5 ingredient recipe that I really enjoy. It really works well to put it in before I go to bed, then in the morning the yogurt can be chilled and ready to eat in an hour or so. It's slightly sweet and so much better than store bought coconut yogurt.

Gather up the following

 About 12 hours later you have 4 cups of this.

Weekly Meal Plan March 5-9 (All Paleo and/or Gluten Free)

Monday-
Paleo Italian Wedding Soup
Crock Pot Chili
Paleo Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Tuesday-
Paleo Waffles
Chicken Sausage Links
Scrambled Eggs

Prep for tomorrow:  defrost beef

Wednesday-
Tumeric Fried Rice with Beef
Mixed Greens Salad
Fruit Tray

Prep for tomorrow:  defrost beef

Thursday-
Meatloaf
Mashed Potatoes
Green Beans

Prep for tomorrow:  defrost chicken

Friday-
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Paleo Oven-Fried Chicken Tenders
Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Weekly Meal Plan February 26-March 2 (All Paleo and/or Gluten Free)

Well, it looks like February is ending with lots of evening activities for our family.  I always like to simplify our meals when this happens.  That means a week of 1 dish, Crock Pot and Instant Pot meals coming your way!

Monday-
Paleo Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore
Gluten free pasta
Berries

Tuesday-
Taco Bar (Taco meat, corn chips, corn, lettuce, tomato, olives, avocado, cheese, sour cream, cilantro)
Pineapple

Wednesday-
Beef Enchilada Breakfast Bake
Gluten-Free Breakfast Casserole -sub seasoned ground turkey for the sausage
Mixed Fruit

Thursday-
Loaded Chicken & Potato Casserole
Chili

Friday-
Instant Pot Beef Roast
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Green Beans

Weekly Meal Plan Feb 19-23 (Paleo and/or Gluten Free)

The temperatures are warming up in the Midwest.  This got me thinking that grilling is a MUST this week!  Also trying 5 new recipes.  Try them along with me, or wait for my reviews throughout the week.  Cheers to a week of healthy eating!

Monday:
Copycat Royal Red Robin Burgers, lettuce wrapped (burger, bacon, egg, tomato, mayo, cheese)
Sweet Potato Fries
Caprese Avocado Salad- Sub honey for the brown sugar called for in this recipe

Prep for tomorrow:  Thaw ground turkey for soup, thaw chicken for Wednesday

Tuesday:
Creamy Sausage and Kale Soup  Sub seasoned ground turkey for the sausage
Lemon and Garlic Butter Fish
Roasted Carrots

Prep for tomorrow:  Clean and chop veggies for salad, thaw hamburger for Thursday

Wednesday:
Apple & Herb Roast Chicken
Instant Pot Paleo Carrot Thai Soup
Brussels Sprouts- Sliced thin in food processor and cooked with olive oil, dried cranberries and almonds
Mixed Greens Salad

Prep for tomorrow:  Make lasagna

Thursday:
This Lasagna  with gluten free noodles
Green beans
Salad

Prep for tomorrow:  Thaw chicken legs

Friday:
Paleo Fried Chicken
Roasted Baby Potatoes with Herbs
Steamed Broccoli with grass fed butter

Weekly Meal Plan-Feb 5-9 (Paleo and/or Gluten Free)

I am making use of my slow cooker and InstantPot this week.  Also including some one dish/ one pan meals for quicker clean up.

Monday:
Stupid Easy Salsa Chicken- double
Tortillas, taco toppings
Sweet corn

Prep for tomorrow:  thaw ground beef

Tuesday:
Persian Spiced Beef with Butternut Squash
Green Beans
Millet Flax Bread with butter

Prep for tomorrow: thaw chicken breasts

Wednesday:
One Pan Creamy Chicken and Vegetables -double this and use heavy whipping cream  instead of coconut milk
Roasted potatoes
Berries

Prep for tomorrow:  thaw flank steak, chop salad

Thursday:
Instant Pot Paleo Mongolian Beef-double
Rice
Cooked Peas
Salad

Prep for tomorrow:  thaw 2 lbs ground beef, clean and cut carrots

Friday:
Gluten-Free Meat Loaf
Lemon-Garlic Butter Fish
Roasted Carrots
Steamed Broccoli

Primal German Chocolate Cake

This cake turned out amazing!  The cake part is slightly sweet and has a wonderful texture and the frosting was so yummy.  My whole family liked this and it was the perfect addition to my birthday celebration.  I'm trying to think of another occasion to make this again!

I made 2 of this cake recipe and baked in two 8 inch round cake pans lined with parchment paper.  I used cashew butter instead of almond butter.

Then I made 1.5 batches of this frosting with a few alterations.  I used the same method of simmering down the cream & syrup.

Here's my ingredient list:
21 oz.heavy whipping cream
6 Tbsp maple syrup
1/2 Tbsp vanilla
3/4 tsp salt (I used pink Himalayan)
1 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
3/4 cup toasted chopped pecans
1 Tbsp coconut sugar

Chill and then frost cake.

This chocolate frosting worked great for garnishing along with some extra coconut.

Meal Planning Week of Jan 29-Feb 2 (Paleo and/or Gluten Free)

Monday:
Chunky Meat and Vegetable Soup
Paleo "Cornbread" Muffins -cut honey back to 1/3 cup
Cheese and Crackers

Prep for tomorrow:  defrost 2 lbs ground beef

Tuesday:
Make your own Taco Bar- I make a big batch of taco meat (here's a great taco seasoning recipe) and then put out all kinds of toppings; lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, cilantro, black olives, cheese, sour cream, corn chips, gluten free tortillas and salsa.
Fruit Salad

Prep for tomorrow:  defrost chicken thighs

Wednesday:
Baked Barbecue Chicken Thighs (use BBQ sauce recipe from Against All Grain Meals Made Simple that I made last week)
Roasted Sweet potatoes
Green Beans

Prep for tomorrow:  defrost ground turkey, hard boil eggs

Thursday:
Buttermilk Biscuits and Gravy with seasoned ground turkey
Gluten Free Breakfast Casserole
Paleo waffles with pure maple syrup
Berries

Prep for tomorrow:  defrost chicken breasts & make mashed potatoes if time allows

Friday:
Sheet Pan Balsamic Chicken and Brussel Sprouts
Mashed Potatoes
Peaches

Weekly Meal Plan- Jan 22-26 (Gluten Free and/or Paleo)

As much as we try to eat supper as a family, there are some days we are all going different directions. Crock pot to the rescue! 


Prep for Monday:  Defrost 2lbs ground beef

Monday:
Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes - I will substitute coconut sugar for the brown sugar
Serve with gluten free buns, sweet potato chips and Siete Cassava chips-Lime flavored
Green beans
Fruit Tray

Prep:  Defrost stew meat

Tuesday:
Salmon Patties from Practical Paleo or find a similar recipe here
Paleo Beef Stroganoff (double batch)- serve sauce over Cappello's Fettuccine noodles- these noodles are so good!
Sauteed veggies
Mixed berries

Prep:  Defrost short ribs, make bbq sauce for Thursday

Wednesday:
Balsamic Braised Beef Short Ribs from Practical Paleo or grab the recipe here.  Double recipe.
Maple Cinnamon Roasted Butternut Squash
Steamed broccoli with grass fed butter

Prep:  Defrost chicken, defrost steaks for Friday, chop lettuce

Thursday:
Barbecue Chicken Salad from Meals Made Simple (I plan to use Primal Kitchen Ranch Dressing as a shortcut)
Amy's Kitchen Vegetable soup- 3 cans
Fruit tray

Prep:  Make marinade and pour over steaks

Friday:
Steak with Best Steak Marinade
Roasted Baby Potatoes with Herbs
Sauteed mixed vegetables
Paleo Chocolate Cake times 2 with German Chocolate Cake Frosting (I use organic heavy whipping cream instead of coconut milk and add 1 Tbsp of coconut sugar) 

It's a Great Day to Bake Cookies

When it's snowing and sub zero temperatures it's a great day to bake some cookies!  I fully enjoyed my oven's warmth as I made 3 batches.  Two were wonderful and 1 was not. 

Let's start with the ones pictured on the right that we didn't like, so we can end on a good note.  This was supposed to be a simple 1 cup of peanut butter, 1 cup of sugar, 1 egg & 1.5 cups of chocolate chips.  I think it was a misprint and should have been 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.  Anyway, they turned out hard and there was no possible way to stir that many chips in.  Oh well, that's part of trying something new!

Next are the Double Chocolate Mocha cookies at the bottom. I used this recipe with a few alterations to the ingredients.  The bake time was perfect at 8 minutes & made exactly 24 small cookies.  Here's the ingredients I used:
2 1/4 cup blanched almond flour
1/4 cup cacao powder
2 Tbsp organic coffee beans, ground fine
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp pink Himalayan salt
1 stick butter, salted
1/4 cup coconut sugar
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp vanilla
3/4 cup chocolate chips (I used Lily's brand)

The bars on the left of the plate are a Paleo Chewy Granola Bar.  They are so yummy and make a great after school snack or even a grab and go breakfast.

Let me know if there is ever a recipe you'd like for me to test or alter for dietary needs. 

Meal Planning- 1 Week of Dinners (Paleo and Gluten Free)

Last week I had all my breakfast & dinner meals planned out and it was awesome!  Always helps when I meal plan and then shop.  Sometimes I do it transversely and shop and see what is available/looks good/is a good price.  Either way works fairly well, but I've been desiring a little more variety and to try a few new recipes.  We often use any leftovers for lunches, so I often make 2 entrees a night.  If your family is smaller or doesn't like leftovers, stick to one.

Sunday:
Lazy Day Lasagna -basically this recipe with your desired ratio of cheeses.  We love these gluten free noodles from Target.  This needs to be made the night before or in the morning, so think ahead.
Spaghetti Squash Bolognese- fantastic Paleo dish that comes together quickly, but the sauce can easily be made ahead.
Roasted asparagus

Prep for tomorrow:  soak chicken breasts in salt water, make dipping sauce

Monday:
Paleo Chicken Fingers with Honey Dijon Sauce
Steamed broccoli with grass fed butter

Prep for tomorrow:  defrost 2 lbs ground beef, chop onion and pepper for chili, peel and cube 4 potatoes and place in cold water in the fridge

Tuesday:
Paleo Chili
Loaded Potato Soup
Sliced cheese and crackers- we have really been loving Simple Mills Almond Flour crackers from Costco
Fruit tray

Prep for tomorrow:  make tarter sauce

Wednesday:
Paleo Fried Fish- double batch
Tartar Sauce- times 4
Sauteed vegetables in avocado oil (Brussels sprouts, onion, red pepper, broccoli)
Roasted carrots

Prep for tomorrow:  defrost beef roast, chop lettuce and veggies for salad

Thursday:
Pressure Cooker Pot Roast
Baked sweet potatoes
Salad

Prep for tomorrow:  defrost chicken

Friday:
Rotisserie Style Chicken
Tomato soup- (I made lots of this in the summer and froze it)
Mixed vegetables

Prep for tomorrow:  none needed!

Saturday:
Leftovers from a week of cooking