Monthly Archives: November 2014

Decadent Paleo Hot Cocoa

I was playing around with coconut milk I want to come up with a recipe that was like real European hot chocolate but Paleo. Again Paleo is not a low cal or low carb diet, it’s going back to eating real natural food like cavemen did. It’s very possible to cut out the junk including the refined sugars and flour to still have a sinful dessert.

Ingredients:
1/2 can coconut milk
1 1/2 tablespoon honey
2 1/2 tablespoon cocoa powder

Start by shaking or mixing together coconut milk and cocoa powder. Pour the mixture into a pot and start to heat on low. At honey and bring to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes constantly risking or stirring together. Pour into a glass and enjoy hot.

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Grab The Gold Bars Review

Living on the go and being gluten free is always a challenge. I always have granola bars stocked up just incase. Finding something that is all natural, gluten free, high in protein and taste good can be hard.

I received a case of Grab the Gold snack bars to try and I loved them. Taste like an oatmeal cookie combined with a peanut butter cup. With 11 grams of protein it is super filling. A bar that both kids and adults will love. It all fits its a cute bright gold package.

Wanna give them try? Grab one here: http://shop.grabthegold.com/sample—grab-the-gold—1-gluten-free-snack-bar-p14.aspx

Looking for more then a sample? Get a case at a great price here: http://shop.grabthegold.com/grab-the-gold—12-gluten-free-snack-bars-p56.aspx

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Chicken Tikka Masala

Indian food is so good. I have been trying to come up with easy slow cooker recipes that are creative and I figured an indian dish would be great. This recipe is simple, gluten free and paleo.

Ingredients:
1 Onion
3 Tablespoons Fresh Grated Ginger
3 Tablespoon Tikka Masala Spice
1/2 Can Coconut Milk
1 Tablespoon Honey
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1- 15oz Can Crushed Tomatoes

Start by slicing onion thin and placing in slow cooker. Add ginger, tikka masala spice, coconut milk, honey,salt, red pepper flakes and tomatoes to slow cook. Mix together well. Slice chicken thighs into large chunks and add to mixture. Took on low for 7 hours stirring occasionally if possible. After the 7 hours remove the lid, mix and turn heat on high to help sauce thicken a bit. Serve hot!

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Maple Glazer Persimmon

I always had a fun with persimmons. They come out for a bit in the fall a bit expensive but look really cool. They are kind of similar to a tomato with bright orange color and sweetness of a sweet potato.

Ingredients:
8 persimmons
1/4 Cup maple syrup to
2 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch of salt

Start by washing the persimmons and cutting off the top. Slice each into six even pieces and throw them into a bowl. Now add maple syrup olive oil and salt to the bowl. Toss together well by hand. Spread out on a foiled baking dish. Bake at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes. The outsides will start to brown and get crispy. Serve hot!

Note: persimmons have a puckering quality. Which means once prepared they can create a very dry mouth feeling that takes time to get used to. One way to avoid this is by soaking the slices in salt water for 5 minutes and then rinse before you add the maple syrup or any of the ingredients.

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Guilt Free Chocolate Bar

I recently went on a trip to Hershey Park. I learned a lot about chocolate in this great class they offered. I felt inspired to develop a chocolate recipe that was guilt free and easy to make. My next attempted this will be a Paleo version for now try this one out it’s really good.

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Chocolate Coco Powder
1/3 Cup Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Light
4 tablespoons Maple syrup
1 tablespoon almond milk

Start by mixing Cocoa powder, maple syrup and butter together in a bowl. Mix gently trying to add a bit of air to fluff up the mix. Finally add the almond milk and stir a few more times. Pour into any size mold, I like a rectangle small glass baking dish. Place in freezer and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Cut out squares and enjoy. Store any leftovers in the freezer.

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Paleo Chilli

Chili season is now in full swing. A warm easy dinner great for weeknights or game night. I wanted to come up with the crockpot version that was completely Paleo. No beans or rice needed for this version.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef or ground turkey
1 large onion chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and chopped
1/2 tablespoon sage
1/2 tablespoon oregano
2 tablespoons honey
1 tsp salt
1 tablespoon chipotle powder
3/4 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons Worchester optional
1/3 cup apple cider

Start by browning onions and meat on a large pan with the olive oil. Once browned drain fat off and pour meat into the crockpot. Add crushed tomatoes, chili powder, chipotle powder, oregano, sage, salt, honey and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well. Now add sweet potato and apple cider mix again gently. Cook on low with a lid for about eight hours. Serve hot!

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Tropical Green Monster Smoothie

I drink a green smoothie almost everyday changing the recipe all the time. With a smoothie bar at work I have plenty of things to play with. William-Sonoma is doing a “not your typical smoothie project”.   They asked me to share a heathy smoothie recipe that was a bit out side the box. My favorite smoothie fit the request perfect and I decided to share. This smoothie recipe is gluten free, paleo, nut free and vegan.

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup frozen spinach

3/4 cup frozen mango

2 tablespoon sunflower butter

Simple place everything in blend and blend very well. Using frozen fruit and spinach is the trick to making the smoothie smooth and creamy. With frozen ingredients their is no need for any ice. My favorite blender is a vita mix and it tends to be the best at blending frozen fruit. Sunflower butter adds the protein you want in a smoothie with a unique flavor. Sunflower butter seems to be a bit more subtle in flavor then other nut butters.

Williams-Sanoma has a great line up of blenders. Check them out here http://www.williams-sonoma.com/shop/electrics/blenders/IMG_4565 IMG_4566 IMG_4567 IMG_4568

Maple Soda

While trying to cut all junk out of my diet I am learning more and more how regular soda and diet soda are terrible for you. I have a soda stream and I am always trying to come up with new soda recipes that are healthy and delicious. Using fruit is easy and fun but I wanted to come up with something that’s more like cola and acceptable on the Paleo diet. Maple syrup like honey is Paleo approved as an all natural sweetener. When using in moderation it works great in many recipes. The most important thing is to make sure it’s all natural maple syrup. Yes the the expensive kind from the store. The only ingredient should be all natural maple syrup and grade B is the best.

Ingredients:
16oz Soda Water or Seltzer
3/4 Tablespoon maple syrup

Simply pour soda water in a wide glass. Add maple syrup and stir gently with a spoon. The more syrup you add the thicker it will get so depends on the sweetness level you want. I like it just lightly sweet. Serve cold and enjoy!

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