Nothin Beats a Paleo Breakfast...

I find breakfast to be difficult when you're gluten free. It's hard when everyone wants waffles or pancakes and yummy English muffins, but I've found out some tricks that keep me just as satisfied as all you stinkers who want fluffy sweet pastry. 

For those of you not gluten free, these recipes might just be something new to try and who knows, you might like them better.
 

Eggs Benedict on Zucchini Cakes
You will need poached eggs, tomato or canadian bacon, spinach leaves, 4 zucchini cakes and Bearnaise sauce and parsley or chives for a garnish. 

For the cake:
3 C coarsely grated zucchini
½ tsp salt
1 C fresh breadcrumbs
         (If GF, add 1/2 C c4 crumbs or gf panko, in a pinch Van's gf bread is great-1C-)
1 egg, beaten
2 green onions, thinly sliced
¼ C diced red bell pepper
1½ tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp mayonnaise

Grate your zucchini, sprinkle with salt and let sit to drain liquid. Squeeze as much liquid out as you can. Place all ingredients into a food processor or a large bowl and mash together, being careful not to overwork the cakes to much.  Divide into cakes and fry in pan with oil until golden.

Bearnaise Sauce:
1/4 C butter
1 tsp minced shallot or grated white onion
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 eggs yolks, beaten
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp dried tarragon 
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley or 1/2 tsp dried
1/4 tsp salt
1 pinch dry mustard
1 pinch cayenne or granulated red pepper  

Place butter in a medium pyrex measuring bowl, melt in the microwave about 30 seconds on high. Whisk in the onion, white wine vinegar, egg yolks, heavy cream and lemon juice. Season with tarragon, parsley, salt, mustard powder and cayenne and whisk. 

Return to the microwave and cook for 1 1/2 minutes or until thickened, stirring until smooth. Trust me it will get fluffy and smooth.  Keep warm. 

Poach your eggs gently in simmering water and assemble your Benedict with zucchini cake on the bottom, your sliced tomato or bacon, poached egg, avocado, and then bearnaise sauce. 

There are so many alternatives to the original eggs benedict. You can crisp up a hashbrown and place your eggs and meat on top. You can use a fried green tomato, thick sliced tomatoes or even a cauliflower crisp. The possibilities are endless. Enjoy!




Paleo Breakfast
2 Small Sweet Potatoes
3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Coconut Oil
2 Sausages (I used JD sage sausage, but you can use anything)
1/2 Yellow Onion
4 Eggs
1/2 C Coconut Milk
1/4 tsp Sage
Sea Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Grease a glass 8×8 inch baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Grate the sweet potatoes (making hash browns) and then place them in the bottom of the greased dish.
Heat 2 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Chop the onion and sausage and add to the oil. Season with salt and pepper and cook until sausage is no longer pink and onions are soft.
Layer the sausage and onion on top of the sweet potatoes.
Put the eggs, sage, milk, 1/2 tsp of sea salt and 1/2 tsp of pepper into a blender (or cuisinart) and mix thoroughly. Pour this egg mixture on top of the sausage and onions.
Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

This recipe has been ripped off and traded around so much I'm not sure where it came from originally, but I'm pretty sure it was crossfit that came up with it and originally published it. It's a keeper though. 



Sour Cream Coffee Cake
1 1/2 C gluten free flour blend
1 C sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 C sour cream
2 eggs

Streusel topping:
1/4 C gluten free flour blend
1/4 C butter
1/2 C sugar
1 tsp cinnamon 
1-2 tbsp slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×9-inch pan.
For Streusel: blend flour, butter, sugar and cinnamon until they crumble.
In a large bowl, combine and beat sour cream and eggs until smooth.
In a separate bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with streusel.
Bake for about 30-35 minutes in the preheated oven or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

You can also add a drizzle topping:
1 cup confectioners' sugar, 3 tablespoons maple syrup and 1 tablespoon water and mix together.

The Humble Chicken Salad

 

Food historians tell us salads (generally defined as mixed greens with toppings and dressing) were enjoyed by ancient Romans and Greeks. As time progressed, salads became more complicated. Recipes varied according to place and time. The concept was coined from Greek philosophers who believed raw vegetables prepared your system for the heavier meal to come. By the end of the 19th century, salads were a staple in every meal and just plain dressed greens were replaced with all sorts of ingredients and mixes of meats, cheeses and vegetables to create very diverse array of "salads" we make today. One of my favorite things to do is take left over chicken and turn it into something really tasty and quick. The possibilities are endless. Whether you use canned chicken or pull chicken off of a store bought rotisserie chicken, serve it on bread, on lettuce or in a cantaloupe, or hollowed out cucumber it all tastes pretty amazing. 


                                                                                                  
Curry Chicken Salad
This is a very refreshing change to the traditional chicken salad. Easy to prepare and even for big crowds. 

Recipe makes 3 Cups 

2 cups leftover cooked chicken, chopped. (use chicken breast or chicken thighs)
1/2 cup mayo or 1/2 C.sour cream +3 Tbsp yogurt
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Tamari or coconut aminos (if not gluten free, use soy sauce)
1/2 cup combination of apricots or golden raisins
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 green onions, minced
2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste 

Combine mayo/yogurt with seasonings, whisking till smooth. Pour mixture over chicken and veg and chill. I serve mine in endive leaves, celery hearts, and on a bed of spinach or mixed baby greens. 

          *optional ingredient: 1/3 C. broccoli slaw mix

Recipe and photo courtesy of Ambitious Kitchen

Chickpea, Chicken Salad  Serves: 4-6
This recipe is so good! 

 Ingredients
2 large romaine hearts, washed and chopped
1 cup pulled cooked chicken breast
1 (15.5 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
3/4 cup sweet corn (I grilled mine)
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/3 cup cilantro, washed and chopped
1 small avocado, diced
1/2 cup BBQ dressing, if desired

Buffalo BLT Chicken Salad

2 Cups leftover chicken, chopped or shredded

2-3 Tbsp. Franks Red Hots

1/2 C. Paleo Mayo (Recipe below)

1/4 Bacon, crispy

2 tomatoes chopped

1 avocado, cubed

1 Head of Butter Lettuce

1/8 tsp. celery salt

1/4 tsp. onion powder

Himalayan salt/ and pepper to taste

Combine everything in a bowl and mix. You can also add diced shallots or red onion to give it a kick.

Paleo Mayo
2 egg yolks
1 tsp mustard (this is optional)
3 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup coconut oil

Pina Colada Chicken Salad 
This recipe reminds me of grandmothers everywhere. It's sweet and delicious. If you're worried about calories, replace sour cream with greek yogurt and coconut with unsweetened. 

If you want additional sources of fiber, add 1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans and that will bring you to 12g fiber.

 

3 Cups Chicken (canned chicken will not work in this recipe)
1 (10-ounce) can pineapple chunks (about 1 cup), drained
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges (about 1 cup), drained
1 medium apple, cored and chopped (about 1 cup)
1 cup grapes, halved
1/2 cup sour cream, light or regular (or) 1/2 cup greek yogurt + 1tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup sweetened, shredded coconut

Combine the chicken and fruit in a large bowl, tossing well so the apple (and other fruit that likes to brown) can get coated in the pineapple and orange juice to prevent browning. Stir in the sour cream and coconut, gently tossing to coat.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours prior to serving to allow the flavors to meld together. Serve chilled. You might notice that after a day or so of sitting in the fridge, quite a bit of liquid from the fruit pools at the bottom. If eating the leftovers, I like to gently pour some of this off before eating.

*If you're looking for this recipe to be more of a meal, replace the oranges with

add: 
1/2 cup carrot rounds

       
 1 cup salad greens and the more savory version of dressing

1½ cups coconut milk, 1 cup pineapple juice, 3 teaspoons vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons greek yogurt (may sub sour cream) ¼ teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons honey (or more to taste)

Try these other options with you chicken, mayo, salt and pepper
       Mango, Red Onion, and Celery
       Blueberries, Walnuts and Pomegranate Seeds
       Strawberries, Almonds, Feta and Sunflower Seeds
       Pumpkin Seeds, Grannie Smith Apple, Jicama
       Fuji Apple, Celery, Green Onion and Red Grapes
       Avocado, Orange Bell Pepper, and Shallots
       Pears, Blueberries, Blue cheese and Almonds 

Serve in a non traditional way, in a hollowed out cantaloupe, on top of multi grain crackers, inside a tomato or red bell pepper, in celery sticks, cucumber logs or on toasted baguette.

Flavorful Paleo

Quinoa & Sweet Potato Stuffed Portobello 

You'll need:
6 portobello large or 8-10 small
2 cups cooked quinoa (prepare it with veg broth)*look for my quinoa post
3 sweet potatoes, peeled, and cubed 
2 T. olive oil, plus a little extra for a drizzle
3 cups green (I used kale and spinach)
Salt and Pepper

Method:
Heat oven to 450o (if you don't want to use the oven, use your stove top or your bbq, just make sure you wrap them in tinfoil)

Season sweet potato with a drizzle of oil, salt and pepper and bake until golden. Toss them half way through the process so each side gets the love. 
Right before you pull the potatoes out, spread your spinach over the top of the hot potatoes and heat for about 2-3 minutes. 

Once spinach has wilted, remove everything from the pan and cool until veggies are easy to handle. 

In a medium bowl, mix quinoa, sweet potato and spinach and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

If you're using large mushrooms, scrape the gills before you stuff them with the mixture. Brush them lightly with olive oil and place smooth side down on the baking sheet. 

Fill the caps with a heaping spoonful of the quinoa/potato/spinach mixture. 

Bake for about 15 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked through. Serve with a kale salad dressed with lemon juice, a smidgen of garlic, salt and pepper. 

Paleo Trail Mix photo and recipe courtesy of fitbomb paleo

16 oz. roasted, unsalted sunflower seed kernels
16 oz. raw, unsalted pumpkin seeds
  8 oz. roasted, unsalted almond slivers
  6 oz. dried pineapple, cut up
  5 oz. dried flake coconut (I prefer to toast them if I have the time)

I serve my handful right on top of fage Greek or swimming in a bowl of coconut milk

Lemon Pound Cake (lower carb, paleo)

Dry
2 cups almond flour (Red Mill, reg grocery store)
1/2 cup coconut flour(Red Mill, reg grocery store)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 heaping tsp baking soda
Wet
2/3 cup raw honey, liquefied
2/3 cup coconut oil, liquefied
4 large or 5 medium eggs
1/2 cup plus 3 Tbsp full-fat coconut milk (Trader Joe's is the best brand)
2 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp lemon zest
Glaze
juice of 2 lemons
zest of 1 lemon
1 vanilla bean or 2 tsp vanilla extract
4 Tbsp raw honey

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Use coconut oil to grease a 9x9 baking pan. Cut parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan and place it over the coconut oil.
Sift dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir with a whisk to combine.
Place oil and honey in the bowl of a food processor and process for 1-2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add coconut milk, vanilla, and lemon zest, and continue to process until well combined.

NOTE: This step can be done in a large bowl with a hand mixer.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Use a wooden mixing spoon to thoroughly combine ingredients, pressing out any lumps.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The top will be lightly browned.
Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, run a butter knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake, and then turn it out onto a cake plate and let cool completely. 
While cake bakes, prepare the glaze by slitting vanilla bean lengthwise and scraping the beans into a small saucepan. Add the vanilla bean pod, lemon juice, zest, and honey to the pan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Remove pod and discard.
Using a fork, poke holes in the top of the cake. Pour glaze over the cake, using a spatula to evenly distribute the glaze over the entire cake top. Let the cake rest for an hour to fully absorb the glaze. Serve immediately or cover and store in the refrigerator.

Paleo At It's Best

Low Carb Veggie Soup

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped carrot

1 celery stick, finely chopped 

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

4 cups chicken broth (I usually use a mixture of low-sodium chicken broth and broth made with chicken soup base because it gives it such nice flavor)

1 medium turnip cut in to four chunks

      Once soft, mash outside of soup pot and add back in

1/2 cup water

2/3 cup cream 

2 cups chopped broccoli

2 heaping cups shredded cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a large soup pot.  Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute over medium heat until tender.  Add garlic and cook 1 or 2 additional minutes.  Add chicken broth and turnip, bring to a boil, and cook until turnip is tender.  In place of flour I took the cooked turnip out and mashed it up. Then I add the mash, and simmer until soup is slightly thickened.  Add cream and broccoli and cook until broccoli is just tender and soup is heated through.  Stir in cheese, allow to melt, and serve.

Servings 1 1/2 Cup, Recipe makes 6 servings

Calories 220 Carb 4g -Fiber 2g Fat 6g 

Asian Pork Lettuce Wraps

2-3 lbs of pork shoulder or any type of pork roast (you could use chicken)
Salt and Pepper it up, add some garlic powder or crushed garlic, doesn't have to be fancy.

Mix all of the following:
4 TBS Coconut Aminos (find at Whole Foods or Sprouts) (or Soy Sauce if you aren't counting carb)
2 TBS Almond Butter  (Peanut Butter would be fine too)
1 TBS Honey or Agave (I eyeball it)
2 TBS Vinegar (I’ve used a bunch of different ones, just to get some acid in there)
2 tsp Sesame Oil
1 TBS Sriracha (or more if you are real spicy)
1/2 tsp of Black Pepper
1 TBS minced ginger  (jarred is just fine, I admit I do it too!)

Method
1.  Put prepared chunk of meat in crock-pot
2.  Pour sauce over it
3.  Resist the urge to add more liquid (you will want to, don’t you worry you don’t have to)
4.  Set and forget  (well for about 4-6 hours at least on your low setting)

When it is done cooking shred with a fork and serve atop your favorite lettuce and add the garnish of your choice.  I like to add pre-shredded cabbage or broccoli slaw and I love to add orange bell pepper thinly sliced.  

Try — chopped peanuts, jicama, cilantro, shredded carrots. (If you're really counting carbs, don't do the carrots) If you're not low carbing, then add a little bit of steamed rice dressed with some lemon juice and salt. Before I was paleo, this is what I did, but add an additional 54g carb to your dinner per 1 cup rice. 

Servings 3 Lettuce Wraps Recipe makes 8-10 servings

Calories 330 Carb 0g -Fiber 10g Fat 12.3g Protein 19g

Pesto Pecan Chicken recipe is per chicken breast

1/4 c. pecans, chopped

1 T. Pesto

1 chicken breast, seasoned with salt and pepper

Flatten chicken breast as best as you can by placing it between two pieces of plastic wrap. You can use a can of soup to flatten the chicken evenly. Salt and pepper chicken on each side, spear on pesto and top with pecans. Bake 425o on top of a foil lined baking sheet sprayed with a little bit of olive oil. Bake covered for 15 minutes and then an additional 15 minutes uncovered so it browns slightly. Watch to make sure the nuts don't burn. 

                                                                             My Pesto Recipe + food processor

1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts/pecans
3 tablespoons chopped garlic (9 cloves)
4 cups fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup + 2 T. Light olive oil
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Servings 1 chicken breast w/pesto and pecans

Calories 462 Carb 5g -Fiber 3g Fat 21g Protein 43.4g

I like to make 2 chicken breasts, enjoy one for dinner and then save one for lunch the next day. I cut the chicken breast up and put it over a salad with half an avocado and crumble 1 T. goat cheese over it with a lemon and olive oil dressing. 

Lemon Olive Oil Dressing: enough for 1 large salad

1/2 Lemon juices

kosher salt and pepper

1 1/2 Tbsp. Light Olive Oil

Shake it up and serve. If you like a little more body, add a smidge of dijon and a tiny splash of vinegar.