Paleo Clam Chowder

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clam chowder

I guess this COLD day inspired me to go back to my hot steamy soup dinner plans!!!!! Paige LOVES clam chowder…who doesn’t?! So I decided that I would make this & we would ALL enjoy it….hopefully! This was my first go at making clam chowder… & a paleo version at that! Paige is my best taste tester because I can tell immediately if she likes it or not! I’m pleased to say…this was a SUCCESS! Yes ma’am! This makes a good amount, enough for lunch the next day, my fav! I made this version sort of chunkier, I like more “stuff” than broth, so I loaded up with clams & veggies! I hope you love this as much as we did!! Here we go!

Paleo Clam Chowder:

3-4 Parsnips (peeled & chopped) (these yummies replace your potatoes;))

1L of chicken stock (I buy reg. free range from trader joes)

1/4-1/2lb bacon (chopped into pieces, I like extraaaa)

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled & chopped

1/3 cup arrowroot powder

1 8oz bottle clam juice

2 10 oz cans shelled baby clams (drained & rinsed) (you can get minced, chopped, whichever)

2 cups full fat coconut milk

Couple shakes of salt, pepper & salt free italian seasoning

Dash of tabasco or siracha sauce (optional)

Pour chicken stock into a soup pot, add parsnips. Simmer for about 10 minutes until parsnips begin to get soft. Take off stove, out of pot & put into a heat safe dish to use in a little bit. In the same pot, add some evoo &  your bacon, celery, onions & carrots, cook until starts to get soft, about 5 minutes. Add arrowroot powder to the veggie/bacon mix & stir to combine for 1 minute. (Only add arrowroot @ this time!! No later.) Add the chicken stock & parsnips back into the pot. Add clam juice & seasonings & simmer for another 5 minutes until mixture starts to thicken. Next add your clams & coconut milk. Now is the time to add any other seasoning or hot sauce to taste. Simmer another 5 minutes & you are good to go! I served mine with my yummy Flax Herb Bread! Delish!!!!!! Eat up!!!!! =)

 

Paleo Tortillas (Legit…Tortillas!!!!)

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tortillas

Soooo, I have piles & piles of recipes & bookmarked pages. I just surf through blogs & magazines DAILY (like, I have a problem….) & compile all of these different ideas for meals! I love this! This not only opens my eyes to new options, but inspires me in the kitchen! Tortillas were a very tricky idea! I was making Chicken Fajitas for dinner & would normally use lettuce wraps. I said let me just check out good ole google & see if anyone has a paleo tortilla idea. I stumbled across this BEAUTYYYYYYYYY!!!!!! I doubled the recipe & changed it slightly, but here is the origional link:

http://stupideasypaleo.com/2013/08/23/simple-paleo-tortillas/

I used coconut oil in my recipe & I doubled it for about 6 tortillas! So easy to whip up & even better the next day after being stored in the fridge! I used them fresh for my Chicken Fajitas, then used them the next day for lunch with sliced chicken, lettuce & tomato! Unbelievable!

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Paleo 2 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake!

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PALEO MUG CAKE

In a rush?? Or just want a sweet treat?? Just because this dessert is made in 2 minutes & in the microwave (i know microwave…bad…), doesn’t mean this can’t be served just as a quick fix or even when you have company!! You can dress this baby up to look realllll nice =) I know sometimes I come home at night & am craving a little sweet, I’m thinking “Am I really about to turn the oven on & wait up for 20 minutes while something cooks???” NO! Also, this is great for a little self control. One & done. You don’t have to worry about digging into leftovers! (I guess you can always make another mug cake tho?!? SHH!) Ok, no more small talk. Check it out!

Paleo Chocolate Mug Cake:

3 tbsp almond meal

2 tbs of cocoa powder

1 tbsp of honey

1 tsp of vanilla extract (or peppermint for extra fancy)

1 tbsp unsweetened almond milk

1 egg

dash of salt

dash of cinnamon

PINCH baking soda

*Get crazy & add some dark chocolate chips or nuts!! AHHHHH! =)

*Mix up all ingredients in a larger microwave safe mug. (Make sure egg it beaten well) Microwave on high about 2 minutes! I like to flip mug over (mug will be hot!!) & dump out on dish, but you can enjoy right out of the mug! You’ll save a dish I guess?!

**In the picture above, I dumped the cake onto a dish & topped with some whipped coconut milk! (I didn’t get the whip very thick that time I guess! EEEK!) Still delish!

paleo card

Confused by Egg Labels?! ME TOO!

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EGGS

Eggs are always at the top of my list when I hit the grocery store. We go through like 1-2 dozen a week! I know that when I’m looking at all of the cartons & labels, I’m thinking what the hell does this all mean? Which is the best option? Typically a carton of 12 eggs can go from $1.50-$5.00 depending on which you buy. I just wanted to decode all of these commonly used terms since I know it can be so confusing or MISLEADING!

  • Brown Eggs: Does not change anything being brown or white. This only determines what kind of chicken laid the egg. No nutritional difference between the two.
  • Cage-Free: This simply means that the chickens who laid the eggs were not confined to a cage. This can sometimes be misleading. Sometimes it just means that for portions of the chickens life they were not in cages, or they were not in cages, but still indoors. This is more of a general term. If you want to be SURE that the chickens who laid these eggs had complete outdoor access you are going to want to look for Certified Organic or Free-Range.
  • Omega-3 Enhanced: This means that the chickens have had an omega-3 supplement added to their food. By doing this, the eggs that they lay can have 3-5 times the amount of awesome fatty acids! This is something you’ll definitely want to look for!
  • Free-Range: This is a term regulated by the USDA, simply meaning that the chickens & hens were not caged & given unlimited access to the outdoors with access to food & fresh water at any time. This is a MUST!
  • Antibiotic-Free: This is a tricky term. It’s hard to know what antibiotics are actually regulated & what is questionable. To ensure that you are eating eggs completely antibiotic free, you’re going to want to go with Certified Organic.
  • Grade A: This is a quality grade, AA, A, or B. The difference between the grades is the texture. Grade B is thinner & the yolk tends to be flatter. Grades AA & A are best for poaching. These grades have nothing to do with how the hens are treated or their conditions. Just another term!
  • Organic: These are the eggs you want to be buying & eating!! 150%, no questions asked, $1.00 or $100.00! (exaggeration obviously ;)) Buying your eggs Certified USDA Organic ensures that the chickens have had outdoor access, & are fed a 100% organic diet, with NO antibiotics! unfortunately, this label does not protect these birds from some not so friendly acts like BEAK CUTTING!! (poor little chicky!) More importantly, buying Organic ensures that your eggs have NOT been treated with ARSENIC, yes i said ARSENIC. It’s added to factory-farmed chicken feed to prevent infections & spur growth!!!!!! WHAT THE HECK?!?!?

**Moral of the story is to buy your eggs Organic & hopefully Omega-3 Enriched! If you are lucky enough to know your farmer, you will be safe in knowing that along with LOCAL & ORGANIC, your hens have been treated humanely! =)

P.S. Check out my older blog post “EGGS-CELLENT” for some yummy eggs recipes to try with your delicious, organic antibiotic free eggs =)

chickens eggs2

Source: My April issue of Women’s Health & Google!

Simple Homemade Hummus!

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Ok, I love hummus. It’s the perfect accessory for some carrots or celery! I only have it in moderation, due to its addictive properties :-). Chickpeas are an excellent source for protein, fiber & surprisingly…calcium!! You can buy it in the store for like $6 tho & that’s crazy! I make this for like $2, and it’s far more delicious! I like the idea of knowing exactly what’s put in it & that its made in my own kitchen! I will never ever buy hummus pre made in the store again! Try it out for yourself!

Simple Hummus:

Makes about 2 1/2 cups!

2 cans chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1/2 cup tahini (I used brads organic)
Splash Evoo (used to thin consistency, I used about 3 tbsp, mine was still thick)
Salt & pepper to taste
Splash Lemon juice to taste
3 cloves minced garlic (next time I’m adding extra!)
Dash of cumin (be careful, it’s easy to overdo!)

Add chickpeas & tahini in food processor & pulse until it starts to get creamy! Add remaining ingredients, pulse to combine! Add more olive oil if you prefer a thinner consistency. I liked mine extra lemony & extra garlicy! This filled a whole mason jar to the top! About 2 1/2 cups! Store in fridge! Enjoy!!!! 🙂

Paleo Banana Ice Cream

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Yep! You heard right! Ice cream! & better yet… No fancy ice cream maker required!! A few simple ingredients to whip up & you’ll be in for a treat! It’s hard to find a good sweet treat that’s ok for our bods these days, but this one does the trick! The perfect amount of creamy sweetness to satisfy my sweet tooth!

Banana Ice Cream

Makes about 5 ish servings

4 frozen bananas (preslice before freezing)
1/2-1 cup unsweetened almond milk
Few shakes of cinnamon
Few tbsp of honey or a few dates (optional for sweetness)
Splash of vanilla

Add all ingredients in food processor, purée until smooth. (I put the variance on almond milk because sometimes it needs to be alittle thinner, start out with 1/2 cup, it may be enough!) Enjoy immidietly or freeze for later 🙂

If you really want to make it fancy:
Whip up some heavy whipped cream with alittle honey & vanilla, add on top
Of your ice cream. Then, in a small bowl, add some walnuts, honey or maple syrup & a pinch of sea salt! Mix together & add on top of whipped cream! To die for!!!!

**You can be as basic or as fancy as you wish! Results are delicious either way! Enjoy!

Paleo Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

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Here is the recipe I promised!!

Paleo Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Makes 4 servings (can be adjusted easily!)

4 med-large sweet potatoes
3 big handfuls spinach or kale
1/2 cup dried or fresh cranberries
1lb sausage (I used longhini sweet)
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 sweet pepper (yellow or red)
1 large yellow onion
About 3 garlic cloves
Salt, pepper, sage to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Poke holes in sweet potatoes, coat with about 1tbsp oil (coconut or olive) & bake them for about an hour until soft.
While your potatoes are baking, heat up some coconut or olive oil over med in a pan. Cook about halfway through, drain grease, then add remaining ingredients except spinach & spices & cook until onions & peppers are soft! Add your spinach, salt, pepper & sage (I added extraaaaa sage) & still to combine until spinach starts to wilt!

When your sweet potatoes are cooked, cut them in half length wise, spread open, then spoon a heaping scoop of filling into each!! Enjoy alone or with a salad or side of choice! **These are SUPER filling & reheat very well:-)

Zucchini Cakes!

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Cakes???? I know, you got excited, sorry 🙂 these are delicious little zucchini pancakes! So easy to make, excellent hot or cold, and yummy with any dish! I used them as a base for my burger or for breakfast as is with some sausage or bacon! Yum!!! Try them for yourself & you’ll see!

Zucchini Pancakes:

Makes about 6-7 good size pancakes

3 zucchini
2 tbsp coconut flour
2 eggs
Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste

Shred zucchini into a mixing bowl. Add your remaining ingredients & mix well! Form into about 6 or so patties. Heat up some evoo in a pan & add 2-3 at a time! Cook until browned on each side & heated throughout. Enjoy!!!

Celery!

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smoothie celery

As you know I have been smoothie making like CRAZY!! I’ve been trying all different things, now I can easily stick with delicious honey, chocolate, sunbutter deliciousness, but that wouldn’t be so great for my BOD! I have been experimenting with different veggies to add some nutrients! Spinach (my fav!), beets, lettuce, now CELERY! I was looking up some recipes for inspiration & decided to throw a few stalks into my smoothie! First sip was interesting, then it all went down smooth!! Who would of thought that celery had so many awesome benefits! Throw a stalk or two in your shakes & you are gunna be feelin good!

  • Celery is mostly made up of water, so it’s great for anyone who is watching their figure!
  • 1 big stalk is only 10 calories! WOW! It can be used is so many things, other than smoothies, salads, as a snack with some sunbutter, soup…possibilities are endless!
  • Celery has shown to bring relief in the inflammation department…joint pains, even asthma & acne!! Crazy right?!
  • This next one is huge.. actually can help calm you down! The minerals in celery can actually soothe the nervous system!
  • Back to the mostly water part….this part, along with its fiber content, aids in digestion!
  • Celery is good for your eyes, containing 10% of your daily need of Vitamin A, also plays a role in reducing bad cholesterol.
  • I can go on & on!! I’ve even read that it can help with blood pressure, cancer, & in the bedroom!! (contains pheromones!!…eat up people!)

So, don’t forget about our other green friend, celery. Move over spinach.

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Challenge Day 13!

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So, here I am … Day 13, almost halfway through this Paleo-ish challenge. I’ve done a few of these before & I’m pretty paleo most of the time, so I wasn’t really nervous about doing this one. The thing that WAS different about the challenge this time around, was my mental state! I felt GOOD! From the second I started, I just made my food & exercise a way of life, not a DIET or a RESTRICTION or CHORE! Your mind is your biggest strength & can sometimes be your biggest weakness. This is where your motivation, self praise & ability comes from. Those negatives friends that cloud our focus sometimes are the worst! I have been making an effort to cleanse my thoughts & really think! If I have to think “Should I go?” or “Should I be eating that?”…then I think I already know the answer. I & WE just need to be conscious & RESPONSIBLE for our decisions. Only I am in control of my body.. I think that the last couple months of yoga have really helped with this & improved my overall well-being! From my strength & core, my abilities & focus, my flexibility & breathing it has all improved! I’m not worrying about my scale, or how much I weigh, or am losing. I’m focusing on how I am feeling & how I am performing! My goals are very clear & I feel great! I am trying to keep the excuses & time restrictions on the back burner (as much as possible!) Your food & exercise should be enlightening, inspiring & exciting!! Here are a few inspirations (or PINsperations!!) & mantras that help me get through… (I definitely need a reminder sometimes.)

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“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.”- Buddha.