Creamed Turkey & Peas Over Biscuits

Here's another quick and easy 1 dish meal.  The biscuits mix up super quick and the sauce can be made while the biscuits bake.  My whole family liked this, but a couple thought it was too spicy.  Feel free to omit the cayenne or add at the table for those who like a bit more kick. This would be great with chicken also, but I had turkey on hand today.  Here's how to make it in 30 minutes!

Preheat oven to 400.
Mix up a batch of Cassidy's buttermilk biscuits (I use arrowroot powder and make buttermilk from coconut milk.)  Bake for 17 minutes.
While these are baking, make this:

Creamed Turkey & Peas
5 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1 Tbsp dried minced onion
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp dried parsley
dash cayenne pepper
4 cups non-dairy milk (I used coconut-almond milk)
2 cups frozen peas
4 cups cooked, chopped turkey

In a large skillet, melt the butter.  Whisk in tapioca flour, onion, salt, peppers, parsley and Worcestershire sauce.  Slowly add the milk.  Cook until thick & bubbly.  Fold in peas and turkey.  Cook until heated through.

By now the biscuits should be done.  Crumble a biscuit in a shallow bowl and top with sauce.  Or pour sauce in bowls and put biscuits on top.  Enjoy!


 

Fluffy Coconut Flour Waffles

We really like Brittany Angell's crispy paleo waffles, but decided to try her fluffy coconut flour waffle recipe.  These were really good, too!  I cut back on the sweetener and used coconut sugar.  Since it is Christmas break, we decided to drizzle them with melted chocolate chips and top them with strawberries.

 

Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette

With all the rich food during the holidays, I really long for simple things.  Here is a quick, easy, satisfying salad dressing that can be made in less than 5 minutes.

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1-2 Tbsp honey
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup olive oil

Combine all ingredients except the olive oil in a blender or Vitamix.  Slowly add oil through the lid until emulsified.  Serve with any greens or veggies. 

Chicken and Rice Casserole (Paleo)

What is it about a casserole?  It is comfort food at it's best!  Paleo casseroles are extra tricky.  The newest "Against All Grain" cookbook has a great recipe in it for a chicken & rice casserole.  The author has shared this recipe and 2 others from her newest book here.  This was a delicious 1 dish meal that got my family's stamp of approval.  We will definitely make this again!

Gluten Free Chicken, Rice & Broccoli

Lately I've struggling with dinner making at our house.  By afternoon we have all the after school busyness, then a quick supper, then off to whatever activity we have that night.  So, with 3rd trimester fatigue and Christmas approaching, quick & easy has been my motto.  This recipe was made up on a whim and my WHOLE family like it and requested I make it again.  It is not paleo since it includes rice, but it is dairy free, gluten free and healthy.  Plus this is kid friendly, quick to make and quick to eat!

Ingredients:
about 2 lbs organic chicken breasts
2-3 Tbsp oil (I used avocado)
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can mushrooms, drained
1 1/2 cup organic wild rice blend (I found a really good blend for a great price last time I went to Costco)
3 cups vegetable broth (chicken would work great too)
1 lb frozen broccoli florets
salt
pepper
seasoning salt
dried thyme

Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large pot.  Add onions for a couple minutes.  Add garlic and mushrooms and saute for a couple more minutes.  Add dry rice, saute for a couple minutes.  Add broth and 1 tsp of salt, cover pot and turn heat down to simmer.  Cut chicken breasts into cubes.  Heat remaining 1 Tbsp oil in a large skillet.  Sprinkle chicken with seasoning salt and pepper, saute chicken until it is browned on both sides, it does not need to be cooked through.  Add to rice mixture and continue to simmer for about 30 minutes.  Test if rice is done and add broccoli and thyme for about 10 minutes or until cooked to desired consistency.  Add more salt and pepper if needed.  Serve immediately.

We ate ours with some thawed berries sprinkled with lime juice and a bit of stevia.  

Paleo Salted Caramel Mocha

I've been enjoying making a healthier versions of "coffee house" drinks.  I'm loving this Peppermint Mocha.  I also wanted to create a salted caramel option.  I  wanted to be able to achieve this by not needing to make a caramel sauce first.  Here's what I came up with.

Paleo Salted Caramel Mocha
1/2 cup vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee
1 Tbsp good quality cacao powder
1 1/2 Tbsp coconut nectar
2 Tbsp salted butter (I use Kerrygold grass-fed)
6 drops vanilla creme stevia
Himalayan pink salt

Combine all ingredients except the salt in a high speed blender or Vitamix until foamy.  Transfer to a small pot and heat thoroughly.  Pour into 2 mugs.  Grind a bit of Himalayan pink salt on top.  Enjoy!

Hot Cocoa with Peppermint Marshmallow Cookies

With requests for egg nog so often, I seem to have an abundance of egg whites.  I decided to use some to make the marshmallow cookies in this recipe.  They were easy to make and have great flavor.  Mine were more of a toasted color due to my lack of low temperature on my oven.  Anyone whose seen my kitchen will understand.  This cocoa recipe is rich and chocolately, but not overly sweet.  We added a few drops of stevia. 

Chicago Deep-Dish Pizza (Primal)

How does a recipe for deep dish pizza end up on a paleo blog???  Well, it is only due to the genius of Brittany Angell!  This recipe is fantastic.  I followed the crust instructions exactly.  We used chicken sausage in one pizza and seasoned hamburger in the other.  They were delicious!  I try to refrain from buying too many special ingredients, but I also enjoy learning about and how to use new things.  I just received my first bag of sweet potato starch and it was great in this recipe.
  
One of my kiddos took this next picture.  :)

20 Nutrition Facts That Should Be Common Sense

I read this article today.  Thought you might enjoy it. 

Spinach, Mushroom & Onion Saute

Here is a quick and satisfying side dish.

2 onions, sliced
2 cups baby portabello mushrooms, sliced
8 oz fresh spinach
2 Tbsp coconut oil
sea salt
black pepper


Melt coconut oil in a large skillet.  Add onions and mushrooms.  Cook for about 5 minutes or until onions become transparent.  Add spinach.  Cook another few minutes until spinach cooks down.  Season with sea salt and black pepper.

 

We ate ours with beef pot roast and this sweet potato casserole.  Yum!
 

Sweet Potato Casserole

Just in time for Thanksgiving, my kiddos and I created this wonderful sweet potato casserole.  Our family of 6 did not leave 1 bite, so double the recipe if cooking for a large group.  I thought it was delicious because of the perfect texture and blend of flavors.  For the kiddos, it was all about the marshmallows!  There are many recipes online for paleo marshmallows, but I have never made them.  I found a bag at Hy-Vee that was allergy friendly and non-GMO that did not contain HFCS, so I decided to use these.

Sweet Potato Casserole
2 lbs peeled & sliced sweet potatoes (about 3-4)
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
4 Tbsp salted butter (I use Kerrygold)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1- 1 1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans
1 cup marshmallows

Boil sweet potatoes for 20-30 minutes until soft.  Preheat oven to 350 while boiling.  Drain cooked potatoes thoroughly.  Add coconut milk, maple syrup, butter, cinnamon, and salt.  Whip until very smooth and blended with a hand or stand mixer.  Spread mixture into a buttered casserole dish.  Top with pecans and marshmallows.  Bake 20-25 minutes until potatoes are bubbly and marshmallows are browned. 

Peppermint Mocha

I feel very tempted and lured in by the coffee house drinks.  I usually suffer from a sugar overload induced headache when I indulge.  So, I have been working on a paleo version of some of my favorites.  Here is my peppermint mocha recipe:

1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup strong brewed organic coffee
2 Tbsp good quality cacao powder (I use Dagoba brand)
2 Tbsp honey
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
6 drops vanilla creme stevia
pinch of salt

Place all ingredients in a blender or Vitamix and process until foamy.  Transfer to a small pot and heat thoroughly. Pour into 2 large mugs and enjoy with someone special. 

This is my oldest kiddo after school.  Such a warm, comforting drink to sip on while telling Mom about your day!

Barbacoa Quesadillas

I made some reeeeeeally spicy barbacoa meat that tasted great, but the kiddos would not eat.  I ended up freezing the leftovers in small batches.  I used some to make into quesadillas and they were yummy!  Just wanted to report that it froze well.  Barbacoa quesadillas made with these tortillas and this meat, sauteed peppers & onions, and cheddar cheese.  Topped with fresh cilantro and avocado.  

Cinnamon Raisin Bread and French Toast

A few days ago, I made this cinnamon raisin bread recipe.  It was yummy, and the family liked it.  I had some leftover and decided to make it into french toast today.  I really liked this! It has a ton of flavor and was super easy to make.

3 eggs
1/2 cup milk (I used half almond half coconut)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp honey
butter (for frying)

Whisk all ingredients together.  Drench bread and fry in butter over medium heat. 

Paleo Breakfast Bread

Here is a simple, filling, cinnamony, sweet bread to start your day.  Very portable.  We ate ours with fried eggs, but it can stand alone for a great breakfast or snack. 

Paleo Cream of Chicken Soup & Fried Apples

Do you live in the mid-west?  If you do then you know it has suddenly become winter weather!  What better than a hot pot of soup?  How about CREAMY soup?  My sister-in-law tried this recipe out on her family and they liked it, so I decided to try it out on my crew.  This soup turned out wonderful and no one suspected it had cauliflower in it!  I did make a couple changes.  I added leeks to the veggies and about 1/2 tsp of granulated garlic.  I only cooked 1 large head of cauliflower and it yielded 4 cups of puree, so maybe don't make 2 heads right off the bat if one is large.



I made these fried apples to go with our supper.

5 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced
5 Tbsp salted butter (I used Kerrygold)
1/4 cup honey
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

Melt butter in a large skillet.  Add apples.  Fry for a few minutes and flip apples around until they begin to soften.  Add honey and cinnamon.  Mix well and continue to cook until desired consistency.   

Apple Puff Pancake

This apple puff pancake recipe is super easy & yummy!  It made a great Fall breakfast!  Some in our house topped theirs with whipped cream, it was very good without it.  My kiddos LOVE the squirtty whipped cream cans and we had some it the fridge leftover from another project.  :)


 
 Here is how it looks in the pan.
 

Paleo Egg Nog

When it began snowing yesterday, we began thinking of all things "winter."  My girls are always excited to see egg nog hit the shelves this time of year.  Since these cartons are full of dairy and additives, I began to search for a homemade version we can enjoy and digest.  This recipe from The Paleo Parents had lots of good reviews.  I started out with their basic raw version.

2 cups full fat coconut milk (I used homemade)
2 cups almond milk (I used homemade)
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla extract (since I used plain almond milk)
1/8 tsp ground allspice

Blend well in a blender, chill & serve with ground cinnamon or nutmeg on top. 

I felt it needed rum flavor to make it more egg nog like, so I added:

1/2 tsp rum extract (I'm sure real rum would be great, but this was made for children.)
1/8 tsp sea salt

We loved it with these additions! 

Pie, Pie, Pie!

Lately, I have all been all about the pie!  I love Thanksgiving, it is my favorite holiday.  Why not?  There is no gift giving involved, I does not last a whole season, and it's all about thanking God for His blessings and provision.  Plus, traditional Thanksgiving food is the best!  This year I do not want to compromise on flavor or texture, so we have been testing out many pie recipes.  With many family members with Celiac disease, gluten intolerances and dairy intolerances, and a preference for the paleo lifestyle, these pies should cover it all!  My mom makes wonderful, beautiful pies.  She has been using all her traditional, yummy fillings and putting them in a GF pie crust.  I'm not crazy about the crust recipe, and she has admitted that she is not either.  Here began my journey for a great tasting, great texture grain free, dairy free, refined sugar free pie.

My favorite crust is from the blogger, Brittany Angell.  I bought the $10 yearly membership to Club Angell for exclusive recipes.  So, I cannot share this crust recipe on here.  I will say that here Club Angell recipes are very good, but not incredible healthy.  They often are in the "occasional treat" category in my opinion.  They are very good and my kids have enjoyed most of them, so I'd say it's worth the $10.  Her price is about to go up, so subscribe during the month of November if you are thinking about a subscription.  http://brittanyangell.com/

First I tried 2 pie recipes from Danielle Walker's ebook, Thankful.  This can be purchased for $1.99 on Amazon.  http://www.amazon.com/Danielle-Walkers-Against-All-Grain-ebook/dp/B00GP34AWK  I think it may have been worth it for the pecan pie recipe.  This was so good.  I used the crust and filling recipe from her ebook.

 
I used the Brittany Angell crust and the pumpkin pie filling from the ebook for this next pie.  It was good, but did not have the "traditional" pumpkin pie flavor.  Don't get me wrong, it tasted good & we ate it all, but it is not a winner for this Thanksgiving.

  
Then I used the Brittany Angell crust and used the filling from this recipe.  The texture was perfect and I liked that it made a nice full 10 inch pie.  It needs a bit more sweetness and definately more spice.  So, the search and experimenting continues for pumpkin pie.



I did make an amazing chicken pot pie with the Brittany Angell crust recipe.  The filling does have a small amount of dairy, but I bet it could be replaced with coconut or almond milk.  We hope to have this again!




Next up is this perfect apple pie.  I used the Brittany Angell crust.  As my 4-yr-old put it, "It's a winner!"  I used a recipe she sent out via email to her subscribers (this is free!)  I'm thinking you could easily adapt your favorite apple pie recipe with tapioca or arrowroot instead of flour and stevia instead of sugar.  I used Jonagold apples.  I left about 1/3 unpeeled and like how pretty it turned out.  



Now to continue the search for a really good paleo pumpkin pie recipe BEFORE Thanksgiving.  I don't think my family minds the journey, we ate pumpkin pie for breakfast today!

Microwave Sandwich Bread

I have posted this recipe within other posts before, but it is such a go-to bread it deserves its own post!  This microwave sandwich bread was one of the first paleo breads I made.  I always use the toasted sesame seeds and use olive or grape seed oil in place of the walnut oil.  I used a mixture of black and white sesame seeds for this batch. 

This is all it takes to mix it up, so it does not create very many dishes.  I use the 1/4 cup to measure the almond flour and flax.  The 1/2 Tbsp to measure the sesame seeds, baking powder, oil and honey in that order. Then the 1/4 tsp for the salt.


Next, I pour about 1/4 of the batter in each small glass pyrex dish like this.

I microwave them individually for 1 minute.  The recipe says longer, so it may depend on the power of your microwave.  I flip them out on a cooling rack and then reuse the dish for the next 1/4 of the batter.
 
 I slice mine horizontally.  This is one made into a yummy egg, turkey bacon, pepper & onion sandwich.


What will you use yours for?

 

Maple Pumpkin Custard

I just love how many of Danielle Walker's recipes are so family friendly.  They often use ingredients I have on hand and come together quickly.  But, most importantly, they taste good!  This custard recipe was no exception.  I had an extra yolk from the pecans I made earlier, so it was a great time to try this one out.  The flavor was wonderful, just like pumpkin pie filling.  The only alteration I did was a few drops of lemon juice (probably about 1/8 tsp) instead of lemon zest.
 

Then I had the idea of topping the custard with a few of  these pecans.

 
It is like a wonderful mix of pumpkin and pecan pie.  Great Fall dessert!

Paleo Candied Pecans

This looked like such a yummy treat to take along shopping, pack in lunches, or even serve at a holiday.  It was simple and used ingredients I had on hand.  The only thing I did different was to use 5 cups instead of 4 so they would not be so sweet.  They turned out perfect and were just the right sweetness!  I filled these 2 jars when finished.  Naturally, not all of the pecans made it into the storage jars...........

Pizza Crust- Take 2!

I shared this pizza crust recipe awhile ago.  At the time I only had chia seeds on hand, so I used that option.  Since then, I have picked up some psyllium husks at the health foods store.  I have now made this recipe a couple times and it is GOOD!  My kids like it too.  One has even said you could probably just make this crust instead of doing one "regular pizza" and a "paleo pizza."  That is as good as it gets.  Be warned it has a very interesting color and consistency when you mix it up.  Press it out on your stone with your hands coated in tapioca flour.  Enjoy!

What in the world are psyllium husks?  Check out wikipedia, because it is never wrong, right???  Psyllium Husks

Paleo Maple Salmon Filets & Pregnancy Update

I just loved the salmon we made tonight!  I have not been in the mood for fish since I've been pregnant, but I was feeling ready to try it again.  I wanted to go with something highly seasoned and this recipe fit the bill.  Where it calls for gluten-free soy sauce, I used coconut aminos.  It was a quick & delicious main dish.  We ate ours with mashed sweet potatoes and cooked vegetables.  All the kiddos liked it and ate it well!
 

Speaking of pregnancy, we are having a BOY this time!  All is going well and he looks very healthy.  I've been enjoying all kinds of fun movements and kicks.  :) 

Cinnamon Apple Creamed Hot Cereal (Egg Free)

Tried another "hot cereal" recipe out this morning.  This Cinnamon Apple Creamed Hot Cereal is from the Paleo Parents blog.  I really enjoy eating something hot and out of a bowl in the mornings.  This had good flavor and was very filling.  I topped mine with raisins.  The kids did not try it, but I'd rate it at about a "B."  Something to try when you don't want to eat eggs. 

Paleo Chicken Fingers

Pre-paleo diet I was not a huge fan of chicken fingers.  They always just seemed like restaurant kid's menu food.  Now I have new appreciation for them.  I have tried some really good recipes over the last couple years with really good flavor.  Tonight we tried this one.  After last night's spunky fare, I decided it best to omit the cayenne pepper.  These turned out really good and I served them with a simple honey mustard sauce (combine equal amounts of dijon or spicy brown mustard and honey.)  A very quick and easy weekday meal.  I used 2.5lbs of chicken and mixed up 1.5 batches of the breading.  It came out about right.  I only used 2 eggs for the egg wash.  I never enjoy wasting ingredients and I'm sure you don't either!  If you do not have black sesame seeds, just use the white ones, the flavor is no different.

Chipotle Barbacoa & Paleo Tortillas

Do any of you buy freezer beef by the quarter or half?  I do.  As I near the end, I always try to evaluate what I  need to focus on using and what I need ration out until the next order comes in.  Right now I have several roasts and am a bit shy on the ground.  Sooooooo, I've been eying this recipe for some time now and decided to use 2 chuck roasts for it.  Right off the bat I came across a couple obstacles.
1.  My meat was chuck roast with bones in them weighing 5.5lbs, not a center cut shoulder roast weighing 3 lbs.  Oh well!
2.  I have never seen dried chipotle peppers.  I don't think I've ever bought them before,  I did find a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce at my nearest Kroger in the ethnic foods section.  The can did list sugar and soy in the ingredients, but I decided it can't be that much and I'd just wipe the sauce off the peppers. The cans were so small, so I bought 2.  I ended up only using 5 peppers which was about half a can.
3.  I was feeling so pumped about this and so pleased with my forethought about getting it all in the crock pot I failed to remember we had supper plans that night.  So, after cooking for 9 hours on low, I removed it from the bones, shredded the meat and put it in the fridge for dinner the next night.

All this being said, here is my review: This was so good and tender and had great flavor.  It was SPICY!!!  I ended up making regular taco meat for the youngest 3 in our family.  We served ours with lettuce, tomato, peppers, cilantro and these tortillas.  I want to try this recipe again sometime and cut back on the chipotle next time.  :) Anyone want to split a can of peppers???

 
***This meat freezes well.***

Stupid Easy Chicken

I hesitated to even post this, but it is so easy and was so good!  Who can't use a no-frills, fast meal sometimes?  Are you ready?

Ingredients:
chicken breasts
jar of salsa

Place chicken breasts in a crock pot.  I used 4 large ones to cover the bottom of mine.  Next, dump a whole jar of salsa over them.  Cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours. 

I served ours with rice, avocado and cilantro.  Eat yours however you want.  It would make a great taco meat if shredded.




 
You're welcome.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

This pumpkin chocolate chip muffin recipe is definitely a keeper.  I mixed the batter up quickly in my vitamix, hand stirred in the chocolate chips (I used regular since I didn't have any mini), and used my cupcake maker to make a smallish muffin.  ALL of my kiddos liked them!  Stored the leftovers in the fridge and they are still very yummy.

Grain-Free Bagels

I took this recipe for a test run.  I made some in my mom's donut maker.  The others I made in small glass Pyrex dishes with small metal dipping cups in the center all greased well.  They looked like this:

 

They did not come out looking pretty!  The ones in the donut maker look much better.

 


Here are a few issues about this recipe:
1.  They did not taste like or have the texture of a bagel.
2.  My kids really liked these toasted with some butter on them.
3.  This would make a really good bread for a sandwich or toast, so next time I will just bake them in the small, round Pyrex dishes.

 

Salisbury Steak Supreme

If you live in the mid-west, you know it has been comfort food kind of weather!  Gone are the days of cooking whatever veggies are ripe in the garden and throwing some sort of meat on the grill.  These drizzly, gray days make a person want to hole up and read a good book.  I love to have something baking in the oven or simmering on the stove to warm the house up and fill it with aromas.  This recipe did this and was a big hit with my family.  I made 8 patties out of 2lbs of meat and only had 1 patty left (I ate this warmed up for lunch today and it was still delicious.)

I found this recipe in the latest issue of Taste of Home.  I adapted it and doubled for our family.

2 large sweet onions, divided 
1 cup almond flour
1/2 Tbsp of organic salt-free seasoning (Mrs. Dash Original would work)
3/4 tsp black pepper
dash ground nutmeg
2lbs grass fed ground beef
2 tsp arrowroot powder
1 Tbsp beef broth powder (I use Frontier brand)
1 cup cold water
3 cans mushrooms (Fresh would probably be better, but I didn't have any)

1.  Thinly slice 1.5 onions; finely chop the other 1/2.  In a large bowl, combine almond flour, seasonings and chopped onion.  Add beef and mix together.  Form 8 equal patties.  
2.  In an electric skillet or large skillet, cook patties for 5-6 minutes on each side until cooked to your desire.  Remove from pan.  Cook sliced onions and mushrooms in drippings until onions are tender. 
3.  In a small bowl, mix arrowroot, broth powder and water until smooth.  Stir into onion & mushrooms.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir 1-2 minutes until thickened.  Return meat to pan, turning to coat with sauce; heat through.  Generously salt the whole dish and serve. 

I served with roasted butternut squash and green beans.

Paleo Caramel Dip for Apples

I have been trying many different dip options this Fall.  Some are too runny, some just taste "off."  This dip has been my favorite.  It is very dip-able, the flavor is good and it even packs a bit of protein!  I used refined coconut oil so it did not taste coconutty and raw almond butter so it didn't taste almondy.  It just tastes caramelly! 

1 cup dates, soaked (I like mine to soak for at least an hour)
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp coconut sugar
2 Tbsp raw almond butter
2 Tbsp coconut oil, refined
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Place all ingredients into Vitamix or food processor and blend until smooth.  May need to scrape down sides and process again.  Serve with apples.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Vanilla Cinnamon Icing

This recipe went up on the Against All Grain blog today.  I thought they looked great.  We made a batch this afternoon and they are good!  I really liked the icing and think I will use it on other recipes too. 

Our "Blood Moon" Pancakes

In honor of getting up early to see the blood moon and lunar eclipse, we made blood moon pancakes today.  Just this pancake recipe with our own raspberry topping.

2 cups frozen raspberries
3 Tbsp honey
2 tsp lemon juice

Simmer until thickened and serve with pancakes.

Crock Pot Chicken Fajita Bowls

This was not a complicated recipe, but it does take some forethought.  I doubled the marinade and used a whole chicken instead of just breasts.  We will definitely be making this chicken fajita recipe again!  We served ours on a bed of Mexican "Rice" per the recipe instructions, but it was more of a dump and taste experiment than following the recipe.

Paleo Friendly Biscuits & Gravy

There are so many obstacles when trying to make biscuits and gravy a paleo meal.  The first is the biscuits.  Today, I tried this recipe from the Deliciously Organic site. Several days ago I had made this biscuit recipe.  It was good, but we all liked the one I made today better.  I think it is due to the mix of flours and using butter. 


Now that we have overcome that obstacle, lets move onto the gravy.  Replacing the dairy and making the gravy thick and creamy can be tricky.  The first time I did this the flavor was right, but the arrowroot made it sticky & stringy.  This time the tapioca flour made it better.  We do not prefer pork in our household, so we use turkey sausage.  I'm sure pork sausage could be substituted if desired.

Turkey Sausage Gravy
1 lb turkey sausage
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp tapioca flour
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 1/2 cup non-dairy milk (we used a mix of coconut & almond)
1 Tbsp worchestershire sauce

Crumble sausage in large saucepan, cook until no longer pink.  Transfer to a bowl.  In the same pan, melt butter.  Stir in flour, mustard, salt and pepper.  Gradually add milk and worchestershire sauce.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes until thick.  Stir in sausage; heat through.  Serve with warm biscuits.
 
 

Old Fashioned Vegetable Beef Soup

So, I have been trying to make the most of my grass fed beef.  When the locker called for cutting instructions I said "yes" to keeping the soup bones.  I had no idea what to do with soup bones.  I kept seeing them in my freezer and being the genius that I am, I assumed I could use them to make soup.  After consulting my good friend, Google, I found this recipe that I thought would appeal to my family.  I did the first 3 bullet points exactly as the recipe instructed, then put it all plus the veggies in my crock pot for the afternoon.  I even finagled my mom into fishing out the bones and taking the meat off of them.  The soup needed some more salt at the end, but was delicious otherwise.  Any ideas on what to do with my other soup bones???

Quesadillas (Paleo/Primal) plus Taco Seasoning Mix

Quesadillas are always a hit with my family.  We like them with chicken, but LOVE them with steak!  Here is a quick & easy way to make them.

1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
3 peppers, thinly sliced (I like to use a mix of colors)
1 sirloin steak, thinly sliced
taco seasoning
1-2 limes (optional)
Coconut oil, refined

Optional toppings to choose from:
Cheddar cheese
Fresh cilantro
Diced tomatoes
Salsa
Shredded Lettuce
Cooked corn
Sour Cream
Guacamole

1.  Make tortillas.  We like this recipe.  This can be done the day before.
2.  Slice everything up.  I like to halfway defrost my meat to make it into thin slivers.
3.  Heat a griddle or wok.  Add oil.  Lay meat in single layer.  Sprinkle with taco seasoning & lime juice.  Flip meat and add veggies.  Add more lime juice if desired.  Saute til meat is cooked and veggies are tender crisp.
4.  Place tortillas on a griddle coated with butter.  Sprinkle cheese(if desired) and add meat mixture to one half.  Flip other half over to make a half circle.  Cook for a couple minutes and flip.
5.  Serve with desired toppings.

Need a good taco seasoning mix?  This is a recipe that was in our church cookbook that I have been using.  I've made one modification to make it grain free.

1 T. onion flakes
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder (I prefer granulated garlic)
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cornstarch (I sub arrowroot powder for grain free)

Combine all ingredients.  For taco meat, add mix to 1 pound of ground beef along with 1 tablespoon ketchup and 1/2 cup water.  Simmer until thickened.

I used just the mix for the quesadillas.

"Rye" Bread

I was hungry for bread this weekend.  Decided on this rye bread.  The caraway seed flavor really does give it that classic rye bread flavor!

Coconut Pancakes with Fresh Raspberry Reduction

Last night when the door bell rang, I opened to a neighbor bringing us a huge bucket of raspberries!  The kiddos started eating them immediately and packed some in their lunch for the day.  I started searching for a raspberry pancake recipe.  I tried this recipe because I had all the ingredients and they looked like they would come together quickly.  I did not blend the raspberries or strain them, I just boiled them in the pan with the water and honey.  Some of the kiddos also put a drizzle of maple syrup since it is pretty tart, but they all like them.  I also added 1 Tbsp of vanilla to the pancake batter.