Menus and recipes

As promised, here are some of the recipes that I've been using. I've also listed some of our other snack choices as this is the trickiest part for grown-ups and kids! Finally, I've listed a "typical day" of eating in this house.

*note: I'm not one for exact measurements when cooking. I'm more of a pinch, dash, tinker type of cook. So I apologize if I'm not very specific.

No-oat Oatmeal - from paleoplan.com

There are two versions of this. One is light. It is fast and yummy, but you may find yourself looking for a snack mid-morning as it is light on protein. The other one is very hearty breakfast. VERY filling. You will be good to go until lunch. This is the one my kids prefer.

"Lighter version" - 2 servings. Increase as needed
1.5 cups organic, unsweetened apple sauce
4 T. raw almond butter - careful...many brands have added sugar and oils. Costco's MaraNatha is the best for the $ and completely pure.
3 T. Unsweetened, but not lite coconut milk
Cinnamon to taste - dash of nutmeg if you'd like

• Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and warm up over medium heat. Stir and enjoy.

"Hearty version" - Serves 3. This recipe stores in the fridge and reheats in the microwave really well. I made a huge batch and then had leftovers for the next breakfast. I also put some in little containers for individual grab & go snacks.
1 handful raw walnuts
1 handful of raw pecans
2 T. flax seeds
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 dash of nutmeg & ginger
1 T. almond butter
1 banana - smashed
3 eggs - free range organic!
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk - you can sub coconut milk or even regular milk. Your call!
2 T. raw (not roasted or salted...eat your seeds raw) pumpkin seeds - or raw sunflower or whatever you have
1 handful berries of your choice

• Put the nuts, flax, & spices into a food processor and pulse into a course grain - do not let it get to a powder.
• In a big sauce pan (no heat yet...just cutting out an extra bowl to wash), whisk together eggs and milk until the consistency thickens into a loose custard
• Blend the smashed banana and almond butter in a bowl. Add it to the saucepan.
• Stir in nuts.
• Warm on stove until it reaches your desired temperature. It only takes a few minutes, but you need to stir the whole time. Add more milk to get to your desired consistency.
• Top with seeds and berries.

Grain-free Granola Balls - I forget where I found this, but thanks to the author anyway
This makes 10-12 balls. I always double this recipe as they go fast. Store covered on counter for 3 days or so. Also, sometimes I've subbed seeds and nuts for whatever I had in stock. Feel free to mix it up. Just remember no peanuts. Peanuts are not nuts. They are legumes.

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup almond flour - I've used blanched and unblanched with the same results
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 cup raw walnuts
1/4 unsweetened dried blueberries
1/4 raisins
1/4 cup honey (Try to stick to your local honey. Raw is best, But if not raw...get local. Grocery store honey is blended from sources all over the world. Chinese honey? Weird. Plus local honey has allergy benefits as well as the whole staying-local-is-better-for-the-environment bit. lol. Also, I've subbed in agave nectar for the honey. It's fine, but the kids prefer the honey version)
2 T. raw almond butter
1 T. water
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

• Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
• Put seeds, flour, cinnamon and salt into a food processor and pulse to a course meal. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
• Stir in walnuts, blueberries, and raisins.
• Add honey, almond butter, water, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Dough will be thick and stiff.
• Wet your hands and form dough into packed balls about 1.5 inches in diameter.
• Bake for 20-22 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely. Balls will set as they cool.

Healthy Cookies - from Everyday Paleo
Calling this a cookie is more for psychological reasons ( as in I look like a hero when I say, "Yes, kids, you can have THREE cookies!") rather than reality. It satisfies that cookie craving, but also has a true zero-guilt, lots of goodness perk. No sugar. No grains. Delish. This makes 20 or so cookies. I double this recipe because, well, I've got way too many kids. lol. :)

2 smashed bananas
1/3 cup coconut flour
3/4 cup raw almond butter
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup chopped raw walnuts (chop up whole ones in food processor - no need to buy special chopped)
1 apple, diced (just chunk it up and stick it in the food processor as well - no need to peel)
1/3 cup coconut milk
1 T. cinnamon

• Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet or two with parchment paper
• Smash bananas in mixing bowl
• Add all ingredients. Mix well
• Spoon tablespoons of cookie mix onto parchment paper about an inch apart. Bake for 25 minutes.

These cookies will be rounded and soft. They don't flatten out.
Variations:

1. Add 1/2 finely shredded unsweetened coconut. You can top with coconut as well. (Have not found unsweetened at a regular grocery store yet. It's at our co-op in the bulk section. Also at iherb.)
2. Take out 1 banana and add 1/2 cup canned organic unsweetened pumpkin. Have not tried this. Saving for the fall!
3. Add 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips. You can bet your sweet bippie this is how I make ours more often than not. :)

Other snacks we do: (*note: we're still eating some dairy. This is a fuzzy gray area with Paleo. But we don't make it the center of a meal. Just an accompaniment.)

• apple muffins
• fruit of any kind
• yogurt - plain sweetened with vanilla stevia extract & berries...awesome. get it at iherb.com
• cheese slices
• egg cupcakes
• simple smoothies - froz. fruit & coconut milk
• plantain chips
• trail mix with toasted cashews - yum
• kale chips
• nut butter bars - like a peanut butter granola bar
• nut crackers - like wheat thins without the wheat
• veggies & dips - guacamole, babaganoush, etc. - you could do hummus, but we're also staying legume free for this experiment as they can be gut irritating as well. we'll add them back in and see what happens after a few weeks.
• Celery with almond butter & raisins
• Larabars - this is the only thing i buy pre-made. They are $$$$, but I just got a recipe to make my own. Will keep you posted!
• Hardboiled eggs - this is a to-do for me. I loathe them, but the kids might like them. I just have to suck it up and make them. lol.
• Home made Fruit roll-ups - another to-do. My dehydrator just arrived yesterday!
• Beef jerky - another to-do with the dehydrator. Trader Joes makes some healthy versions, but I'm not a fan. Kids dig it though.

Paleo Enchiladas - from The Primal Blueprint. *you can sub out the dairy. *I suppose you can find your own enchilada sauce, but it's tricky to find it sugar/oil/preservative free. So we just made our own here. It's easy and waaay tastier. *This recipe was enough for the 6 of us with leftovers for Jon for lunch...which I am told were even better the next day.

1 small can diced chiles
12 small or 6 large tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 lbs. chicken breasts
1 tsp chili powder - I like to go heavier on mexican spices. Go with what you like.
1 tsp cumin - same as above.
1/2 tsp salt
10 egg whites
1/3 cup half & half
1/2 cup grated cheddar-ish cheese

Garnish: scallions, cilantro, avocado, salsa, etc.


The sauce

• Cut an X on the top of the tomatoes. 
• Put under broiler to roast. Blacken on all sides - about 20 minutes. (Could do this on the grill if you want, too). 
• Cool and then peel off the skin - though we like some left on for color/texture
• Put the whole tomatoes in food processor with chiles. Puree until smooth. Set aside.

The insides

• In a deep sauce pan, saute onions and garlic in a bit of oil
• Add chicken, browning lightly on each side - about 2-3 minutes/side
• Add the spices and salt and cook for 1 minute to let them toast a bit
• Pour in tomato mixture. Cover with lid or foil and simmer for 20 minutes until chicken is cooked.
• Remove chicken and slice thinly. Return to pan and mix to coat. Keep warm.

The "tortilla"

• Whisk egg whites and half & half in a bowl
• Lightly coat a 10" skillet with oil. Add just enough egg mixture to coat the pan in a very thin layer...like 1/5 a cup or less.
• Cook for 1 minute. Add lid and cook for 30 seconds more.
• Slide crepe out of the pan and set aside. 
• Repeat for about 10-11 crepes.

The enchiladas

• Lightly oil a 13X9 baking dish. 
• Fill each crepe with 1/3 cup chicken mixture. Roll up and place seam side down in dish. There will be leftover chicken...just spoon it around the the edges of the crepes. 
• Top with shredded cheese.
• Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes or so. 
• Top with garnishes. Be prepared to be STUFFED.

This was a bit on the labor intensive side, but so worth it. It took about an hour start to finish. I'll get faster as I make it more. My kids inhaled it. Great recipe to start with when introducing Paleo. (And in case you're wondering, the tortillas were not eggy at all. No one even guessed it was eggs.)

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A snapshot of our daily menu. Here is yesterday:

Breakfast: Almond flour pancakes; fresh whipped cream; organic blueberries; nitrate-free sausage

Snack: Granola balls (recipe above); clementines

Lunch: Uncured ham roll-ups filled with cheese, carrot slices, sliced red cabbage, and chopped cucumbers; apple slices with cinnamon & almond butter for dipping (Jon brought leftover Moroccan chicken from the night before to work. I made a chef salad for myself.)

Snack: Organic yogurt; roasted cashew trail mix; bananas and/or carrots (depending on the kid)

Dinner: Turkey burgers (no portabello buns this time) on a bed of baby spinach topped with cheddar, avocado, grilled onions/mushrooms, & bacon; homemade sweet potato fries baked in coconut oil; homemade beet & rutabaga chips sliced on the mandolin and baked; mesculin salad.

Dessert: Homemade fried plantain chips with guacamole for 1/2 of us who like it. Just topped with cinnamon for the other 1/2. 

Let me know if there are other recipes you're interested in. I'm happy to post. Last night we made AWESOME Paleo spaghetti - I didn't miss the pasta at all. Kids were skeptical, but 1/2 of them bought it. Tonight we're making salmon cakes. Wish me luck!

ps - I'm so tickled some of you are or are thinking about wading into the Paleo pool. I need some buddies as you should never swim alone! :) :)

pss - Jon is down 14 lbs. Never seen him so happy with himself. He's got energy and enthusiasm...this is such a huge positive.